CHAOSScast

Thank you to the folks at Sustain for providing the hosting account for CHAOSScast! CHAOSScast – Episode 94 In this episode of CHAOSScast, host Harmony Elendu is joined by members of the CHAOSS Africa community, Precious Abubakar, Gloria Johnson, and Maryblessing Okolie. Join us as they share their personal journeys and experiences contributing to the open-source ecosystem. They also discuss their roles in various CHAOSS projects, including the DEI Badging project, documentation efforts, and the Contributor Covenant. The episode highlights the importance of community support, the challenges and successes in open-source contributions, and suggestions for improving the onboarding process for newcomers. Press download now to hear more! [00:03:21] Precious shares her “open source awakening” through the CHAOSS Project and mentorship programs, particularly the Africa Contributor Program. [00:05:04] Maryblessing shares her experience with the Outreachy program and how conversations with Precious led her to contribute to the CHAOSS Project, specifically working on Augur software. [00:06:50] Gloria talks about her introduction to open source through her friend and joining the CHAOSS community and shares her initial hesitations and eventual onboarding into the open source space. [00:09:17] Harmony discusses the importance of attending open source meetings as a form of contribution and he reflects on the importance of the onboarding party for newcomers in the CHAOSS community. [00:11:51] Maryblessing describes her various contributions to CHAOSS, including event planning, facilitating meetings, and her leadership role in the Contributor Covenant project. [00:17:12] Gloria shares her contribution to the DEI Badging project, reviewing event badges and contributing as a project manager. Harmony praises the Badging project for its impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the open source space. [00:19:25] Precious shares her contributions to Project Badging, the CHAOSS Slack bot, and reflects on her journey in the open source space. [00:23:02] Harmony opens the discussion on how the CHAOSS community could improve the contributor experience, and our guests share how the community has evolved and reflects on improvements such as recognizing no-code contributors and how the tour guide system has been helpful for onboarding newcomers to the community. [00:27:02] Harmony wraps up by commending the community’s efforts to consistently improve the onboarding process for newcomers. Value Adds (Picks) of the week: [00:28:01] Harmony’s pick is let’s see open source as a way of giving back to the world at large. [00:28:30] Maryblessing’s pick is nobody can steal your vision. [00:29:04] Gloria’s pick is let opportunities meet you prepared. [00:29:30] Precious’s pick is relaunching her blog. Panelist: Harmony Elendu Guests: Precious Abubakar Gloria Johnson Maryblessing Okolie Links: CHAOSS CHAOSS Project X CHAOSScast Podcast CHAOSS Slack podcast@chaoss.community CHAOSS Project Africa X CHAOSS Africa-GitHub Georg Link Website Harmony Elendu Medium Harmony Elendu X Precious Abubakar Medium Gloria Johnson LinkedIn Maryblessing Okolie LinkedIn CHAOSScast Podcast-Episode 67: The CHAOSS Newcomer Slack Bot and She-Code-Africa with Precious and lyimide Contributor Covenant CHAOSS DEI Project Badging CHAOSS Slack BotSpecial Guests: Gloria Johnson, Maryblessing Okolie, and Precious Abubakar.Support CHAOSScast

