Nadia Eghbal, author of "Working in Public" and expert in open source communities, shares her insights on the dynamics of online collaboration. She discusses the emergence of new community structures, like federations and stadiums, and their impact on engagement. Eghbal explores the evolution of parasocial relationships, the challenges of digital identities, and the importance of sustainable creator-audience interactions. She also examines the balance between public and private spaces in the digital age and the responsibilities of platforms in fostering healthy communities.
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insights INSIGHT
Open Source Defined
Open-source software licenses facilitate easy code use, modification, and republication.
Open source doesn't define how software is produced, only distributed, much like the term "company".
insights INSIGHT
Community Taxonomy
Classifying open-source communities helps understand member dynamics beyond the term "members".
Nadia Eghbal proposes a taxonomy of online communities: federations, clubs, toys, and stadiums.
insights INSIGHT
Stadiums and Influencers
Stadium communities feature a star contributor (like an influencer) and a large audience.
This model shifts the focus from peer production to a stage-facing dynamic, influencing creator economies.
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Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary
Eric S. Raymond
In this book, Eric S. Raymond discusses two distinct models of software development: the 'cathedral' model, where source code is restricted to a small group of developers, and the 'bazaar' model, where code is developed publicly over the internet. Raymond draws from his experiences with the Linux kernel and his own project, fetchmail, to illustrate the benefits of the bazaar model, including the rapid discovery of bugs through public scrutiny. The book also outlines 19 'lessons' for creating good open-source software and discusses the impact of this model on the broader software development community.
The Three-Body Problem
None
Cixin Liu
Cixin Liu's 'The Three-Body Problem' is a critically acclaimed science fiction novel that blends hard science with compelling storytelling. The story follows a group of scientists who make contact with an alien civilization, leading to unforeseen consequences for humanity. Liu's intricate world-building and exploration of complex scientific and philosophical themes have earned him widespread recognition. The novel is known for its ambitious scope and its exploration of the potential challenges and dangers of encountering extraterrestrial life. It's a thought-provoking work that has captivated readers worldwide.
Working in Public
Nadia Eghbal
Nadia Eghbal's "Working in Public" delves into the collaborative nature of open-source software development. The book explores the social dynamics, motivations, and challenges involved in building and maintaining software projects through collective effort. Eghbal examines various models of collaboration, highlighting the importance of community building and shared responsibility. The book offers valuable insights into the complexities of open-source projects and their impact on the broader technological landscape. It serves as a guide for understanding and participating in these collaborative endeavors.
We're living in an unprecedented era of online collaboration, coordination, and creation. All kinds of people are coming together -- whether in an open source project or company, an R&D initiative, a department in a company, a club or special interest group, even a group of friends and family -- around some shared interest or activity. But the word "members" is faceless, and doesn't help us really understand, support (and better design for) these communities.
So in this special book launch episode of the a16z Podcast, Nadia Eghbal -- author of the new bookWorking in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software published by Stripe Press -- shares with a16z editor in chief Sonal Chokshi the latest research and insights from years of studying the health of open source communities (for Ford Foundation), working in developer experience (at GitHub), researching the economics and production of software (at Protocol Labs), and now focusing on writer experience at Substack.
Eghbal offers a new taxonomy of communities -- including newer phenomena such as "stadiums" of open source developers, other creators, and really, influencers -- who are performing their work in massive spaces where the work is public (and not necessarily participatory). So what lessons of open source communities do and don't apply to the passion economy and creator communities? How does the evolution of online communities -- really, social networks -- shift the focus to reputation and status as a service? And what if working in public is also about sharing in private, given the "dark forest theory of the internet", the growing desire for more "high-shared context" groups and spaces (including even podcasts and newsletters)? All this and more in this episode.
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