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:
From Margaret to Shrie Spangler
Shrie Spangler did a great job coordinating and sending out the messaging for the WTD ATX meetup event cancellations due to COVID-19 concerns. Great job and another example of your fabulous community organizing skills!
<3 <3 <3 Margaret
From Alberto RodrÃguez Sánchez to Justin W. Flory
Hi Amigo Justin,
First of all, I want to say then you are an inspiration for me and many contributors. For me, it is amazing how do you do generate great ideas and make it a reality.
It was a life experience for me, meet you on the last Flock. You are my mentor here in the Fedora Project, and I admire your Holistic view of the project is like a superpower (Sometimes I think in you like a Big Fedora encyclopedia with legs).
I don't know how do you can organize your time to make so many contributions. I'm suffering some kind of burnout for the last ten months, but looking at you, I get some force to contribute a little more. I know then if I can do ten percent of your volume of contributions, I will be a great contributor.
Many thanks. :-)