I drank the Drupal community Kool Aid about 7 years ago at a moment in my life when I was looking for more than just a CMS. Drupal and the Drupal community have filled needs for me that extend beyond the technical requirements of a client project. Sometime, I wonder if I expect too much from a loosely structured community that came about to create and support an open source software project.
I would like to share a little bit about my own experiences in the Drupal community, how much it has meant to me and how difficult it can be when the community fails to meet my potentially inflated expectations (or are they?). Also, my own thoughts on how to manage those expectations and manage my own involvement in the community to stay healthy.
- Be clear with yourself about what you expect from the community and how your expectations compare with those around you.
- Get off the island! Diversify your open source involvement and relationships.
- Contribute when you can, but step back when you need to.
- Scratch your own itch. If you really want to see things happen, step up and make them happen.
- Be patient. We're a diverse and flawed community of humans and we sometimes make mistakes.
I would like to hear other people share their stories, expectations, and disappointments. Mostly, I'd like to hear about how other people cope (keep going) when the community lets them down?
Let's leave time for discussion.
This is a session about building and maintaining a sustainable open source community comprised of human beings with a wide variety of ideas, experiences, and expectations.