What are Open-Source Happiness Packets?
People are generally much more loved than we think we are. But while it's easy for many to complain when they don't like something, we're often fairly silent when things are good. Open-source communities are no different, especially when our main communication channels are textual and virtual.
However, the feeling that you made a difference, that your work matters and has value, and that the people you work with are happy to work with you, is an awesome and important feeling. With Open-Source Happiness Packets, we're trying to spread that feeling.
How does it work?
Openly expressing appreciation, gratitude, or happiness to other people can be difficult. This is especially true when you don't know them very well. Many of us come from cultures in which people are not open by default about such feelings, and naturally feel uncomfortable or even creepy to share them.
Open-Source Happiness Packets is a very simple platform to anonymously reach out to the people that you appreciate or to whom you are thankful in your open-source community. Your message can be sent anonymously if you feel uncomfortable to share your name with the recipient. Of course, we encourage you to share your name, but it's completely optional!
Happiness Archive
If both the sender and the recipient agree, we can publish the Happiness Packet on the website. With this, we're building an archive of open-source happiness that people and communities can use to draw inspiration.
As an example, here are two random messages from our archive:
Anonymous message
Thank you so much, Tony, for all your support and especially for mentoring me for everything. I could not be more thankful to anyone but you. Thank you for introducing me to such an awesome Open Source world.
I love your energy and enthusiasm, and I've found our fortnightly meetings so helpful in keeping me motivated and on track.
I really really appreciate all the effort you put into helping so many people in open source reach their best potential.
From Benjamin Bach to Jonas Obrist
Hurray for one of the longest-living most useful django applications ever done! I have it in all my projects! Thanks for always paying attention to issues and keeping up to speed with changing upstream django releases. Your work is greatly appreciated!!