Thank you to the folks at Sustain for providing the hosting account for CHAOSSCast! CHAOSScast- Episode 93 Guests: Elizabeth Barron Luis Cañas-Diaz Dawn Foster Panelists: Alice Sowerby Richard Littauer In this episode of CHAOSScast, it’s a crossover with Sustain, host Richard Littauer is joined by three guests, Dawn Foster, Elizabeth Barron, and Luis Cañas Diaz, to discuss the CHAOSS Project's recent development of Practitioner Guides. The show delves into the purpose of these guides, which are designed to help open source projects interpret and utilize metrics to improve community health and sustainability. The guests explain the significance of metrics in open source projects, the challenges of defining and making them accessible, and how the guides can benefit different types of projects, from large corporations to individual developers. Topics covered include the background and format of the guides, specifics on the metrics discussed, and the practical applications and improvements these guides aim to facilitate. Go ahead and download this episode now! [00:03:03] Dawn fills us in on the connections between the guests and their collective work on the CHAOSS Practitioner Guides. [00:03:43] The conversation shifts to the specifics of the CHAOSS Project, highlighting the international community involvement and various working groups focusing on different aspects of open source projects like corporate OSPOs, university OSPOs, and diversity and equity initiatives. [00:05:31] Luis describes the origin and work of Bitergia and its collaboration with CHAOSS Project, particularly in developing tools like Grimoire Lab. [00:07:17] Richard turns the discussion to the CHAOSS Project’s Practitioner Guides, where Dawn discusses the purpose of the introduction guide in the series, designed to help users understand and apply metrics effectively across various open source contexts. [00:10:58] There’s a discussion on the format of the guides, emphasizing their accessibility, ethical considerations in data handling, and how they’re designed to be adaptable to different needs. Luis highlights the need for CHAOSS and Bitergia projects to provide actionable insights rather than just more metrics. [00:13:28] Elizabeth and Dawn explain the broader goal of the guides to not only provide metrics but also helps users interpret and apply these to drive tangible improvements in open source projects. [00:14:54] We learn about the target audience for the guides and how they cater to both large organizational structures (OSPOs) and individual project maintainers. [00:16:15] Dawn explains what the Contributor Sustainability Guide focuses on, emphasizing strategies for sustainable contribution and community involvement in open source projects. [00:17:53] The discussion centers on renaming the “bus factor” metric to “contributor absence factor” to avoid the negative connotations of the original term, Luis emphasizes the relevance of metrics, particularly in small projects, and Dawn explains that the guides focus on a few key metrics per guide, chosen for their ease of understanding and minimal requirement for data collection. [00:21:58] Richard inquires about the effectiveness of metrics in identifying if a project is on the wrong path, prompting a discussion on the goals of a project and how metrics align with those metrics. Elizabeth and Dawn stress the importance of aligning metrics with project goals and involving project contributors in discussions about what metrics are most relevant. [00:24:35] The discussion continues with considerations on how metrics should supplement, not replace, expert judgement and involvement in project management. Elizabeth and Richard discuss the potential for projects to start with community growth in mind and the challenges in measuring and guiding such growth. [00:28:18] The conversation switches to the remaining guides not yet covered, with Richard asking about the guides on Responsiveness and Organizational Participation. Dawn explains the Responsiveness guide, with its focus on key metrics like time to first response, time to close, and change request closure ratio. Elizabeth and Luis share why this is one of their favorite guides. [00:33:23] We hear about the broader applicability of the guides. Richard questions if the guides are only for corporate-driven projects or if they can serve more relaxed open source environments. Dawn and Luis emphasize that the guides are valuable for a variety of stakeholders, including foundations and volunteers. [00:35:00] Find out where you can look at the Practitioner Guides online. Quotes: [00:07:44] “At the CHAOSS Project we have a whole bunch of metrics, and we have tools or software that help you gather those metrics.” [00:08:06] “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to interpreting metrics.” [00:15:10] “A lot of these guides were designed with OSPOs in mind. They’re all useful to anyone who’s managing a project.” [00:19:55] “For metrics, the bigger the project, the more useful they are.” Spotlight: [00:35:54] Richard’s spotlight is Johnny Wilson, an eBird reviewer. [00:36:34]** Elizabeth’s **spotlight is a project called Clocker. [00:37:30] Dawn’s spotlight is Nadia Eghbal’s book, _Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software, _and her paper, “Roads and Bridges: The Unseen Labor Behind Our Digital Infrastructure.” [00:38:29] Luis’s spotlight is Moodle, the OSS learning platform. Links: CHAOSS CHAOSS slack CHAOSS Practitioner Guides SustainOSS SustainOSS Discourse podcast@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Mastodon Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Alice Sowerby Website Elizabeth Barron Website Elizabeth Barron LinkedIn Luis Cañas-Diaz Website Luis Cañas-Diaz LinkedIn Dawn Foster Website Dawn Foster LinkedIn Johnny Wilson-Ventures Birding Tours Clocker Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software by Nadia Eghbal “Roads and Bridges: The Unseen Labor Behind Our Digital Infrastructure” by Nadia Eghbal Nadia Asparouhova (Eghbal) Website Moodle Sustain Podcast featuring Nadia Eghbal Credits: Produced by [Richard Littauer] (https://www.burntfen.com/) Edited by Paul M. Bahr at [Peachtree Sound] (https://www.peachtreesound.com/) Show notes by DeAnn Bahr [Peachtree Sound] (https://www.peachtreesound.com/) Special Guests: Luis Cañas-Díaz and Richard Littauer.Support CHAOSScast

Divya Mohan, an expert in ISO standards for open source community health metrics, joins the conversation to highlight the vital role of ISO standards in ensuring interoperability and credibility in open source projects. She discusses existing standards like SPDX and the ongoing development of the Security Assurance Specification by the OpenChain Project. The panel emphasizes community engagement in refining health metrics and how these standards can improve security and project vitality, making open source efforts more robust and recognized.

