Dr. Dawn Foster
@geekygirldawn.bsky.social
Open source strategy consultant (details at https://fastwonder.com/), Director of Data Science / Governing Board member at CHAOSS, OpenUK board, runner, sci-fi, 3D printed designs, vegan, world traveler. Opinions my own.
Reposted by Dr. Dawn Foster
End of year celebrations at our Christmas party last night - despite so many people being down with the lurgy. We wish everyone who couldn’t make it a speedy recovery and loved spending time with some of our community. #opensourcecommuntiy #opensource #openuk
December 17, 2025 at 11:36 AM
End of year celebrations at our Christmas party last night - despite so many people being down with the lurgy. We wish everyone who couldn’t make it a speedy recovery and loved spending time with some of our community. #opensourcecommuntiy #opensource #openuk
Reposted by Dr. Dawn Foster
We’re looking for an experienced project manager to help develop and deliver new projects at the Sovereign Tech Agency, from supporting the #DigitalCommons #EDIC to organizing the Maintain-a-thon at the #UnitedNations, and more
Sound like you? Apply here: www.sovereign.tech/jobs/project... #hiring
Sound like you? Apply here: www.sovereign.tech/jobs/project... #hiring
December 17, 2025 at 1:33 PM
We’re looking for an experienced project manager to help develop and deliver new projects at the Sovereign Tech Agency, from supporting the #DigitalCommons #EDIC to organizing the Maintain-a-thon at the #UnitedNations, and more
Sound like you? Apply here: www.sovereign.tech/jobs/project... #hiring
Sound like you? Apply here: www.sovereign.tech/jobs/project... #hiring
Because of my work with CHAOSS, people often think of me as someone who "does metrics." But while I love data, the metrics have never really been the end goal for me. I use metrics to demonstrate OSS value and make projects more sustainable. fastwonderblog.com/2025/06/24/s...
Strategy Before Metrics | Fast Wonder
fastwonderblog.com
December 16, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Because of my work with CHAOSS, people often think of me as someone who "does metrics." But while I love data, the metrics have never really been the end goal for me. I use metrics to demonstrate OSS value and make projects more sustainable. fastwonderblog.com/2025/06/24/s...
+100 to this. Lots of people have different “working hours” to fit in meetings with other time zones, for childcare responsibilities, or just because they do better work at different times. This is even more pronounced for those of us working in global open source projects.
The do’s and don’ts of measuring contributions “outside of working hours”
Do: not. Don't: correct. The clock time of contributions tells you very little, and almost certainly not what you're trying to learn.
Do: not. Don't: correct. The clock time of contributions tells you very little, and almost certainly not what you're trying to learn.
The do’s and don’ts of measuring contributions “outside of working hours”
Do: not. Don't: correct. The clock time of contributions tells you very little, and almost certainly not what you're trying to learn.
duckalignment.academy
December 10, 2025 at 12:23 PM
+100 to this. Lots of people have different “working hours” to fit in meetings with other time zones, for childcare responsibilities, or just because they do better work at different times. This is even more pronounced for those of us working in global open source projects.
Reposted by Dr. Dawn Foster
you’ve definitely heard of elf on the shelf but are you ready for
December 8, 2025 at 11:46 PM
you’ve definitely heard of elf on the shelf but are you ready for
On days like today (it's cold, rainy, and windy), I struggle to get myself out of the house and to the gym to lift weights. It almost always makes me feel better to do it, and today was no exception. It also helped that I rewarded myself with a stop at a nice coffee shop on my walk home. 😁
December 9, 2025 at 3:59 PM
On days like today (it's cold, rainy, and windy), I struggle to get myself out of the house and to the gym to lift weights. It almost always makes me feel better to do it, and today was no exception. It also helped that I rewarded myself with a stop at a nice coffee shop on my walk home. 😁
We all want our OSS projects to be sustainable, healthy, and successful, and having good governance influences project success more than many people realize.
fastwonderblog.com/2025/12/03/g...
fastwonderblog.com/2025/12/03/g...
Good Governance for Open Source Projects | Fast Wonder
fastwonderblog.com
December 3, 2025 at 9:29 AM
We all want our OSS projects to be sustainable, healthy, and successful, and having good governance influences project success more than many people realize.
fastwonderblog.com/2025/12/03/g...
fastwonderblog.com/2025/12/03/g...
