Remote Ruby Managing Open Source with Nate Berkopec
Nov 14, 2025
Nate Berkopec, a Rails/Ruby performance engineer and seasoned open-source maintainer known for his work on Puma, joins the discussion. He dives into the split within the Ruby community and the complexities of maintaining vital projects. Topics include open-source funding challenges and the debate about project ownership. Nate also explores corporate sponsorships, the impact of paid open-source work, and the need for inclusivity in contributions. He suggests creating community-led alternatives to Turbo/Hotwire, advocating for a collaborative future in open-source.
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Split Exposed Open Source Fault Lines
- The RubyGems/Bundler split finalized with both sides going separate ways and new projects emerging.
- The dispute revealed deep cultural questions about ownership, maintenance, and funding in open source.
Funding Claims Create Control Incentives
- Both sides framed maintenance as specialized paid work and argued they alone had the expertise to run projects.
- That created incentives to hoard control and sell access rather than grow community ownership.
Puma Maintainer Keeps Open Source As Hobby
- Nate treats open source as a means to an end and keeps it as a hobby to support his consulting business.
- He avoids selling consulting tied to maintaining Puma and contributes when it aligns with clients' needs.