Cali Dolfi, a Senior Data Scientist at Red Hat, and Josh Berkus, a Community Architect at Red Hat, share their insights into open source community health. They dive into their innovative work on Project Aspen, emphasizing the importance of contextual metrics. The duo discusses the evolving challenges of the cloud-native ecosystem, particularly with Kubernetes. They also explore the potential impact of generative AI on data practices and community engagement, drawing compelling parallels between cultivating plants and building vibrant online communities.

Thank you to the folks at Sustain for providing the hosting account for CHAOSSCast! CHAOSScast – Episode 90 In this episode of CHAOSScast, host Harmony Elendu welcomes guests Kingsley Mkpandiok and Victoria Ottah from CHAOSS Africa. They share their unique encounters with open source, from reading articles and attending events to making their first contributions. They discuss the importance of community engagement, the valuable skills they've developed, and the significance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in their work. The episode highlights how volunteering and active participation in open source not only benefits the community but also enhances personal growth and networking opportunities. Press download now to hear more! [00:00:34] Kingsley and Victoria introduce themselves and tell us about their backgrounds. [00:02:48] Kingsley describes how he engaged with open source through a LinkedIn post by Ruth Ikegah, which led to his involvement with CHAOSS. Victoria tells us how she was initially hesitant as a non-code contributor, but she was inspired by a designer at the OSCA fest event, leading her to active contributions in design for open source. [00:05:29] Harmony’s personal onboarding experience was being influenced by social media posts and personal onboarding by Ruth Ikegah in open source, while Adeyinka Oresanya started his first contribution through documentation in CHAOSS. [00:06:34] There’s a discussion on how initial contributions to CHAOSS Africa was like as Kingsley explains his first project involved a flyer design for a Twitter space, and Victoria’s debut was on the DI badging UI along with other minor contributions. [00:09:50] Harmony stresses the importance of attending meetings as part of contributing to the open source community and highlights the significance of onboarding parties hosted by CHAOSS, which are crucial for new contributors. [00:12:07] The conversation switches to reflections on experiences within the open source community. Kingsley values the community aspect of open source most, sharing how it’s led to friendships and collaborative opportunities, and Victoria discusses how open source has been instrumental in teaching her patience and improving her interpersonal skills. [00:16:28] Harmony ranks CHAOSS Africa as his top three communities due to its supportive and effective management and appreciates the efforts of community managers and facilitators. Value Adds (Picks) of the week: [00:17:27] Harmony’s pick is volunteering as being the best way to wait for your next opportunity while getting better at something. [00:18:07] Kingsley’s pick is if you are going to spend time doing a piece of work, do it as well as possible. [00:18:38] Victoria’s pick is incorporating diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI) in everything. Quote: [00:14:09] “To improve your experience, open source is the place to start.” Panelist: Harmony Elendu Guests: Kingsley Mkpandiok Victoria Ottah Links: CHAOSS CHAOSS Project X/Twitter CHAOSScast Podcast podcast@chaoss.community Harmony Elendu X/Twitter Harmony Elendu Substack Kingsley Mkpandiok Medium Kingsley Mkpandiok X/Twitter Kingsley Mkpandiok LinkedIn Victoria Ottah Medium Victoria Ottah X/Twitter Victoria Ottah LinkedIn Ruth Ikegah X/Twitter Open Source Community Africa (OSCA) CHAOSS Africa-GitHub CHAOSS Project Africa X/Twitter CHAOSS Africa-Open Collective CHAOSS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group-GitHubSpecial Guests: Kingsley Mkpandiok and Victoria Ottah.Support CHAOSScast

In this engaging discussion, Dawn Foster, an open source project engagement expert, Elizabeth Barron, who focuses on organizational participation, and Harmony Elendu, a CHAOSS metrics specialist, dive into the nuances of organizational involvement in open source. They explain how CHAOSS Practitioner Guides simplify complex metrics for project health. Key topics include the importance of diverse contributors, the challenges of measuring organizational influence, and the role of community managers in fostering thriving environments. Tools like Augur and Grimoire Lab are also highlighted as essential for effective data analysis.

Dawn Foster and Elizabeth Barron discuss open source contributor sustainability, emphasizing the impact on project viability, avoiding single points of failure, and the human aspect of contributions. They highlight the importance of practitioner guides, proactive community building, and valuing all contributors. Practical strategies and examples are shared for long-term project success.

