Sustain

Episode 32: What FOSS Responders Does with Megan Sanicki & Duane O’Brien

Apr 17 '20

Panelists

Justin Dorfman | Richard Littauer

Guests

Megan Sanicki
Open Source Program Office at Google

Duane O’Brien
Head of Open Source at Indeed

Show Notes

This is a continuation of our mini COVID-19 coverage series podcast. Today, we have special guests, Megan Byrd-Sanicki and Duane O’Brien, who are FOSS Responders. We are talking about how does the Open Source Ecosystem deal with this and how do we, as Open Source Developes think about this, and how do members feel that can’t host their conferences. Also, listen here to find out why you should check your oxygen tank!

[00:01:29] Duane explains what FOSS Responders does.

[00:03:30] Megan explains how FOSS Responders has grown and what’s happening now.

[00:05:50] Richard wants to know why does it matter to open source developers if events are canceled? Aren’t they just for large corporations anyway?

[00:10:53] Justin wants to know if Duane and Megan have been in touch with organizations such as, Python Software Foundation, since they rely heavily on the income from their yearly conference, PIConf, which is now canceled.

[00:014:38] Duane talks Mozilla. He mentions a program called MOSS (Mozilla Open Source Support) and they put together a COVID-19 solution fund geared to providing awards to Open Source technology projects that are responding to the pandemic.

[00:18:38] Duane and Megan talk about the “Buddy System” that they use a lot. It’s all about supporting each other and sharing talents.

[00:21:43] Megan and Duane give some AWESOME advice to close out the podcast. Remember, keep checking your oxygen tank!

Quotes

[00:8:28] “If we want them to continue to be sustainable, if we want the organizations that run them to continue to be sustainable, then we need to take some kind of action and respond in the opposite.”

[00:09:02] “These are the events that are accelerators, and they do it in a very structured way, but in a very serendipitous way too.”

[00:21:43] “The biggest learning is to check your oxygen tank. Sustainability really starts with yourself and how well you’re sustaining yourself through this time.”