We published the Getting Started with Building Diverse Leadership CHAOSS Practitioner Guide a while ago, and now we have a podcast episode! I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as Peculiar C. Umeh, @georglink.bsky.social, Harmony Elendu, and I enjoyed recording it!
podcast.chaoss.community/124
podcast.chaoss.community/124
Practitioner Guides: #7 Diverse Leadership
**CHAOSScast – Episode 124**
This episode of CHAOSScast kicks off a new Practitioner Guide series focused on “Building Diverse Leadership” in open source communities. Harmony Elendu hosts with co-hos...
podcast.chaoss.community
December 2, 2025 at 8:43 AM
We published the Getting Started with Building Diverse Leadership CHAOSS Practitioner Guide a while ago, and now we have a podcast episode! I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as Peculiar C. Umeh, @georglink.bsky.social, Harmony Elendu, and I enjoyed recording it!
podcast.chaoss.community/124
podcast.chaoss.community/124
Reposted by Dr. Dawn Foster
Got a talk you've been thinking about? Want to GIVE a talk you've been thinking about?
You should submit your proposal soon, the CFP for SCALE is closing soon.
This is hands-down one of the best community-organized conferences you can attend, and Pasadena is great in the spring...
You should submit your proposal soon, the CFP for SCALE is closing soon.
This is hands-down one of the best community-organized conferences you can attend, and Pasadena is great in the spring...
Time is running out to get your talk submitted to speak at SCaLE 23x, March 5-8, 2026, at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California
www.socallinuxexpo.o...
www.socallinuxexpo.o...
Call for Presentations | SCALE
We are proud to announce the 23rd Annual Southern California Linux Expo – SCaLE 23X – to be held March 5-8, 2026 at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California, near Los Angeles.
www.socallinuxexpo.org
November 24, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Got a talk you've been thinking about? Want to GIVE a talk you've been thinking about?
You should submit your proposal soon, the CFP for SCALE is closing soon.
This is hands-down one of the best community-organized conferences you can attend, and Pasadena is great in the spring...
You should submit your proposal soon, the CFP for SCALE is closing soon.
This is hands-down one of the best community-organized conferences you can attend, and Pasadena is great in the spring...
If you've been wondering what the CHAOSS Data Science Working Group has been doing and how you can join us, have a look at our most recent blog post. Fun fact, anyone can join us; no special skills required! chaoss.community/nov-2025-dat...
Updates from the CHAOSS Data Science Working Group: Practitioner Guides, Research, and More! - CHAOSS
Our last Data Science Working Group update here on the CHAOSS blog was in June, so we thought it would be a good time to talk more about what we...
chaoss.community
November 24, 2025 at 7:53 AM
If you've been wondering what the CHAOSS Data Science Working Group has been doing and how you can join us, have a look at our most recent blog post. Fun fact, anyone can join us; no special skills required! chaoss.community/nov-2025-dat...
I read a lot, but I’m almost always reading on various devices, like an e-reader, phone, or computer. Today, I’m reading a physical book, but I keep glancing at the top of the page to see what time it is 🤣🤪
November 20, 2025 at 2:11 PM
I read a lot, but I’m almost always reading on various devices, like an e-reader, phone, or computer. Today, I’m reading a physical book, but I keep glancing at the top of the page to see what time it is 🤣🤪
You don’t want to have neglected or abandoned open source projects with security vulnerabilities owned by your organization. The CHAOSS Practitioner Guide: Getting Started with Sunsetting an Open Source Project can help you responsibly archive projects. fastwonderblog.com/2025/11/18/r...
Responsibly Sunsetting OSS Projects: A Guide for OSPOs | Fast Wonder
fastwonderblog.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:55 PM
You don’t want to have neglected or abandoned open source projects with security vulnerabilities owned by your organization. The CHAOSS Practitioner Guide: Getting Started with Sunsetting an Open Source Project can help you responsibly archive projects. fastwonderblog.com/2025/11/18/r...
CHAOSS has a Funding Impact Measurement WG that meets every other Wed, and tomorrow, we have Adrienn Lawson presenting about Funding Impact Measurement at NGI! Everyone is welcome to join this or any other CHAOSS WG! The meeting details can be found on the CHAOSS calendar: teamup.com/event/show/i...
