Join Nadia Eghbal and Henry Zhu for an off-the-cuff conversation between friends. Read the backstory from Henry and Nadia.
Is the city a toaster (an object) or a cat (a living organism)? We are joined by Dr. Timothy Patitsis to talk about how our physical and digital spaces, like liturgy, can be understood as "the work of the people". We discuss science as organized complexity, the meaning of knowledge, recursive societies, fractal hierarchies, and implications for governance.
Why do we trust anyone? We talk about trust as an act of faith, trusting people versus trusting code, and the relationship between trust and work.
How do our rituals shape us? We talk about where habits come from, why we use them, and whether they strengthen our belief systems.
Does authority have a place in religion? We talk about authority in decentralized organizations, listening to others versus trying something new, and when to fork or leave a community.
How do symbols and stories foster culture? We talk about stories as a way to onboard new contributors, the mythology of leadership, when leaders step down, and how traditions evolve over time.
How do communities handle money? We talk about money and centralization, tithing systems, how much funding is too much, and when to contribute money versus time.
How do we evangelize our ideas? We talk about evangelism in religion and tech, meeting people where they're at, living one's values in public, and maintaining humility in the face of conviction.
Can everything that matters be measured? We talk about measuring the output and health of a community, competition between groups, growing a community without losing authenticity, and embracing "holy inefficiency".
Why do we do what we do? We talk about intrinsic motivation, the role it plays in creative work with uncertain outcomes, motivating new contributors, and sustaining motivation over time.
What does it mean to join a community? We talk about casual versus committed membership, and how maintainers and leaders manage expectations around trust and collaboration.
We talk about our backgrounds and motivation for doing this podcast, and why the practice of faith seems so prevalent among open source developers.
Really been enjoying the Hope in Source podcast from @nayafia and @left_pad.
— Nicholas C. Zakas (@slicknet) November 4, 2018
Just listened to the first episode and one of the things that came to mind is the connection between motivation for giving and anticipated benefits/rewards, as with the prosperity gospel movement. I wonder what the parallels between that and Open source might be
— jory burson (@jorydotcom) October 17, 2018
Really encouraged by @left_pad and @nayafia's podcast series "Hope In Source". Not only from the insightful discussions and parallels drawn, but also by their commitment to learn and explore some of the greater questions in life with a childlike heart of awe and wonder.
— Jonathan Tsao (@JonathanTsao) October 19, 2018