Lightning Talk: Better Communication

by Weston Platter

In the video 'Lightning Talk: Better Communication' by Weston Platter, presented at the Rocky Mountain Ruby 2013 event, the speaker emphasizes the importance of effective communication within the open source community. He shares a personal experience with an unresponsive gem repository, which led him to create his own gem instead of waiting for feedback. Weston proposes several strategies to enhance communication among developers, especially maintainers and contributors.

Key Points Discussed:
- Encouragement for Maintainers: Weston urges maintainers to prioritize responding to issues rather than attempting to resolve every problem. Simple notifications, like informing contributors about vacations, significantly improve communication.
- Involving Junior Developers: He highlights the value of including junior developers in discussions, as their eagerness can lead to fresh insights and contributions.
- Categorizing Issues: Clear categorization of issues assists newcomers in navigating open source projects and addressing problems one at a time.
- Contextual Communication: When creating issues, it's crucial to provide context by explaining the steps taken and the expected outcomes. This honesty fosters better relationships and clearer understanding.
- Building Relationships: Ultimately, Weston stresses that communication is not simply about problem-solving but also about relationship-building within the community. He cites the lead developer of the Fog repository as an example of someone who excels at encouraging contributions and treating contributors as valued members.

In conclusion, Weston Platter's talk advocates for better communication strategies in open source projects, highlighting the role of maintainers, the need for inclusivity, and the importance of context and relationship building. He invites the audience to share their ideas for improving communication, reflecting a collaborative spirit essential for the growth of the open source community.

00:00:07.700 My name is Weston, and I want to talk to you about better communication. I recently ran into a situation where I was using a gem in production that needed an update. So, I submitted a pull request, and while the tests were passing, I got no response. This was a bit frustrating because I had two main options: I could either fork the repository and deploy off of GitHub, which I wasn’t a fan of, or create my own gem.

00:00:19.830 I chose to create my own gem, which I consider unfortunate because as a community, we lose out on our collective problem-solving abilities. I want to propose a couple of ways that we might improve our communication around these issues.

00:01:00.590 I am not a maintainer and I don’t have extensive experience in open source, but I would encourage maintainers to focus on responding to issues rather than trying to fix everything. The world is too big for there to be a solution for every problem that comes through. Simple communications, such as letting someone know you’re on vacation for the next week or providing links to documentation, can make a huge difference. Involving others in the process is crucial.

00:01:43.079 There are many eager individuals who want to learn how to think critically about software development. Involve junior developers; their enthusiasm can be a great asset. Additionally, categorizing issues can be incredibly helpful for those wanting to engage with open source but unsure about where to start. Clear categories allow individuals to tackle one problem at a time and progressively work through others.

00:02:06.060 When creating an issue, context is key. It’s important to explain what you are doing and your assumptions behind it. For example: 'I provided this input and expected this output, but I did not get it. Can you help me understand?' Being honest in asking for help will foster better communication and synergy among us.

00:02:38.610 Ultimately, it’s not just about solving problems—it’s also about building relationships. There are repositories out there that exemplify this approach. For example, the lead developer behind the Fog repository is fantastic when it comes to responding to issues. Their responses are encouraging and helpful, treating contributors like real people rather than mere unit tests. I don’t have all the answers, but if you have opinions on how we can improve communication, I'd love to hear your input.

00:03:09.300 Thank you.