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Drawing on my experiences maintaining Puma and other open-source projects, both volunteer and for pay, I'd like to share what I think is a "third way" for sustainable open source, between the extremes of "everyone deserves to be paid" and "everyone's on their own". Instead of viewing maintainers as valuable resources, this third way posits that maintainers are blockers to a potentially-unlimited pool of contributors, and a maintainer's #1 job is encouraging contribution.
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In this video titled 'A Third Way For Open-Source Maintenance,' Nate Berkopec discusses a sustainable model for maintaining open-source projects, particularly drawing upon his experiences with the Puma project. He presents a viewpoint that bridges the existing extremes of maintaining open-source: the notion that 'everyone deserves to be paid' versus the idea that maintainers are 'on their own.' Key points of the talk include: - **The Current Model**: Berkopec expresses concern that current open-source collaboration models, largely shaped by GitHub, limit maintainer labor and create anxiety in the community. He argues that maintainers should not be viewed merely as resources but rather as facilitators for a wider pool of contributors. - **Maintainer Responsibilities**: He emphasizes the need for maintainers to focus on encouraging contributions instead of feeling overwhelmed by user demands. He suggests that users often take from maintainers without contributing back, leading to an expectation imbalance. - **Shifts in Contribution Dynamics**: Berkopec presents his change in practice since taking over Puma maintenance, leading to a healthier contribution model, where maintainers can view the issues list not as obligations but as opportunities for potential contributors. - **Recruitment and Delegation**: He advocates for splitting maintainership tasks to include documentation, issue management, and new contributor onboarding, to enhance project sustainability. - **Protecting Maintainer Attention**: Berkopec stresses the importance of maintaining a positive environment for contributors and the need for aggressive moderation of negative behavior that deters participation. - **Challenging the Maintainer Monopoly**: He calls for a reevaluation of how projects are owned and maintained, suggesting the need for a system that allows community governance and shared responsibility rather than a sole maintainer monopoly. In conclusion, Berkopec encourages maintainers to lead their projects as community leaders, enabling them to recruit and inspire new contributors while managing their responsibilities. This new framework fosters an open-source environment that thrives on collaboration and shared contributions, addressing the sustainability concerns faced by many maintainers today.
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