Summary: This repository coordinates DEI support between large and small open source projects.

The Community Collaboration project is designed to coordinate DEI support between large and small open source projects. During the 2022 Maintaner's Listening Tour, one theme that surfaced was that smaller, less resourced open source projects need help with tasks related to diversity, equity or inclusion, but they don't have the capacity to attend to them. Alternatively, larger, more well-resourced projects do have the capacity, and can lend a hand when needed. This project acts as a go-between to connect these two categories of projects.

There are currently four types of tasks that can be done:

• Changing default branch from Master to Main. The use of "master" to name the default repository is problematic and non-inclusive. Older projects may still be using the term "master" for their default branch because making the change to something else is not a simple or easy task, or may feel overwhleming to project maintainers. Here is more information about why making this change is important.
• Removing deadnames. Because git commits require the committer's full name, when contributors change their name, there is no mechanism for automatically updating that in an open source project's history. Publicly perpetuating deadnames in project logs is problematic and can be harmful to the individual contributors. Here is more information about why this is important.
• Searching for and replacing non-inclusive terminology. Open source work has traditionally included certain words that are harmful and offensive to marginalized and underrepresented groups in the community. In every case, there is an acceptable alternative that does not carry the same harmful connotations. Finding and replacing these terms in project documentation, codebase, and outward facing materials signals to an open source community that inclusivity is a priority for them. Here is more information about why this shift toward inclusive naming is important.
• Setting up and documenting a triage process. Sometimes busy maintainers don't have the capacity to set up processes that will help them delegate and include others in tasks like handling issues. Helping others to understand how they can help the project in a clear systematic way helps the whole community. Long issue response time is one of the reasons potential contributors may choose to leave the community, so setting up a foundation for handling incoming issues in a timely way can positively impact the overall health of the community. Learn more about tracking issue response time and why this is important.

Note: It's clear that there are an unlimited number of other tasks that are needed to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within open source projects, but this is a starting point. These are time-boxed and finite tasks that do not require long term commitments from volunteers. If you have suggestions for other DEI related tasks that your project needs or that you can provide, we'd love to hear them! Reach out to us at [email protected].

We use issues in this repo as an initial point of connection for this work. Maintainers from small open source projects can request help with one of these 4 tasks by opening an issue using the provided template:

• Changing the default branch from master to main
• Removing deadnames
• Searching for and replacing non-inclusive language
• Setting up and documenting a triage process

Maintainers from larger projects who are part of this community will monitor this repo and self-assign issues when they are able to provide help. It is then up to the maintainers from both projects to connect outside this repo to create a strategy and plan for implementation. All work should happen in the project's repository, not this one.

When the work is completed, either maintainer may jump back in this repository and close this issue to indicate that the work is done.

If you are a maintainer from a larger project and you'd like to offer your help to smaller projects, we ask that you commit to these things:

• A point of contact from the project to subscribe to this repo, keep up with notifications, and self-assign issues on behalf of the project
• Timely coordination and implementation of the work

To join this initiative, you should:

1. Reach out to [email protected] to be added to the list of participating projects.
2. Assign a point of contact, and ask them to subscribe to this repo.
3. Self-assign issues as the project is able to take on the work requested.
4. Coordinate with your partner project in their repo.

If you would like help in one of the 4 areas listed above, we ask that you commit to these things:

• Kindness and patience while waiting for a large project to claim your issue
• Timely coordination of the work

To join this initiative and request help, you should:

1. Open an issue in this repository using the template that's provided, and wait for a project to claim it.
2. Coordinate with your partner project in your repo. (If you'd like, you can link back to the issue in this repo for context about the change.)
3. Close this issue when the work is complete.

• Large Project 1 logo
• Large Project 2 logo