Why Open Source Can Be the Perfect Place for New Developers – and How to Get Started, with Deb Goodkin from the FreeBSD Foundation

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Meet Deb Goodkin! Deb is the Executive Director of the FreeBSD Foundation. The Foundation supports the FreeBSD project and community. FreeBSD is a powerful open-source operating system known for its reliability and security and used by companies like Netflix to power their servers and networks.

With a strong background in engineering, Deb is passionate about open-source technology, and after this episode, you might become passionate about it, too! In this episode of the Scrimba podcast, you'll learn how a complex project like FreeBSD works from an organizational standpoint, why open-source is a great place for even newer developers, what are the key differences between community-driven projects and working for a corporation, and where should you start if you're looking to get into open-source.

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⏰ Timestamps

What is FreeBSD? (01:19)
What is the FreeBSD Foundation? (02:49)
Open-source projects vs. commercial projects (04:04)
Open source is a nourishing place (07:04)
Some original BSD developers are still working on the project decades later! (07:46)
Open source is a community (09:35)
How can contributing to open source help a newer developer advance their career? (11:25)
Community break! (14:08)
What skills do you need to join an open-source project? (16:23)
Start with documentation! (18:42)
How do you interact with others working on an open-source project? (21:20)
Are people more likely to help others who help themselves? (24:05)
Quick-fire questions! (27:26)
How does an open-source project like FreeBSD run?
If you're listening and want to get into open source, do this! (38:13)

🧰 Resources mentioned

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