Thank you to the folks at Sustain for providing the hosting account for CHAOSSCast! CHAOSScast – Episode 87 In this episode of CHAOSScast, host Elizabeth Barron is joined by panelists Anita Ihuman and Ruth Ikegah, along with guests, Enock Kasaadha and Maryblessing Okolie, as they delve into the experiences and contributions of CHAOSS Africa, a regional chapter of the CHAOSS Project. They share personal stories of how they got involved in open source, the influence of CHAOSS Africa on their careers, and the community's growth over the past two years. Discussion highlights include the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the supportive nature of the CHAOSS community, and future aspirations for CHAOSS Africa. Press download to hear much more! [00:03:34] Ruth shares her journey into open source which began out of curiosity during her microbiology studies when she observed a friend participating in an open source project via a Google meet call. [00:06:13] Enock describes his transition from software development to open source, highlighting the initial challenges he faced finding a welcoming community. He praises CHAOSS for their newcomer-friendly environment. [00:07:51] Maryblessing got into open source after being introduced through a friend who participated in an Outreachy internship, she then joined CHAOSS. Initially, she observed the community to understand how her skills could contribute, and over time she became an active participant. [00:10:24] Anita shares a similar background with Ruth, having been classmates. Her interest in open source grew as she saw peers making significant contributions to tech, which encouraged her to engage in open source, leading her to CHAOSS. [00:13:11] The discussion switches to how CHAOSS Africa came to be. Ruth explains how she transitioned from GNOME to CHAOSS through her interactions with other open source contributors. She credits Outreachy, an internship program that CHAOSS participated in, and highlights the role of the DI (Diversity and Inclusion) audits team and the Ford Foundation in recognizing the contributions of African members. [00:19:18] Elizabeth asks about the impact of open source and CHAOSS on their lives. Enock responds, detailing how CHAOSS acts as an incubator for learning open source contributions skills, which are transferable to other communities. He emphasizes the values of patience, trust, and appreciation cultivated within the CHAOSS community. [00:24:10] Maryblessing emphasizes how the community has helped advance her career, particularly in managing volunteers, appreciating diversity and inclusion, and improving her decision-making processes. She highlights how CHAPSS has enabled her to engage effectively in other communities and appreciate the role of non-coding contributions in open source projects. [00:28:12] Anita shares that CHAOSS has broadened her understanding of community health beyond resolving disputes, revealing the multifaceted nature of building a healthy community. She appreciates how her involvement in CHAOSS has allowed her to explore non-coding roles in open source. [00:29:56] The discussion shifts to the future of CHAOSS Africa, with Ruth and Enock envisioning greater expansion across the continent. They discuss supporting local events and including more countries in their efforts. Value Adds (Picks) of the week: [00:34:01] Elizabeth’s pick is reconnecting with old friends. [00:34:46] Enock’s pick is motivation is overrated. [00:35:25] Anita’s pick is the recent feedback from her company on her efforts. [00:35:50] Maryblessing’s pick is Notion. [00:36:12] Ruth’s pick is being at peace and worrying less. Panelists: Elizabeth Barron Anita Ihuman Ruth Ikegah Guests: Enock Kasaadha Maryblessing Okolie Links: CHAOSS CHAOSS Project X/Twitter CHAOSScast Podcast podcast@chaoss.community Elizabeth Barron X/Twitter Ruth Ikegah X/Twitter Ruth Ikegah LinkedIn Anita Ihuman LinkedIn Anita Ihuman GitHub Enock Kasaadha Website Enock Kasaadha LinkedIn Maryblessing Okolie Website Maryblessing Okolie LinkedIn Ford Foundation CHAOSS Africa GitHub CHAOSS Africa Open Collective CHAOSS Project Africa X/Twitter Outreachy GNOME Maryblessing Okolie’s talk at Berlin Buzzwords (YouTube) Notion Join the CHAOSS Africa Slack channelSpecial Guests: Anita ihuman, Enock Kasaadha, and Maryblessing Okolie.Support CHAOSScast

Guests from The Alan Turing Institute discuss using AI ethically with open source. They cover the institute's strategic vision and projects like The Turing Way. Topics include community building, ethical AI, CHAOSS metrics integration, and future initiatives.

Dawn Foster, author of the Responsiveness Guide for CHAOSS, discusses the challenges of interpreting data and metrics in projects. The conversation emphasizes actionable insights for improvement and the risks of misinterpreting metrics. They stress the importance of context and project team involvement. Future directions for the guide series and community contributions are also covered.