Speaker and Session Details
by Amir Nettler on 3 November 2009
Introduction
Speaker to be announced
10:00 - 10:20 Introduction to Open Development
Abstract
Details to be announced.
Biography
To be announced.
Sebastian Brännström
10:20 - 11:00 Symbian Foundation: Towards an Open Development Culture
Abstract
The Symbian Foundation will share the lessons learned by itself and its contributor community, during the first months on its journey towards open software development. We will explore challenges and reflections on community building, open source leadership, collaboration, development and incubation processes as experienced in this ambitious open source endeavour.
Biography
Sebastian Brännström is Release Manager at the Symbian Foundation. His background is in the software consulting business as developer and project manager, mostly with Linux and Symbian based projects in the telecommunications industry. In 2007 he set up the Bergamot Project (http://bergamot.googlecode.com) producing open source for Symbian and has first hand experience with the difficulties of community engagement and management.
Sander van der Waal
13:00 - 13:40 First steps in open development
Abstract
Newcomers to an open source software project can find it difficult to find support for meeting the challenges they face in understanding and using the software. But when the project community has put the right kind of tools and processes in place newcomers will find the barriers to solving their problems and getting involved in the project can be lowered considerably. This talk will show from a personal experience how projects can make use of best practices, tools and structures to open up their community and make it accessible for outsiders.
Biography
Sander studied in Amsterdam where he obtained an MSc in Computer Science and a BA in Philosophy. He combines this academic background with substantial experience as a Java Software Engineer working at private software companies in the Netherlands. At OSS Watch, Sander’s main contribution is to continue the development of Simal using semantic web technologies. Simal will be used to form a project registry in order to catalogue educational-related open source software projects.
Mark Johnson
11:20 - 12:00 Contribution, Collaboration and Confusion - Engaging with a Community
Abstract
Moodle is an open source project with a thriving international community. This talk chronicles the experiences of a contributor to the community from a first-hand perspective. You’ll see the power of the community at work, how to get the most from it, and how to avoid the worst. The talk will then discuss the advantages to the developer, how it keeps him motivated, and why he’ll keep getting involved.
Biography
Mark Johnson is a recent Web Design & Internet Technology graduate currently working as an in-house Web Developer for Taunton’s college in Southampton. Working mainly with the Moodle Course Management System, Mark is a keen member of the open source community with a passion for accessibility, usability and open standards. He also enjoys heavy metal, real ale and redbush tea.