I share my open source journey which begins from Linux User Group to nowadays in the Open Source community, in developer role and community leader/volunteer role. https://coscup.org/2019/en/programs/my-open-source-journey-developer-and-community

1. My Open Source Journey:
Developer and Community
Sammy Fung

2. Sammy Fung
• Python
• Web Crawling
• President, Open Source Hong
Kong
• Mozilla Rep
• GNOME.Asia
• @sammyfung

3. “Open Source is a huge asset for you.”

4. You own and control the Source Code, not only
the software at no cost.

5. a Story of……
How did I learn the computing and programming ?
How did I switch my life to Open Source ?

6. a Student Librarian in the school
• 3 old computers running MS-DOS.
• Self-learning with books.
• Use MS-DOS.
• Programming in GWBASIC.
• Learn UNIX commands.

7. Home Computer User with MODEM
• Running a own dialup BBS.
• 56k dialup internet access.
• Install Linux from CD discs.
• Organise LUG in a newsgroup.

8. Some Programming Languages on Linux
• Shell Script
• Perl
• PHP
• Python

9. My Software Development Highlights
• Web Scrapers
• eg. Typhoon path data from agencies.
• Backend
• eg. API Backend for Web & Mobile APPs.
• Business applications
• eg. Invoice System for a Car Repair Company.

10. Why do I write web scraping programs?
Retrieve useful data from websites
for database, re-distributing information

11. Web Scraping
• 20 years.
• Written in Python now.
• Written in Perl and PHP in the past.
• Regular Expression and XPath Selector.

12. WeatherHK
• Retrieving and extract weather
updates from Hong Kong
Observatory (HKO) websites, and
post to Twitter.
• Current weather and forecasts.
• Special weather alerts.
• Highlight the residential town with
the lowest temperature at Winter.
• 1 to few Tweets per hours.
• Twitter: @weatherhk
• GitHub: hk0weather
• Web Scraper part

13. Other web scraper highlights
• Typhoon path tracing and forecasts.
• stay alerts with potential typhoon formation.
• to compare different forecast paths by agencies.
• Television program schedule.
• Hotel Pricing of some cities for analysis.

14. Web APPs and Mobile Backend
• Wordpress
• Drupal
• Job board: drupal7-job (GitHub)
• Open Source Job Board at COSCUP 2014 LT
• Django in Python

15. You own and control the Source Code, not only
the software at no cost.

16. You can embrace the Open Source too!
Maximise the Use of Open Source Software at your work & home.
Increase your development & contribution to the Open Source
Software at work and leisure.

17. The Community is a huge asset for you.

18. How did I become a
leader in the community?
• I was a student studying in I.T.
• To self learn UNIX and Linux, I
join a UNIX newsgroup in Hong
Kong and the initial meetings
of HKLUG.
• I was proposed, seconded and
voted by LUG members as the
founding chairman of HKLUG
for first 4 years.

19. Become a leader again in the local community
• I was inactive in the local community for few years after stepping down from
HKLUG chairman.
• Some core members invited me to take the leadership again.
• I become the HKLUG chairman again for a year.

20. My Initial Experience gain from the community
• Learn from non-developer, non-technical members in the
community.
• Legal Professional, Company Founder, Stock Trader,
Clerk……
• Communicate and understanding from people with
different background
• Learn from their experience in the life, the business, the
IT industry.

21. My First Job - Linux System Solution Ltd
• LSSL was a sole representative of TurboLinux in Hong Kong, Macau
and Taiwan.
• Selling TurboLinux solutions and TurboLinux software boxes.
• 10-20 persons.
• Acquired by a company and then go to listed in NASDAQ.
• Install & setup TurboLinux servers.
• Joins pre-sales meetings with Sales Manager.
• Company booth at Exhibition.

22. My Experience gain from my first job.
• Learn from my bosses (including mother company) and
co-workers including technical & non-technical.
• Gain a wide insight at work and business.
• My bosses also asked for my opinions about the
development of Linux community and business.

23. My experience to start my company
• After quitting from my first job, I start my own company with some old classmates.
• a IT vendor
• Selling software boxes.
• Partnering with local & oversea corporate software companies.
• IT Outsourcing, IT Support.
• Software Development.
• Linux Servers and Corporate Networking.
• Clients: Hong Kong and Mainland China.
• IT Exhibition, HKLIA Founding Member, Interview the job applicants,……
• Accounting
• Gain a more wider insight at work and business.

24. Hong Kong
Open Source Conference
hkoscon.org

25. Become a leader again and again in the
community
• It’s almost no local tech community events for few years after my 2nd
stepping down from HKLUG chairman.
• I gains much border working experiences from previous community, my first
job and my own company.
• Works as a freelancer.
• We want the events happenings again.
• I start the Open Source Hong Kong 10 years ago.

26. Open Source Hong Kong
• Website: opensource.hk
• Organise monthly meetings since 2012.
• Local & Global event highlights.
• Attends COSCUP since 2011.
• Organise GNOME Asia Summit 2012 in Hong Kong.
• Organise Hong Kong Open Source Conference since 2013.
• Organise PyCon Hong Kong since 2015.

27. Community as the First
• The Community as the First, The Personal Benefit as the Second.
• It’s my commitment to the community for many years.
• To put my full effort to the community, it also keep to increase my
spending.
• Volunteer recruitment is very tough, and I also consider whether the
volunteer application is qualified or fitted for the task.
• I am the only active Sales person for the conference, the sponsorship
deals I finished went to the conference expense.
• I only claims back the cost of travel and accommodation to take a better
rest to recover my energy.

28. Out of Balance
• Volunteers like to do something which they are interested.
• Some teams are lack of volunteer applications or candidates which is fit.
• I was responsible to Conference Chief, Program, Sales, Looking for
Venue, Administration and others.
• Different level of efforts & commitments from volunteers.
• Volunteers also looks for certain expectations / returns.
• Lack of income generated from my community contribution.
• It was almost full time working for the community and events for half of a
year.

29. Community vs Business
• Some people thinks that you are doing the conference for
your own profit (IT’S NOT A TRUTH)
• Total sales amount for a Community event:
• Approx HKD 100,000 - 250,000
• = TWD 400,000 - 1,000,000
• My claims during expense: HKD10,000 or less
• Transportation, Accommodation, Lunch, Assets/Services
used in/for the conference.

30. My Next Journey in 2019
• Change in my community contributions this year.
• Significantly Reducing contributions in the local
conferences.
• Increasing technical & community contributions in some
particular projects.
• Looks for a better balance between the community and
personal income.

31. What can you do for the Open Source
Community?
• Money.
• Volunteer Contribution.
• Understand & Respects the technical and non-technical
expertise and experiences of other community members.
• Be Humble.

32. The Community is a huge asset for you.

33. “Open Source is a huge asset for you.”