Open Source Friday with Kojo Idrissa

GitHub Copilot and Duolingo

• Duolingo uses GitHub Copilot to improve its language learning platform, increasing productivity by 25% and allowing engineers to focus on more thoughtful conversations and big ideas.
• Duolingo employees find Copilot helpful in their daily work.

GitHub Contributor Action Tool

• GitHub's Contributor Action tool helps product maintainers and open-source managers gain insights into engagement metrics and recognize contributors' efforts.
• The tool is easy to integrate into projects and provides valuable data on contributions and trends.

Open Source Friday

• Open Source Friday is a GitHub production that highlights maintainers, contributors, and the open-source community.

Cojo Idris and the Python Latin Community

• Cojo Idris, a Python expert and Django Pro, is passionate about supporting open-source communities and making them more inclusive.
• Cojo's support for the Python Latin community stems from his interactions with developers from Latin America and his desire to bridge the gap between different regions.

The "COO Thesis" and the Python Community

• The "COO thesis" suggests that open-source projects should draw in non-professional developers to increase the pool of potential contributors and prevent burnout among existing contributors.
• The Python community encompasses a wide range of users, from professional software developers to those who use Python for specific tasks.
• Recognizing and embracing this spectrum of users is important because everyone has something to contribute to the community.

Fostering Connections and Inclusivity in Open-Source Communities

• The author's involvement in the Django community and their role as the North American ambassador for Django Events Foundation North America (DefNA) reflects their commitment to fostering connections and inclusivity within the open-source community.
• The speaker discusses the importance of expanding one's thinking and meeting people from different backgrounds and perspectives.
• They emphasize the need to let people know that they are welcome to contribute to open-source projects and to provide a positive environment for them to do so.
• The speaker highlights the value of non-code contributions such as documentation and governance, and the importance of identifying and supporting maintainers.
• They mention the Django Not Space initiative, which provides mentorship to those who want to get involved in contributing to Django.
• The speaker also discusses the challenges of cultural differences and language barriers in open-source communities and the efforts being made to address these issues.

Contributing to Open-Source Projects

• There are mentored sprints to help new contributors get involved in Python and Django projects.
• Django Not Space has cohort groups where experienced contributors mentor new contributors.
• Keeping in mind that open-source maintainers are mostly volunteers and interacting with them respectfully can make their lives easier.
• Contributing to open-source projects can be seen as a selfish capitalistic act as it helps maintain and improve the tools that we use and benefit from.
• Even non-software development skills, such as graphic design, accounting, or legal expertise, can be valuable contributions to open-source projects.
• Open-source contributions go beyond just code and documentation.
• There are various ways to contribute, such as organizing conferences, starting local meetups, and contributing to documentation.
• Everyone has valuable skills and strengths that can be used to contribute to open source.
• The open-source community is inclusive and welcomes contributions from people of all backgrounds and skill levels.
• Expanding one's thinking beyond code and leaning into one's strengths can lead to meaningful contributions.

DjangoCon US Conference and Speaker Diversity

• The upcoming DjangoCon US conference will be held in Austin, Texas, in April 2023.
• Organizers of regional conferences should consider inviting speakers from diverse backgrounds and locations.
• The speaker, Oho, encourages organizers to look beyond their immediate network for potential speakers.
• Oho's talk at PyCon Taiwan last year was highly regarded and may be shared in the chat for those who missed it.