Google Summer of Code is a summer program aiming to bring more developers into open source software development. It enables interns to spend their summer working with open source organizations on projects proposed by participating organizations and supported by mentors.
Fedora used to participate in Google Summer of Code as a mentoring organization consistently in the past. We would love to bring that back! We are happy to announce that we are applying as an organization again.
Flock to Fedora 2024, held in Rochester, New York from August 7th to 10th, soared to new heights, bringing together Fedora contributors and enthusiasts for four days of immersive learning, dynamic collaboration, and vibrant community building. The event seamlessly blended in-person interactions with live stream and recorded sessions via YouTube for the first two days, ensuring accessibility for a wider audience. Using Matrix Chat for seamless communication and a well-structured online schedule, Flock 2024 successfully fulfilled its mission of uniting the Fedora community, fostering connections, and sparking a wave of innovation.
Target Audience
The primary target audience was Fedora contributors, encompassing developers, packagers, designers, documentation writers, and anyone actively involved in the Fedora Project. The event also welcomed newcomers and those curious about Fedora and open source.
Attendees
Rochester welcomed a diverse and passionate group of attendees, including, but not limited to:
The majority of the Fedora Council, FESCo, and Mindshare Committee members.
Fedora Project Leader Matthew Miller, Fedora Operations Architect Aoife Moloney, Fedora Community Architect Justin W. Flory
Representatives from sponsor communities, like Rocky Linux, Lenovo, Microsoft Azure, AlmaLinux, CentOS, openSUSE, ARM, Meta, and SureStep.
Numerous passionate Fedora community members. See badge scans for a full list.
Key Highlights From The Event
Engaging Keynotes: Matthew Miller’s “State of Fedora” keynote provided valuable insights into the project’s trajectory. Other impactful keynotes included Pat Riehecky’s “It is OK not to know things” and Anita Zhang’s “How (Not) To Get Into Tech,” offering diverse perspectives on the open source journey.
Dynamic Sessions and Workshops: The event featured many sessions catering to diverse interests, with popular choices including panel discussions from the Fedora Council and FESCo, “What does Red Hat want?”, and numerous talks on Bootc.
Diverse Tracks: Attendees explored three tracks, including the Flock general track, the CentOS track, and the Mentor Summit track. These tracks tool place across several rooms, like the Red Hat main stage, and the breakout rooms sponsored by Lenovo, Rocky Linux, and Microsoft Azure. Topics ranged from technical deep dives (OpenQA, Konflux, eBPF, AI/ML, RISC-V) to community-building initiatives and DEI efforts.
International Candy Swap: This unique tradition fostered cross-cultural connections as attendees shared sweets and stories from their home countries.
Fedora Community Engagement
The Fedora community was actively involved throughout the event.
Community members contributed as speakers, workshop leaders, and attendees, driving discussions and knowledge sharing.
Topics like Bootc and the future of Fedora sparked lively conversations and collaboration.
Community Participation and Recognition
Booth Staff/Volunteers: The dedicated volunteer team, including those listed on the Flock 2024 – Volunteers sign-up sheet, ensured a smooth and welcoming experience for all attendees. Their tireless efforts were critical to the event’s success.
Speakers: A diverse group of speakers shared their expertise and insights, fostering learning and inspiring attendees. Myself and two of my fellow interns, Adrian Edwards and Roseline Bassey, presented a hybrid presentation of pre-recorded and live sessions as part of the Mentored Projects Showcase. You can see the full speaker list on the conference schedule.
Virtual Events
Livestream & Recordings: The event’s first two days were live-streamed and recorded, allowing virtual participants to engage with the content.
Viewership Data:
Day 1:
Red Hat Room: Over 1,000 views
Lenovo Room: 888 views
Rocky Linux Room: 427 views
Microsoft Azure Room: 324 views
Day 2:
Red Hat Room: 674 views
Lenovo Room: 288 views
Rocky Linux Room: 286 views
Azure Room: 213 views
Online Engagement: Social media platforms buzzed with activity, with attendees and virtual participants sharing their experiences and insights using the official hashtags #FlockToFedora, and #FlockRochester.
Challenges, Lessons Learned, and Recommendations
Streaming Capabilities: Available resources constrained our ability to live stream the entire event, while the impact of this for virtual attendees was minimized with creative scheduling, the hope is to explore improvements to the event streaming setup in the future.
