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date = 2023-03-07 tags = ["foss"]
https://blog.burntsushi.net/foss/
Andrew Gallant (handle burntsushi) is the programmer who wrote `ripgrep`.
Now, `ripgrep` is a program that I use regularly along with `fd` to search and navigate repos on terminal.
In this blog post from year 2020, he shares his relationship with FOSS.
He had been involved with FOSS for 16 years then.
He talks about his perception of being a FOSS maintainer and also mentions some advices for others.
"I am a deeply emotional being."
The post talks about the emotional aspect of being a FOSS maintainer.
It is interesting to hear about this aspect from a great open-source programmer.
From what I see from the front pages of open-source projects, and passing glances on the discussion pages, I only notice the professional aspect of FOSS.
"I spent this time gifting this user some software, but they can’t even read the README before filing a bug report?"
Being an FOSS maintainer is like walking along a line between
building a software he/she wants and responding to requests from others.
This is a conflict even a more-than-a-decade-experienced maintainer also has to deal with.
"The solution that I’ve adopted for this phenomenon is one that I’ve used extremely effectively in my personal life: establish boundaries."
Setting boundaries is an advice that resonates with me.
Especially because I am not a great programmer,
clearly communicating what I can and cannot do is good for both me and others.
"No, I'm not doing X but I'd be happy to do Y"
I realize that I almost never say 'no'...
the most negative I go is 'that would be difficult.'
This could be a Korean culture thing.