CHAOSS Funding Impact Measurement Working Group
Wed Nov 19, 2025 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM (Time zone: Central Time US & Ca) @ https://zoom.us/my/chaoss
teamup.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:33 AM
CHAOSS has a Funding Impact Measurement WG that meets every other Wed, and tomorrow, we have Adrienn Lawson presenting about Funding Impact Measurement at NGI! Everyone is welcome to join this or any other CHAOSS WG! The meeting details can be found on the CHAOSS calendar: teamup.com/event/show/i...
I had a great time teaming up again with Stefka Dimitrova for an episode of the CHAOSScast podcast where we talked about responsibly sunsetting open source projects. You can learn more about the Sunsetting Practitioner Guide linked in the show notes. Enjoy!
podcast.chaoss.community/123
podcast.chaoss.community/123
Practitioner Guides: #6 Sunsetting an Open Source Project
**CHAOSScast – Episode 123**
This episode of the CHAOSScast features hosts Harmony Elendu and Alice Sowerby, along with guests Stefka Dimitrova and Dawn Foster, discussing the process of sunsetting op...
podcast.chaoss.community
November 13, 2025 at 2:48 PM
I had a great time teaming up again with Stefka Dimitrova for an episode of the CHAOSScast podcast where we talked about responsibly sunsetting open source projects. You can learn more about the Sunsetting Practitioner Guide linked in the show notes. Enjoy!
podcast.chaoss.community/123
podcast.chaoss.community/123
I'm super excited to learn that I won a CNCF TAGGIE award today! The TAGGIE award is given to individuals who have done the most to advance the CNCF Technical Advisory Groups. www.cncf.io/announcement...
CNCF 2025 Community Awards
Honorees span end users, maintainers, mentors, and long-time contributors, reflecting the strength and diversity of the cloud native ecosystem Key Highlights ATLANTA, KUBECON + CLOUDNATIVECON NORTH…
www.cncf.io
November 12, 2025 at 8:04 PM
I'm super excited to learn that I won a CNCF TAGGIE award today! The TAGGIE award is given to individuals who have done the most to advance the CNCF Technical Advisory Groups. www.cncf.io/announcement...
Thanks to All Things Open for the post about our OSSEU panel focused on building a sustainable pipeline of open source contributors!
🚀 NEW on We ❤️ Open Source 🚀
Contributor shortages threaten the future of open source. Dr. Dawn Foster joins a global panel to explore how education + mentorship can grow the next gen of contributors.
Read the article: allthingsopen.org/articles/bui...
#WeLoveOpenSource #OpenSource #OSS
Contributor shortages threaten the future of open source. Dr. Dawn Foster joins a global panel to explore how education + mentorship can grow the next gen of contributors.
Read the article: allthingsopen.org/articles/bui...
#WeLoveOpenSource #OpenSource #OSS
November 7, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Thanks to All Things Open for the post about our OSSEU panel focused on building a sustainable pipeline of open source contributors!
Reposted by Dr. Dawn Foster
OpenUK Awards 25 Community Category sponsored by Arm, Shortlist is live, congratulations to the shortlisted nominees: Andy Piper, @universalviewer.io (universalviewer.io), and Daniel Gale 🍾🥂🏆
#openukawards #opensource #community
#openukawards #opensource #community
November 4, 2025 at 1:00 PM
OpenUK Awards 25 Community Category sponsored by Arm, Shortlist is live, congratulations to the shortlisted nominees: Andy Piper, @universalviewer.io (universalviewer.io), and Daniel Gale 🍾🥂🏆
#openukawards #opensource #community
#openukawards #opensource #community
I had the pleasure of attending the very first Digital Resilience Forum in Madrid, Spain this week where industry leaders, policy makers, governments, and others discussed and collaborated on ways to make our digital infrastructure more sustainable and resilient. fastwonderblog.com/2025/10/30/o...
Open Source Software Driving Digital Resilience, Sovereignty, and Sustainability | Fast Wonder
fastwonderblog.com
October 30, 2025 at 2:46 PM
I had the pleasure of attending the very first Digital Resilience Forum in Madrid, Spain this week where industry leaders, policy makers, governments, and others discussed and collaborated on ways to make our digital infrastructure more sustainable and resilient. fastwonderblog.com/2025/10/30/o...
