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RailsConf 2019 - Maintaining a big open source project: lessons learned by Leonardo Tegon

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About a year ago, I started to maintain Devise - one of the most popular Ruby Gems available. I had no knowledge of the code and a little experience with open source from a side project I developed myself.

Obviously, this was a very challenging task and I made a lot of mistakes in the process. The good thing is I learned a lot too.

In this talk, I will share with you some of the lessons I learned that I think can be valuable not only for open source but for our day-to-day work too.

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In the video titled "Maintaining a Big Open Source Project: Lessons Learned" presented by Leonardo Tegon at RailsConf 2019, the speaker shares his experiences and insights from maintaining the Devise Ruby gem. He emphasizes that anyone can contribute to open source projects, regardless of their prior experience, and offers practical steps on how to get started.

Key Points Discussed:
- **Beginnings of Open Source Involvement**: Leonardo began maintaining Devise after joining Plataforma Tech, highlighting the challenges faced with inactive open source projects and the heavy lifting required to reactivate them.

- **Importance of Issue Triage**: He emphasizes the value of triaging issues to prioritize which problems are most critical, suggesting that new contributors can start by requesting more information from users who report issues.

- **Common Contributions**: Leonardo outlines various ways to contribute without writing code, such as reviewing pull requests, sharing solutions, writing documentation, and engaging in issue triage.

- **Learning Through Mistakes**: He discusses significant lessons learned through mistakes, particularly a case where a seemingly simple code change led to widespread issues. The incident reinforced the need for careful consideration of backward compatibility and proper documentation of decisions made.

- **Communication and Community**: The importance of effective communication within the open source community is stressed. He advises maintaining a respectful atmosphere and following a code of conduct to foster positive interactions.

- **Self-Care and Collaboration**: Leonard encourages maintainers to take care of themselves and seek help when needed, stressing that one cannot do everything alone in open source work.

- **Encouraging Company Support**: The talk also suggests ways to advocate for institutional support for open source contributions, such as highlighting the professional development benefits and enhanced company branding associated with open source work.

Conclusions and Takeaways:
- Everyone is capable of contributing to open source projects, and starting with small, manageable tasks can build confidence.
- Documenting decisions and coding practices is essential for maintaining the project in the long term.
- Positive and respectful communication fosters a welcoming environment for all contributors.
- It’s crucial to ask for help because the community is there to support each other, enabling personal and collaborative growth in coding practices and project management.

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