Open source software has undergone significant shift over the past 20 years. Today, often unseen solo operators maintain code used by millions. In 'Working in Public', Nadia Eghbal takes an inside look at modern open software development and its evolution over the last two decades -- and its ramifications for an internet reorienting itself around individual creators. She examines GitHub as a platform; the structures, roles, incentives, and relationships of open source projects; and their heretofore unexplored maintenance, via the work that software requires its creators and the costs of production that must be maintained. Open source offers us a model through which to understand the challenges faced by online creators on all platforms." -- Publisher description
The Missing Middle of Open Source
Why serious, maintainer-driven projects struggle to sustain themselves—and what it will take to fix it.
Sustainable Open Source: The Maintainers Perspective or: How I Learned to Stop Caring and Love Open Source
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 ...
Open Source Software and Corporate Influence — Andrew Lilley Brinker
Open source software projects are frequently enmeshed with the interests of corporations. We should update mental models of who works on open source accordingly, and build or modify power structures to be more resilient to corporate capture.
Open Source Resistance
A direct-action manifesto for maintainers keeping open source alive on company time.
The Few, the Tired, the Open Source Coders
The open source movement runs on the heroic efforts of not enough people doing too much work. They need help.
Open Source Initiative
The steward of the Open Source Definition, setting the foundation for the Open Source Software ecosystem.
Aaron Boodman on Twitter / X
There is this tension in dev tooling right now: Lots of people want to self-host, and not depend on a service. Lots of people also want the vibes of open source - being part of an open development community, having the code, etc.But builders still need to make a living...— Aaron Boodman (@aboodman) January 23, 2024
What it feels like to be an open-source maintainer
Outside your door stands a line of a few hundred people. They are patiently waiting for you to answer their questions, complaints, pull requests, and feature requests. You want to help all of them,…
What it feels like to be an open-source maintainer
Outside your door stands a line of a few hundred people. They are patiently waiting for you to answer their questions, complaints, pull requests, and feature requests. You want to help all of them,…
It’s time to rethink Open Source
Why developers give away valuable work for free — and what can be done to take that money back.
Open Source is Broken
The Open Source movement, as championed by the OSI, prizes absolute openness above all other concerns...
Open Source Maintainers Owe You Nothing
This post is heavily inspired by my experience over the last ten years participating in the open source community and eight years as a maintainer of Homebrew (which I’ve maintained longer than anyone else at this point).
GitHub · Change is constant. GitHub keeps you ahead.
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