Weather Disruption: The scavenger hunt was unfortunately affected by a storm, highlighting the importance of contingency plans for outdoor or weather-dependent activities.
Survey Feedback: We conducted a post-event attendee survey to collect feedback from attendees and speakers. This valuable input has guided us and will continue to guide us in implementing improvements and addressing areas of concern for future Flock events.
Conclusion
Flock to Fedora 2024 was a success, showcasing the strength and vibrancy of the Fedora community. We are already looking forward to Flock to Fedora 2025! To stay informed about future events and opportunities to get involved, visit the Fedora Project website, join the Fedora Matrix room, and follow us on social media!
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
We extend our deepest gratitude to all our sponsors, whose generous support made Flock to Fedora 2024 possible. Your commitment to open source and the Fedora community is invaluable.
Calling all Fedora fans! Flock to Fedora 2024 is almost here, and it’s going to be epic. We’re heading to Rochester, New York from August 7th to 10th for four days packed with everything you love about open source.
July 16, 2024 / rwright / Comments Off on Introducing the Fedora Community Operations Initiative
We’re excited to unveil the Fedora Community Operations initiative, an endeavor to boost community engagement, support everyone with more events and contribution points, and build on our amazing culture.
What is the Fedora Community Operations Initiative?
At its heart, the Community Operations Initiative is all about making Fedora an even better place to collaborate and connect. We’re focusing on two main contribution areas: Contributor Experience and Community Social Analytics. Contributor Experience means working on unified documentation, improving onboarding processes, and organizing fantastic virtual events like the Fedora Linux 40 and 41 Release Parties. Community Social Analytics will explore data from our infrastructure tools, applications, and services to help Fedora leadership and the community make smarter decisions, ultimately making Fedora an even more welcoming and efficient community for everyone.
August 1st 2024 edit: On Tuesday, July 30th, Mel Chua passed away in the company of close family and friends. We are heartbroken by this news. You can find more information on their CaringBridge page or LWN coverage by Joe Brockmeier. Mel, we miss you. <3
The Fedora Council recently received the news that Mel Chua, a Fedora contributor in the early and formative days of the Project, was placed in hospice care after a long battle against cancer. On behalf of the Fedora community, we extend our condolences and love for Mel and their loved ones. In May, we asked the community to share stories and memories of Mel at the F40 Release Party opening remarks. To honor their memory for the next generation of Fedora contributors, we compiled the stories and a reflection on Mel’s impact on Fedora, its trajectory as a Free Software community, and most importantly, their impact on the people of our community.
Today marks Day 6 and the last day of Fedora Week of Diversity (FWD) 2024! This exciting week-long celebration has been dedicated to honoring the diverse voices, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that enrich our vibrant Fedora community. Throughout Fedora Week of Diversity 2024, the DEI Team showcased the incredible stories and journeys of our members through engaging interviews and captivating social media spotlights.
Contributor Stories
Today’s Contributor Story comes from: Tosin Doreen
Today marks Day 6 and the last day of Fedora Week of Diversity (FWD) 2024! This exciting week-long celebration has been dedicated to honoring the diverse voices, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that enrich our vibrant Fedora community. Throughout Fedora Week of Diversity 2024, the DEI Team showcased the incredible stories and journeys of our members through engaging interviews and captivating social media spotlights.
Today marks Day 5 of Fedora Week of Diversity (FWD) 2024! This exciting week-long celebration honors the diverse voices, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that enrich our vibrant Fedora community. Throughout Fedora Week of Diversity 2024, the DEI Team will showcase our members’ incredible stories and journeys through engaging interviews and captivating social media spotlights. Join us in celebrating the unique contributions and talents that make Fedora Week of Diversity 2024 an extraordinary event!
Today marks Day 4 of Fedora Week of Diversity (FWD) 2024! This exciting week-long celebration is dedicated to honoring the diverse voices, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that enrich our vibrant Fedora community. Throughout Fedora Week of Diversity 2024, the DEI Team will be showcasing the incredible stories and journeys of our members through engaging interviews and captivating social media spotlights. Join us in celebrating the unique contributions and talents that make Fedora Week of Diversity 2024 a truly special event!
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