APress Diversifying Open Source: An Open Standards Playbook for Inclusive and Equitable Tech Projects

Open Source started as a way to legally guarantee the ability to copy, modify and distribute software. Today it is the basis for a rapidly developing billion-dollar industry that uses the power of collective work to achieve its goals. Open Source has become a complex ecosystem based on collaboration and remix. This playbook argues that by using open standards, a tech project improves its quality and shareability, since such standards exist to foster better communication between creators and consumers of the framework or tool. Most importantly, open standards guide technology development by gently enforcing more diverse and equitable spaces. Diversifying Open Source will start by looking at the different faces of open source; unravelling diversity and labor issues for open source communities, and understanding open standards: what they are and how they can be used in tech projects by providing blueprints and examples and to propose a more accessible, balanced and maintainable ecosystem. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: Understand what 'open source' actually, how its used and means and current issues Learn what standards are and how they form the basis for governance and best practices for Open Source projects Learn the necessity and value of DEI within the tech environment Explore how to implement standards for open source projects WHO IS IT FOR: Open Source Maintainers and enthusiasts Business managers who use use opensource tools and want to learn more about DEI Software developers Social activists Tech Community Leaders