Open Source

the Week of July 21, 2014

We critique open companies, discuss leaving toxic open source communities, and explore how the technical “talent shortage” is manufactured. We look at how hero worship operates, the Eich crisis at Mozilla and the politics of open source meetups. We talk with an exciting new open source project by and for marginalized people, and look at the mythologies around the open source hacker. Plus, an interview with an OSS leader, and an article on tech feminism and digital game makers and critics. Header photo CC-BY Ludek Rolecek, cropped and filtered.

Autistics in the Silicon Valley

While attempts to increase the size of the Autistic work force are laudable, it is important to critically think about how these attempts are executed.

by Erika Lynn Abigail

An Interview with Karen Sandler

We discuss source code and medical devices, women in open source, the Software Freedom Conservancy and more.

by Adam Saunders

Image of a graphic game. The vantage point is from the backseat of a car looking through the windshield to the road. A woman with long hair is in the front seat, driving. There's a dialog box that says 'All you girls do all day is play videogames. It's not healthy,' with a response dialog that says, 'But mom, I really like videogames. Why do you care?'

A Missed Connection: Tech Feminism and Videogame Zinesters

Despite obvious commonalities between digital game makers and critics and the tech feminist community, there doesn’t seem to be much cross-communication.

by Chris Martens

The top of an entryway reading 'Linus Torvalds Auditorium'.

The Open Source Identity Crisis

As the diversity in tech movement gains traction, open source faces an identity crisis.

by Naomi Slater

A heart created by folding a dollar bill.

A New, Open Source Funding Platform With Diversity At The Core

Building a welcoming and sustainable funding community.

by Shanley Kane

Screenshot of Earth's atmosphere from space.

On Open Companies, Consent, and Safety (among other things)

We can't get to the future we want by pretending we're already there.

by Ellen Marie Dash (duckie)

Red, white and blue sticker that says 'I Like Eich'.

Killing the Messenger at Mozilla

Hero worship, “meritocracy” and the Eich crisis.

by Tim Chevalier

An image of six people at a meeting table, made using stencil graffiti on a galvanised steel background.

“Females” in Open Source

What are our personal policies about fair treatment and how do they interact with the reality of our communities?

by Amber Wu

Sign with a skull illustration that reads DANGER Toxic Hazard.

Leaving Toxic Open Source Communities

Exploring the cultural shame of leaving and tips for finding healthy communities.

by Anonymous Author

Manufacturing the Talent Shortage

How our assumptions about the skill and capability of our technical workforce keeps us from building more diverse -- and more successful -- organizations.

by Dimas Guardado

This issue is made possible in part by some of our generous readers: Julie Fredrickson, Decklin Foster, Joshua Blount, Daniel Melnick, Ivan Boothe, Cory K, Jessica Suttles and Maggie Nelson.

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