speaker.md

Kerri Miller

Contact details

• Twitter: @kerrizor
• Website or Blog: http://kerrizor.com
• Company: Ada Developers Academy http://adadevelopersacademy.org

Speaker bio

Kerri Miller is a Sr Software Developer and Team Lead based in the Pacific Northwest. She has worked at enterprise companies, international ad agencies, boutique consultancies, start-ups, and every place in between. She mentors and teaches students as an instructor at Ada Developers Academy, and consults with a wide range of companies internationally through NIRD. Having an insatiable curiosity, she has worked as a lighting designer, marionette puppeteer, sous chef, and professional poker player, and enjoys hiking, collecting Vespas, and working with glass.

talk.md

Open Source Landscaping: Shaping Communities One Branch At A Time

• Desired talk duration: 30 minutes

Abstract

The vitality of a project's community is a strong indicator of the project's long-term health. In the Ruby community, we're famous for being nice and for wanting to get more people involved. As companies, we're always trying to hire more developers. We have an opportunity and responsibility to keep the community healthy by growing teams that reflect our shared values. The developers we work with should energize their projects and their peers, rather than dragging both down. You'll learn about how team dynamics will dramatically impact your project, how to spot bad apples early, and how to enable everyone to contribute to the project's success.

Notes

I've been a team lead and manager for years, and seen the mistakes we keep making over and over, of violating the "no assholes" rule, of being afraid to be honest and open with each other, and of failing to treat others with respect. Maybe its time to start talking about what we're doing wrong, and how we can make it a more pleasant and more successful experience for everyone involved.