Thoughts on FOSDEM 2023
What better way to kick off the new year, than by returning for an in-person event at one of the most popular open source gatherings of all, FOSDEM! On February 4 & 5, contributors from the Jenkins project and thousands of other open-source enthusiasts traveled from around the world to flock to FOSDEM. Located in Brussels, Belgium, FOSDEM is an opportunity to renew relationships, forge new bonds, and share the incredible work that is being advanced by the open-source ecosystem.
There was a heightened sense of excitement and nostalgia surrounding FOSDEM, and we can clearly see why:
We asked our Jenkins contributors for their thoughts as they returned to FOSDEM, and this is what they had to say:
What an amazing experience! I met people I’ve interacted with for the first time in various open-source communities, and we decided on partnerships between our communities. One Oreboot member soldered an SPI chip on my RISC-V Jenkins agent (in a corridor, using a chair as a workbench) to free it from U-Boot.
There are two things I’d like to point out: * People love Jenkins, lots of them came to the booth to testify. * Open source is not just a GitHub punchcard, it’s way more about sharing knowledge and empowering people.
What I will retain from FOSDEM is the diversity of the stands and the public, and an impeccable organization of FOSDEM, from the stand organizer’s point of view. To be able to meet in real life the people whom we discuss and work every day for Jenkins, (Oleg, Alexander, …) is a real pleasure. Hearing testimonials from Jenkins users about their love of Jenkins and the particular uses they have for it has also done us a lot of good.
I had a fantastic time at FOSDEM this year. I was happy to meet people from the Jenkins community, some of whom I had only interacted with online before. This was my first FOSDEM, and I was blown away by the number of people who were interested in Jenkins and wanted to learn more about it. I was able to hear about different stories and use cases of Jenkins, which really helped to broaden my understanding of the platform and how it is being used in the real world.
It was with great pleasure that I could attend this incredible event. Meeting contributors and members of the community in person was such a change after these years hiding from the pandemic. I particularly enjoyed the great conversations on so many subjects such as the Jenkins day to day experience, where the project is heading (or should head to), and particularly, my personal pet interests: GSoC or how to start contributing. Even after attending this conference since 2009, my amazement never fades for this incredible explosion of ideas, enthusiasm, diversity, dedication, and generosity for the Open Source movement.
Many thanks to the FOSDEM organizers for their hard work and dedication to make this event possible for so many open-source communities. We can’t wait to do this again in 2024!
About the authors