Open Source Contribution Policies That Don't Suck

Learn about effective open source contribution policies in this 23-minute conference talk by Tobie Langel from UnlockOpen. Explore the importance of having a policy, the differences between explicit and permissive approaches, and the characteristics of a good policy. Examine the legal and business aspects of open source contributions, addressing tensions between legal and engineering teams. Discover insights from GitHub surveys on contributing outside of work, and understand why the process can be confusing and tedious. Gain knowledge on contributing at work, focusing on large open source projects and the significance of patching. Understand the role of automation in streamlining the contribution process and leave with a better understanding of how to create and implement open source policies that benefit both organizations and contributors.

Introduction
Most organizations dont have a policy
What does not have an open source policy mean
Explicit vs Permissive
What is a policy that doesnt suck
A good policy is permissive
On the legal side
On the business side
Tension between legal and engineering
Coming to agreement
What is an open source policy
Open source is a well understood problem
Contributing outside of work
GitHub Survey
Why is it so confusing
Why its a tedious process
A better solution
Contributing at work
Large open source projects
Patching
Why is patching important
Automation
Conclusion