Open source can have friends everywhere
Keynote Theatre (2B09) | Fri 23 Jan 9:10 a.m.–10:10 a.m.
Presented by
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Emma Davidson
@https://aus.social/@emmadavidson
Emma works in the university sector to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in Australian university technology courses like computing and software engineering. She has previously been the ACT Minister for Disability; Minister for Mental Health; Minister for Population Health; Minister for Community Services, Seniors and Veterans; Minister for Corrections and Justice Health; and ACT Greens spokesperson for Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, and Digital Technology.
She has worked as a social researcher and advocate in public health, housing affordability, and social determinants of women’s health and criminogenic pathways. Half her working life has been in open source software development and management in private and public sector and in Navy.
Emma has been a volunteer worker and radical love activist for most of her life. She lives on Ngunnawal country (Canberra) with her family and dogs, blocks coal ships in kayaks despite not being able to swim, loves live music, and falls over a lot while skating. Her current preferred distro is Mint XFCE, but her ideal work setup requires multiple operating systems (not THAT operating system).
Emma Davidson
@https://aus.social/@emmadavidson
Emma works in the university sector to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in Australian university technology courses like computing and software engineering. She has previously been the ACT Minister for Disability; Minister for Mental Health; Minister for Population Health; Minister for Community Services, Seniors and Veterans; Minister for Corrections and Justice Health; and ACT Greens spokesperson for Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, and Digital Technology.
She has worked as a social researcher and advocate in public health, housing affordability, and social determinants of women’s health and criminogenic pathways. Half her working life has been in open source software development and management in private and public sector and in Navy.
Emma has been a volunteer worker and radical love activist for most of her life. She lives on Ngunnawal country (Canberra) with her family and dogs, blocks coal ships in kayaks despite not being able to swim, loves live music, and falls over a lot while skating. Her current preferred distro is Mint XFCE, but her ideal work setup requires multiple operating systems (not THAT operating system).
Abstract
Building and maintaining open source software requires a lot of work. Making that work sustainable and high quality is only achievable by growing the number of people participating in the work, and increasing the diversity of skills and life experiences within the open source community.
Without this, the risk of burnout and system failure increases as a small number of people have to do far more than is reasonable.
Achieving growth in participation, and from a broader range of people, isn’t easy. But it is possible. Let’s talk about steps that can be taken by government, industry, and each of us as individuals, to get us there together.
Building and maintaining open source software requires a lot of work. Making that work sustainable and high quality is only achievable by growing the number of people participating in the work, and increasing the diversity of skills and life experiences within the open source community.
Without this, the risk of burnout and system failure increases as a small number of people have to do far more than is reasonable.
Achieving growth in participation, and from a broader range of people, isn’t easy. But it is possible. Let’s talk about steps that can be taken by government, industry, and each of us as individuals, to get us there together.