The Thing With The Stuff

The people you’re leading have changed

michael barbaro: You’re saying the British people saw this as a moment to look in their prime minister’s soul, and they don’t like what they’re seeing? mark landler: That’s right. I think that some of what was acceptable two years ago in a new environment, in this serious post-Covid, post-Brexit world somehow doesn’t look asContinue reading “The people you’re leading have changed”

Letters to an open source contributor: Trust

One man with arms crossed, falling backwards off a stone, into the arms of another man.

Open source software projects depend on a large group of passionate “do-ers,” who collaborate online to build or improve something that they all care about. Connections between contributors is frequently tenuous; you’re reviewing code or designs or discussing UI with people you may have never met or seen, and maybe never will. But you wantContinue reading “Letters to an open source contributor: Trust”

Letters to an open source contributor: Leadership

Much of my work in WordPress over the past decade has involved coaching and training leaders working in open source, and as I wind down this part of my career, I find I have a lot to say on the topic! I’m going to try to follow my own advice and be brief here, butContinue reading “Letters to an open source contributor: Leadership”

Letters to an open source contributor: Criticizing for change

This article is for those of you who see things that you think are wrong in open source, and are interested in tips for sharing your critical feedback in ways that that are more likely to result in a change.

Letters to an open source contributor: Collaboration

You don’t have to want to collaborate to use WordPress to do great things. You DO need to collaborate if you want to do great things in the WordPress open source project, though. Collaboration isn’t always the fastest way to accomplish something, but I think it is the best way to accomplish things that haveContinue reading “Letters to an open source contributor: Collaboration”

Letters to an open source contributor: Communication

An open book with a jumble of printed words on the left page and, on the right, a page of regimented printing

Josepha likes to say, “all problems are, at their heart, communication problems,” and I couldn’t agree more. The most powerful tool in your open source toolbox is not an understanding of code or usability, but rather the ability to express yourself and understand what other people are trying to say. Here are some qualities IContinue reading “Letters to an open source contributor: Communication”

Letters to an open source contributor

A moon in a blue background, with flowering branches in the foreground

As mentioned, in September I’m leaving Automattic and my full-time role supporting contributors and programs in the WordPress open source project. (I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people who’ve taken the time to tell me that I’ve had a positive impact on them or on their experience in WordPress. Thank you so much, friends!Continue reading “Letters to an open source contributor”

Thanks for a great 10 years, WordPress!

My friends! After 10 years of working full-time on the WordPress open source project, I have some news: I have accepted a community-focused role at Reddit, and will be leaving Automattic in September. I will take a break from contributing to WordPress until the end of the calendar year, if not permanently. I think theContinue reading “Thanks for a great 10 years, WordPress!”

Blackfoot wisdom, Maslow’s hierarchy, and open source

Rain and hail, waves breaking, mountain wildflowers. Saddle Mountain is the tallest mountain in Clatsop County in the U.S. state of Oregon, part of the Oregon Coast Range. Saddle Mountain is in Saddle Mountain State Natural Area in the northwest corner of Oregon. The hike to the taller of the two peaks is a 6-mile (9.7 km) round trip consisting of challenging terrain. Elevation gain is 1,603 feet (489 m) and leads to a 360-degree view to the Pacific Ocean, Cascade Mountain peaks such as Mount Hood, and other peaks in the Coast Range.

In a fascinating recent article called Could the Blackfoot Wisdom that Inspired Maslow Guide Us Now?, Teju Ravilochan (along with contributing editors Vidya Ravilochan and Colette Kessler) shared that Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs may have been inspired by the Siksika (Blackfoot) way of life… His time there upended some of his early hypotheses and possiblyContinue reading “Blackfoot wisdom, Maslow’s hierarchy, and open source”

Even more tenderness, even more compassion

In the US, we hear the pandemic is ending. A billion people have been vaccinated worldwide, and government restrictions are relaxing in many places. I’ve been fully vaccinated, and my pod will be fully vaccinated by next weekend. I have plans to see family members I haven’t seen in almost a year, and I’m soContinue reading “Even more tenderness, even more compassion”

The other side of the coin: what people get out of contributing to WordPress

A photo of many people making silly faces

The first iteration of this article, The 4 “Gets” in WordPress Community Organizing, was written in 2019. In this update, I apply these ideas to all parts of the WordPress open source project. People all over the world contribute to WordPress, in many, many ways. WordPress contributor handbooks have lotsContinue reading “The other side of the coin: what people get out of contributing to WordPress”

Some reflections on Dotorg dilution, and how to combat it

When I started working in WordPress, about 10 years ago, Jen Mylo warned me about about something pretty early. At some point, you start seeing all the things that aren’t working, and you will want to fix them all, all at once. Don’t let yourself get distracted. You’re here to work on certain things, andContinue reading “Some reflections on Dotorg dilution, and how to combat it”