Matthew Broberg – Community Metrics: More than the sum of its parts (Introductory)
There was a time in human history when it was believed that all of human behavior could be explained with math. That widely acclaimed and highly respected science was disproved by an “incompleteness theorem” that showed math cannot explain the world on its own. In another time in human history, psychologists believed all human behavior could be reduced to cause and effect. This gave rise to Gestalt theory that shows perception is not always mapped cleanly or with certainty.
We are in a state of Community building that maps success to metrics like lines of code and GitHub stars. I would like us to explore where these metrics fall short on capturing the most significant value of a community, and how we can use other metrics to begin to show the much larger impact Community organizations like Developer Relations (DevRel) can have on a business. This improved process begins with mapping value to business need, pairing it with a community need, and back to the business opportunities.
If you enjoy a little science, a lot of community metrics, and are looking for new ways to show a business the value of your community efforts, this talk is for you. There will be practical advice on how to pitch and position Community whether you’re a Community Manager, Developer Advocate, or other Developer Relations professional.
Jory Burson – Does Your Open Source Work Need a Third Place? (Introductory)
In community building, the third place is the social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments of home (“first place”) and the workplace (“second place”).
Successful Open Source projects can come from personal time investments or work-related discoveries. At some point, you may start wondering whether your project needs a third place, such as a software foundation, in order to continue this success. But how do you know if you need that, if you’re ready, and importantly, how do you choose?
This talk will cover common paths and patterns that result in successful transitions to “third places.” We’ll talk about the benefits software foundations provide, and how to tell if your project can take full advantage of those benefits. Lastly, we’ll cover some of the important variables you should consider when evaluating whether to take your project to a foundation.