Meritocracy is a founding principle of the open source movement, and the ideal of meritocracy is perpetuated throughout our field in the way people are recruited, hired, retained, promoted, and valued.
Coraline Ada Ehmke: The Rising Ethical Storm in Open Source
In the twenty years since the term “open source” was coined by Christine Peterson, our community has grown astronomically, all the while learning from its successes and failures. A lot has changed for open source developers in the past two decades. But the political and technological landscape has also changed.
Open Source and Politics
Coraline Ada Ehmke is an acclaimed speaker, writer, engineer, and activist with over 25 years of experience in software and almost 20 years in open source.
Open source beyond the market
Keynote on the topic of open source, markets, debts, purpose, and no less than the meaning of life. Delivered at RailsConf 2019. Also available as a long read below.
Open Source Saturation
In Supporting Open Source Software I discussed the critical need for better support for contributors to open source projects. Now, Quo Vadi...
Why Open Source Failed
(If you like this essay, you may be interested in my follow-up, “Save Open Source, Save the World”)
Moving beyond the charity framework
A healthy ecosystem for supporting open source in the long term.
The Open-Source Ecosystem Canvas
An ecosystem canvas makes an open-source project say who it's really for. Here's what ours surfaced about stdlib's value propositions.
Why open source: 25 reasons to embrace it | Ben Balter
Open source isn't a fad. Here are twenty-five economic, moral, and personal reasons your organization should embrace it.
About - Open Collective
Open Collective was founded by idealists to make online communities more sustainable. What began as a tool for open source and grassroots groups has grown into a global infrastructure for transparency, collaboration, and shared financial stewardship.
Open Source Endowment — World's First Endowment Fund for OSS
The Open Source Endowment provides truly sustainable funding for critical open source software through a community-driven endowment model.
Against Technofeudal Education
Pillars For Protecting Our "Core Infrastructure" From OpenAI
Reframing “Open Source AI” with Meredith Whittaker: AI Impact Summit 2026
Open Source Initiative
The steward of the Open Source Definition, setting the foundation for the Open Source Software ecosystem.
Open Source Explained — Open Indie
Musings on the concept of ‘open source’, in the broadest possible definition of the term. Also an invitation to become a participant in ...
