Get Out of the Back Row! A Community Involvement Primer - #OpenWest

Get Out of the Back Row!A Community Involvement Primer

Presented by Joshua Warren

OR:

Don’t Worry, We Don’t Bite

About Me

PHP DeveloperWorking with PHP since 1999

Founder & CEOFounded Creatuity in 2008

PHP Development Firm

Focus on the Magento platform

Just a few of my Creatuity teammates demonstrating community involvement

Frequent Conference Presenter

Occasional Open Source Contributor

Over-Tweeter

JoshuaWarren.com

@JoshuaSWarren

IMPORTANT!

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Time For An Exercise

Not that kind of exercise.

A practical exercise in community involvement.

Find a person sitting near you and learn where they’re from and what they do.

Community Defined

–Etienne & Beverly Wenger-Trayner

Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for

something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.

Today, we’re discussing the open source community and all of the communities it intersects with.

We’re also discussing the local community that forms around a conference each year.

You may be part of different communities as well, and I encourage you to apply these lessons to those

communities.

WARNING

GENERALIZATIONS AHEAD

Every individual is unique. For sake of time, I will be using some labels today.

No one is a complete “introvert”, “extrovert”, “lurker” - these are averages to assist our discussion.

Please don’t make assumptions about what I mean - if you have a question about a label I use, speak up!

Community Involvement for Lurkers & Newbies

Can you spot the tech conference?

Don’t be afraid to sit on the same row as someone you don’t know.

(But to be fair, everyone in the last photo was just sitting near a power outlet.)

We build up seasoned community members as heroes, but they’re real people too.

Generally, the only difference between a new community member and a well-known, seasoned

community member is time.

Just because someone has been involved in a community longer than you doesn’t make them

unapproachable.

My best advice to new community members and new conference attendees:

Or, at least - don’t panic.

Don’t be afraid.

I’m an introvert.

I didn’t speak to a single person I didn’t already know at the first conference I attended.

At the 2nd conference I attended, I talked to fellow attendees on Twitter, but not in person.

Then I realized two things:

1) Conferences are expensive

2) Conference attendees tend to be a friendly, welcoming bunch

So - make the most of the time, effort and money you’ve invested in being here.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions in each session.

Don’t hesitate to join in conversations.

Quiet?

Use Twitter to break the ice.

Most of the seasoned community members you see here are humble and would be honored to help

introduce you to the community.

At every conference and in every community is someone who knows everyone and is happy to make

introductions.

Always assume the best in your fellow community members.

Do not tolerate exclusion.

Learn about local user groups and events in your area.

Keep the community involvement going when you get home - via user groups, Twitter, IRC…

Before you realize it, you’ll be one of the seasoned community members.

*Your results may vary. Please exercise caution when wielding light sabers.

Don’t forget what it was like to be a new community member on the outside looking in.

Use your experiences as a new community member to make it easier for the next group of new members to

join.

Community Involvement for Seasoned Conference Vets

‘Senior’ or seasoned community members have a responsibility to the community.

Communities that don’t attract and retain new, diverse viewpoints stagnate.

Events attract new potential community members.

Existing community members impact if those potential new members stick around or not.

Don’t talk to the same people at every conference.

Be intentionally inclusive.

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If you aren’t intentionally inclusive, you’re accidentally exclusive.

Don’t assume just because no one’s complaining everything’s fine.

Most people do not speak up if they feel excluded.

They just leave.

Don’t assume everyone is like you or wants to interact like you do.

Create opportunities for new community members to learn from and get to know seasoned members.

Provide positive reinforcement to new community members that engage with seasoned community

members.

Each time you meet a new community member, introduce them to at least one other seasoned

community member.

Community Involvement for Conference & User Group

Organizers

Provide ample time between scheduled sessions.

Invite hands-on, workshop and other more interactive sessions.

Schedule an open hackathon and encourage attendees to work with people they don’t yet know.

Skip the contrived icebreaker and mixer events.

Understand that different people are more comfortable interacting in different ways and do your

best to accomodate them all.

If your venue allows, setup rooms in round tables and other layouts that create more conversations.

Contact returning attendees via email in advance - go beyond a code of conduct.

Ask your returning attendees to actively make new community members feel welcome and valued.

Give returning attendees a specific example of how they can make new community members feel

welcomed.

Create opportunities for seasoned community members to demonstrate that they were once

complete newbies.

Make it easy for new community members to continue their involvement after the conference.

Publicize IRC channels and other online hangouts used by your community.

Promote local user groups.

A Challenge For Today

After the 11AM session ends, head to lunch in the quad with someone new you meet in that session.

Keep In Touch!

joind.in/14035

@JoshuaSWarren

JoshuaWarren.com