You still have a few more days to submit your CHAOSScon EU talk and get the most out of your FOSDEM trip!
Are you already planning your FOSDEM trip? Do you need a talk to get travel approval? CHAOSScon EU is the Thursday before FOSDEM, and our CFP is open until November 2! Join us to chat about metrics, project health, and related topics! chaoss.community/chaosscon-20...
October 28, 2025 at 3:26 PM
You still have a few more days to submit your CHAOSScon EU talk and get the most out of your FOSDEM trip!
We’re spending a long weekend in Madrid. I’ve been eating so many delicious potatoes, but not getting enough green veggies, so I just ordered a Russian salad as a starter. This is how I learned that it’s basically a potato salad 🤣
October 26, 2025 at 7:32 PM
We’re spending a long weekend in Madrid. I’ve been eating so many delicious potatoes, but not getting enough green veggies, so I just ordered a Russian salad as a starter. This is how I learned that it’s basically a potato salad 🤣
I'm excited to announce the latest in our CHAOSS Practitioner Guide Series on the topic of Assessing Viability! OSS is everywhere, but some projects are more viable than others. This guide has a framework for assessing the viability of the OSS projects you use.
fastwonderblog.com/2025/10/23/a...
fastwonderblog.com/2025/10/23/a...
Assessing the Viability of Open Source Projects | Fast Wonder
fastwonderblog.com
October 23, 2025 at 1:55 PM
I'm excited to announce the latest in our CHAOSS Practitioner Guide Series on the topic of Assessing Viability! OSS is everywhere, but some projects are more viable than others. This guide has a framework for assessing the viability of the OSS projects you use.
fastwonderblog.com/2025/10/23/a...
fastwonderblog.com/2025/10/23/a...
Are you already planning your FOSDEM trip? Do you need a talk to get travel approval? CHAOSScon EU is the Thursday before FOSDEM, and our CFP is open until November 2! Join us to chat about metrics, project health, and related topics! chaoss.community/chaosscon-20...
October 21, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Are you already planning your FOSDEM trip? Do you need a talk to get travel approval? CHAOSScon EU is the Thursday before FOSDEM, and our CFP is open until November 2! Join us to chat about metrics, project health, and related topics! chaoss.community/chaosscon-20...
Did you know that CHAOSS has a bunch of Working Groups (WGs) that anyone can attend? On Wednesday, @andrewnez.bsky.social will be at the Funding Impact Measurement WG to share data about open source project funding. You can find details about all of our meetings at chaoss.community/chaoss-calen...
chaoss.community
October 20, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Did you know that CHAOSS has a bunch of Working Groups (WGs) that anyone can attend? On Wednesday, @andrewnez.bsky.social will be at the Funding Impact Measurement WG to share data about open source project funding. You can find details about all of our meetings at chaoss.community/chaoss-calen...
I was thrilled to be invited to participate in the Turing Way fireside chat about governance along with @richlitt.bsky.social and @claredillon.bsky.social with hosts Jennifer Tridgell and Arielle Bennett-Lovell. Here's a summary with a link to the video. fastwonderblog.com/2025/10/16/t...
The Turing Way Fireside Chat about Governance | Fast Wonder
fastwonderblog.com
October 16, 2025 at 12:53 PM
I was thrilled to be invited to participate in the Turing Way fireside chat about governance along with @richlitt.bsky.social and @claredillon.bsky.social with hosts Jennifer Tridgell and Arielle Bennett-Lovell. Here's a summary with a link to the video. fastwonderblog.com/2025/10/16/t...
It's not too late to register for OSPOlogyLive Lyon on November 5–6! It's free to attend, and there are some great topics on the agenda with a mix of presentations, interactive breakout sessions, and networking. It's going to be fun! community.linuxfoundation.org/events/detai...
OSPOlogyLive Lyon 🇫🇷 | LF Online Community
In-person Event - Join the 7th edition of OSPOlogyLive in Lyon (presentations, project workshops, and roundtable sessions) to help organizations navigate open source management, strategy, and OSPO ope...
community.linuxfoundation.org
October 16, 2025 at 7:35 AM
It's not too late to register for OSPOlogyLive Lyon on November 5–6! It's free to attend, and there are some great topics on the agenda with a mix of presentations, interactive breakout sessions, and networking. It's going to be fun! community.linuxfoundation.org/events/detai...