What are Open-Source Happiness Packets?
People are generally much more loved than they think they are. Especially when things don't go according to plan, other people almost never think as harshly of you as you might think of yourself. It's easy for us to complain when bad things happen, and yet 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.
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 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. We hope to build an archive of open-source happiness that communities can draw inspiration from.
As an example, here are two random messages from our archive:
From Erik Romijn to Daniele Procida
I just wanted to say that I enjoyed your lightning talks. Not only was it entertaining, but the work you're doing for PyCon Namibia is incredibly important. Such things require careful balancing to not both support the local community enough, while also empowering them to find their own way in things. You seem to hit that right on the nail. It's delightful and moving to see how, with Python and Django at the base, it's making a difference to people, with your support.
From Aaron Elliot Ross to Brandon Rhodes
Hello! Thank you for logging tree! It made my work with logging so much easier.
Thank you.