So, last night I went to my first ‘Provided As Is’: an informal meetup for maintainers and friends of open source in London. From the repo
This gathering gives an opportunity to people to connect with each other, and share struggles, experiences and strategies. This event is intended for people who help maintain open source projects, whether it’s via code, documentation, design, issue triage, community management, or any other form of support.
Most of the attendees expressed a need to continue these conversations in a safe space, under the same Chatham House principles that were used at this event and at our own Sustain events.
I proposed that we either create a space for them here, or that we ensure that there are the appropriate bridges between these conversations so that we can work together effectively. The focus for me is ensuring that these conversations inform one another rather than happening in parallel. And I want to be conscious of the perception that my offer might have, which is to consume these conversations and brand them. Which categorically it is not.
I’ll speak again with the organisers later this week but for the moment I think there is a use case here on this forum to create a safe brave space for people to share experiences, thoughts and ideas without fear of repercussions.
Thoughts?