Beyond Code: Recognizing the Crucial Role of 'Glue Work' in Open Source - Zixuan Feng & Julia Furst

Beyond Code: Recognizing the Crucial Role of 'Glue Work' in Open Source - Zixuan Feng, Oregon State University & Julia Furst, Veeam
Contributions to Open Source are more than just code. Imagine a project operating seamlessly, where the spotlight shines brightly on the lead code contributions. Yet, there exists an ensemble of contributors behind the scenes who often go unnoticed - they welcome newcomers, craft clear documentation, weave the community together, among numerous other glue works that keep the project thriving. In this talk, a Professor, a Ph.D. student from Oregon University, and a CNCF ambassador collaborate to showcase our years-long research on the impact of glue work, which encompasses essential but often overlooked non-code contributions in Open Source. We aim to illuminate these crucial contributions, exploring their instrumental role in the success and sustainability of that community. Our goal is to actively shift the Open Source narrative to recognize and value these contributions, thereby fostering a more inclusive and holistic view of community participation.
Additional Author: Anita Sarma, Oregon State University