It’s easy to see commits as the be-all and end-all of open source. They aren’t.
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill post. I’ll come right to the point. It’s time to chmod some perspectives about life, the universe, and everything, at least in the realm of open source. The thesis? Viewing your fellow devs as comrades isn’t just a plus, it’s a must, when you’re developing free software. Sure, you may not always click with everyone; there might be stylistic clashes or differing approaches. Yet, it’s vital to recognize that the absence of a spirit of friendship and mutual respect can sudo rm -rf some very fine projects. Examples abound. Nobody’s perfect. Canonical has fostered rare and valuable camaraderie that permeates the organization — sometimes by reminding ourselves why we’re here.
Pillars
Open source is not just forks and stars; it needs collaboration, transparency, meritocracy, community, friendship, and trust. These are the superuser permissions to…