Open source spirit is inclusive by definition: we share to benefit everyone as a whole. Inclusion and diversity is thus at the very center of open source, acknowledging it is key to create communities that are able to grow, stand the test of time, and truly support everyone, everywhere in the world. This talks borrows from the direct experience of the two speakers, Davide Casali and Tammie Lister across multiple open source projects: WordPress, BuddyPress, Calypso, Baker Framework, Linux, Mozilla, and more. This talk was prepared for COSCUP Taiwan 2016.

1. Designing Inclusive Open
Source Communities
Tammie Lister
@karmatosed
Davide Casali
@folletto

2. Davide Casali
@folletto
Tammie Lister
@karmatosed
Product Designer
Automattic
Founder
Baker Framework
Contributor
WordPress
UX Designer
Automattic
Contributor
BuddyPress
Contributor
WordPress

3. An open collective of creators
that unites to reach a
common open goal.
Open Source Community

4. The community is defined by
the community.

5. CHAPTER 3
Problems

6. Power
problems
Cultural
problems

7. Cultural
problems

8. How can you have a local culture
when the project is global?
Local Culture

9. Are your tools, documentation, forums,
reporting tools accessible to everyone?
Developer only spaces

10. Are your tools, documentation, forums,
reporting tools accessible to everyone?
Jargon

11. Do you require a specific timezone or location
to participate in the community?
Keeping up to date

12. Power
problems

13. How do you address the power inequality
of commit access?
Decision power is in the code

14. Who decides?
Who really decides?
Decision making

15. How do you communicate
when everyone isn’t like you?
Personalities

16. Who has the power and soft skills
to avoid conversations escalating?
Divergent opinions

17. CHAPTER 4
Diversity

18. In a social group,
the coexistence of individuals
that belong to
different dimensions.
Diversity
* but… the definition can be quite fuzzy in this context.

19. KINDS OF DIVERSITY
Cultural
Gender
Race
Neurodiversity
Ability
Age
Skills
Economic

20. In a social group,
it’s an active process that
aims to acknowledge, express,
and increase its diversity.
Inclusivity

21. McKinsey & Co. (2014) Diversity Matters Report
WHY?
Diversity means a wider pool of talent.
Diversity means better understanding of customers.
Diversity means higher employee satisfaction.
Diversity means better decision making.
Diversity means enhanced impact on society.

22. McKinsey & Co. (2014) Diversity Matters Report
Gender Diversity
+15%
Ethnic Diversity
+35%
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

23. CHAPTER 5
Building

24. It all starts with communication.

25. 1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
4 / Onboard
5 / Many Ways to Contribute
6 / Transparency
7 / Credit
8 / Open to Failure

26. 1 / Personas

27. Identify the personas
you want to involve.

28. TYPES OF PERSONAS
Designers
Writers
Event Organisers
Developers
Testers
Support

29. 2 / Core Team Growth
1 / Personas

30. Leading chorus not leading voice.

31. Mentoring new contributors

32. Mentoring new leads

33. 1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate

34. Different people enjoy and are
stressed by different things.

35. Focus on what you only can do,
not what you’re good at doing.
Thanks to Brie Anne Demkiw for the tip.

36. Create key forwarders,
not key doers.

37. BURNOUT!
AVOID

38. 1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
4 / Onboard

39. Your first contribution
How did it feel?
1

40. Onboarding… for each persona!

41. Identify easy ways to start

42. CASE
Tag simple bugs
with a special intro tag

43. CASE
UX-Feedback tag
on WP and impact

44. 1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
4 / Onboard
5 / Many Ways to Contribute

45. There are many ways
to contribute.

46. You can… write documentation.

47. You can… improve existing tickets.

48. CASE
Guide making
new tickets
WordPress

49. You can… translate.

50. You can… run tests with users.

51. You can… support people.

52. CASE
Response Time
Baker Framework

53. 1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
4 / Onboard
5 / Many Ways to Contribute
6 / Transparency

54. Discuss everything in the open

55. Avoids groupthink
ADVANTAGE

56. New people get up to speed quickly
ADVANTAGE

57. CASE
Do everything in the open
even releases

58. Meeting etiquette

59. Timezones-8 -5 -2 +5+2 +8

60. 1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
4 / Onboard
5 / Many Ways to Contribute
6 / Transparency
7 / Credit

61. Props for every commit

62. Props for every contribution

63. CASE
WordPress
Release Announcements

64. CASE
WordPress
Profile Badges

65. CASE
Show history
of people in project

66. reat job
PropsGIVE F*CKING CREDIT.

67. 1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
4 / Onboard
5 / Many Ways to Contribute
6 / Transparency
7 / Credit
8 / Open to Failure

68. Admit your faults.

69. Show people
they can make mistakes
and still participate.

70. Accept changes in direction.

71. CHAPTER 6
Experimentation &
Iteration

72. Keep iterating on both
the community and the project.

73. Keep the project alive.

74. “
”
BRUCE LEE
Be water my friend.

75. Thanks
Tammie Lister
@karmatosed
Davide Casali
@folletto