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Program management for open source projects

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2024-12-18

Moderation queues need context

Many tools lack a good way for moderators to indicate “this message is still in the queue on purpose.”

Categories Posts
2024-12-11

The real problem with end-of-life software

The problem with end-of-life software isn’t the lack of vulnerability and bug fixes. It’s knowing when software is truly end-of-life.

Categories Posts
2024-12-04

The best way to make a decision is to decide

In most cases, a good decision made quickly is better than a great decision made slowly.

Categories Posts
2024-11-27

Innovation Happens Elsewhere: now in a portable form

I’ve republished Innovation Happens Elsewhere in epub and PDF forms.

Categories News/Resources
2024-11-20

ccTLDs are bad for your project

Using a ccTLD puts your project’s infrastructure at the whims of geopolitics. There are plenty of other TLDs to choose from.

Categories Posts
2024-11-13

Communities aren’t an accidental collection of strangers with a common interest

Community implies a degree of commitment to stick around, and the bonds of friendship can make the project a more enjoyable place to be.

Categories Posts
2024-10-09

Open source is not consent for experiments

You can do whatever you want with the code you download. But once you’re writing instead of reading, you need to be a good participant.

Categories Posts
2024-10-02

Building a community still means giving up control

Reddit’s new rules protect short-term value, but creating a community that’s sustainable in the long term still means giving up control.

Categories Posts
2024-09-25

Code style guides are for cooperation, not preferences

If you’re leading a project, document your style. If you’re joining a project, set your style preferences aside.

Categories Posts
2024-09-18

It’s okay to not do things

Just because you had the idea to do something, that doesn’t mean you’re obligated to do it. Some tasks can be skipped or delayed.

Categories Posts

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About This Site

Learn how to get your ducks in a row, your cats herded, or any other animal metaphor you can think of.

2025 trends

Hand-drawn graphs on a sheet of white paper sitting on a desk.
Read my 2025 open source trends predictions.

Get the book

Cover of the book Program Management for Open Source Projects

Ebooks available from The Pragmatic Bookshelf. Print available from Bookshop and Amazon.

Newsletter

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Upcoming talks

Want to book me for your project or company? See the Speaking page for details.

Latest posts

  • Ruby Central’s lesson in how not to do it2025-10-08
  • The solution to deadlines is usually “cut scope”2025-10-01
  • Flash sale on all Pragmatic Bookshelf titles2025-09-18
  • Planning ahead is the most important part of code of conduct enforcement2025-09-17

Except where noted, all content © Ben Cotton and provided under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license except where noted. Logo design by alexlexi.

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