Beyond Code: Balancing Ethics, Inclusion, and Business in Open Source with Jennifer Riggins

In the first episode of the Mechanical Ink podcast, host Schalk Neethling has a thought-provoking conversation with Jennifer Riggins, tech culture journalist and storyteller. Jennifer, with her deep understanding of the subject, addresses common misunderstandings about open source, pointing out that it's a community effort driven by a shared ethos rather than a straightforward business model. A significant portion of the conversation is dedicated to the challenges of diversity and inclusion within tech and open source sectors, emphasizing the need for more inclusive and equitable practices.

The ethical dimensions of open source are also a focal point. Jennifer talks about how open source tools can potentially be used for unethical purposes, highlighting the importance of ethical considerations in the development and use of these tools. The financial and business models of open source projects are another key topic, with discussions on how these projects can maintain financial viability while staying true to their open source principles.

Overall, the episode sheds light on the complexities and nuances of open source communities, providing valuable insights into the ethical, diversity, and business challenges they face.

Community

* Join the community on Slack

* Continue the conversation on GitHub or here on Substack

* Recorded with Riverside.fm (Affiliate link)

Help Others Find The Podcast

* Rate and review on Spotify

* Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Links

* Jennifer Riggins on LinkedIn

* WTF is wrong with open-source communities

* Linux Foundation DEI Survey

* Jennifer Riggins - Cloud Native Blog

* Zoom’s Virtual Background Feature Isn’t Built for Black Faces

* Ethical Source

* Is Stripe truly global?

* Stripe Atlas

* Beat Affinity Bias with Open Source Diversity and Inclusion

* How Many Africans Contribute to Open Source Software?

* CHAOSS community

* Gender differences and bias in open source: Pull request acceptance of women versus men

* Introducing Sign Language View for Teams Meetings

* Microsoft adaptive hardware

* UKGov A11y

* Fear and Layoffs: How to Cope with Tech’s Uncertain Times

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