My first post-Catalyst contract involves doing something I've done informally for years and would like to do much more: Free and Open Source (FOSS) project facilitation. I'm able to use my substantial knowledge of the free and open source technology landscape along with the dynamics of developer communities to help people aspiring to create both commercial and non-commercial projects (motivated by, for example, "the good of humanity" or "the health of the local ecosystem"). The main "customer" these sorts of efforts try to appeal to is "the open source community". My role involves:
- creating copy for websites and other user-visible collateral to convey the purpose and motivation behind the project,
- demonstrating the "entry points" - opportunities for interested technical or non-technical participants,
- setting up collaboration frameworks to allow participants to quickly get up to speed with the project and to ensure "low cost" (in terms of effort) communications between collaborators,
- selecting compelling tool chains and technology stacks to ensure that the projects aren't seen as "fuddy duddy" - we want the opportunities to offer great "CV appeal" for participants, so they can parley their participation into future opportunities that allow them to use tools they like, and
- leveraging my extensive networks to publicise these projects - because effective collaboration requires, well, collaborators...
As for when I will start promoting this new project, watch this space! Or you can contact me and I'll make sure you hear about it! We'll be canvassing for collaborators before too long - and, I promise you, it's a very cool project.