3.7 KiB
Welcome to Maintainer Month!
...a month for open source maintainers to gather, share, and be celebrated. Open source runs the world, but who runs open source? Open source maintainers are behind the software we use everyday, but they don't always have the community or support they need. That's why we're celebrating open source maintainers all month long.
The 2024 Maintainer Month is, of course, in May! You're invited to participate in whatever ways you'd like, and list what you're doing on the public Maintainer Month site.
Themes for 2024
Theme for Maintainers
Every open source project starts with a human spark of creativity, of curiosity, of problem-solving. Sharing software is an act of hope and generosity. As a maintainer, what sparks the fire of your joy for open source? If your fire is burning low, how do you find your way back to what sparked joy about open source?
Last year we focused on burnout, a serious issue maintainers frequently face. This year, we’re talking about the flip side: the energizing aspects of open source.
Theme For Companies Maintainers keep the software ecosystem running, but they’re humans, not machines. Do you know who the maintainers you rely on are? Do you know what kind of support those individuals actually need? Ask what you can do for them, and be ready to listen.
How To Get Involved
Maintainer Month is an open source project — anyone can jump in and contribute! Whether you're a maintainer, an organization, or a fan or open source, you're invited to participate! Here are a few ways you can jump in:
For Maintainers:
- Share your story
- Let others know what it’s like to be a maintainer with the hashtag #MaintainerMonth & add it to our library!
- Interested in sharing your story on a podcast or post with one of our partners? Sign-up here and we'll introduce you to a partner if there's a good fit.
- Take a look at the Maintainer Month activities on the calendar and attend an event where you can meet other maintainers. We’re always adding more activities to the calendar, check back often!
- Join the Maintainer Community: request an invitation to the Maintainer Community, a private space for maintainers to connect with peers, preview GitHub features, and learn from each other. [LINK]
For Organizations, Podcasts, Companies, Foundations, and others:
- Highlight maintainers, in blog posts, social, and other channels you have!
- Feature open source maintainers on your podcast / stream / social media with #MaintainerMonth during the month of May. If you would like us share potential maintainers you can feature, let us know.
- Add your event to our calendar or share stories in the library!
- Host events to convene maintainers
- Host an event that brings maintainers together! Give them space to connect and learn from each other. Submit an issue to get your event listed on our website.
- Pay maintainers: Launch a FOSS Fund or sponsorship program to pay the maintainers of the software you depend on. We’d love to help, please reach out.
- Feel free to reach out to Kara Sowles if you're thinking of doing something, or if you're looking for support!
More stuff to check out:
- Starting a FOSS Fund? Join FOSS Funders: https://fossfunders.com/
- Interested in open source sustainability? Check out Sustain OSS, which has an active Slack and bi-weekly meetings.