Description
A lot of people get started in open source by “scratching their own itch” – building something that they want for themselves. But starting the project isn't the hard part: it is keeping it going in a reasonable, sustainable way.
I will be honest: creating and building a sustainable open community is hard. It involves giving up some control. It involves developing and exercising a different set of skills other than those needed for technical mastery. So how do you do it?
I will start out with three stories about successful open communities, and explain how they were able to succeed. Then I will talk a little about why these communities work. It isn’t fairy dust. It isn’t even altruism. It’s economics, psychology, and communication. Finally, I will give some guidelines around how you can build your own sustainable community.