My FOSS Backstage 2025 Experience

- Deborah

Wesley Pribadi (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Day 1: Waving Through a Window

Attending FOSS Backstage online was a contrast to my past virtual conference experiences, especially compared to the highly engaging Collaborations Workshop. There was no opportunity to ask speakers questions directly, no intentional networking efforts, and little to differentiate attending live from simply waiting for the recordings to be released. While the platform itself was user-friendly and easy to navigate, the nature of the talks further contributed to my sense of disconnection. Legal & Compliance, Economics, Governance - these topics, while critical to open source, are not my usual focus. As a result, much of the content went over my head. To make matters worse, scheduling conflicts meant I missed some talks I had been looking forward to.

Day 2: Finding my Tribe!

Despite the continued lack of online engagement, the quality of talks on Day 2 completely made up for my initial disappointment. The sessions were rich, insightful, and deeply resonant.

Anatomy of an Open Internship Program: How We Run Outreachy - Anna e só

Every time I hear Anna speak, compassion absolutely shines through. Outreachy has run for 15+ years, overcoming numerous challenges, and Anna’s words help me see into the heart that has sustained it. A key discussion point was why some organisations continue to return as Outreachy partners. Anna explained that many long-standing partners recognise their privilege and use it to bring others into FOSS. Past interns also return as mentors, giving back to the community that helped them grow.

“I want them [Outreachy interns] to succeed even more than I have…” - these words will keep resounding for a long time.

An individual wearing a facemask presents a talk, with slides displayed on the right. The words on the current slide describe the Phases of Outreachy and what constitutes a program cycle.

The session was further enriched by the moderator in the bUm Box room, who shared how being an Outreachy mentor had deeply enriched his experience as a developer.

Bridging the Gap Between Designers & Open Source Communities - Nina Rojc, Leia Ruffini, and Kola Ojoodide

This talk addressed several long-standing questions I’ve had, such as:

The speakers emphasised the role of clear contribution guidelines and diplomacy in managing diverse ideas within open source projects. A structured process helps create space for creativity while maintaining coherence.

Screenshot of a virtual talk at FOSS Backstage. On the left, some obstacles for design contributions are listed and on the right, are 4 squares containing 3 presenters and an audience.

(Side note: Kola has a very soothing voice!)

Tokenism in Open Source: Diversity or Decoration? - Maryblessing Okolie & Ijeoma Onwuka

Ijeoma flew 17 hours from Nigeria to Berlin to deliver her first international talk - while also professing her love for K-dramas! Meanwhile, Maryblessing joined virtually. Their discussion on tokenism in open source hit close to home, especially since I personally experienced it this week (more on that in another post, perhaps).

A black woman wearing a two-piece outfit made from traditional African prints, presents a talk, with slides displayed on the right. The words on the current slide are "please do not do DEl out of pity or checking a box. think of DEl as giving opportunities to groups of people with great abilities that would otherwise not have access to that opportunity."

They challenged organisations to move beyond merely showcasing diversity in marketing materials and instead create genuine pathways to leadership for marginalised individuals. Their call to action? Design for everyone, enforce Codes of Conduct, improve accessibility, and build inclusive practices. This resonated deeply, especially as I am currently conducting an accessibility review for my organisation’s website.

Right-to-Left, Left-to-Right: Rethinking Multilingual Design - Batool Almarzouq, Goodnews Sunday Sandy and Richie Moluno

Many software systems fail to support Right-to-Left (RTL) languages like Arabic, creating barriers for millions of users. The speakers shared their experiences designing “Open Science MOOCs“ - a multilingual platform with videos, quizzes, and RTL-friendly design. The discussion highlighted key UX challenges, such as how navigation arrows, horizontal progress bars, and even emojis can be misinterpreted by RTL users. The takeaway? Designing for inclusivity means considering diverse reading directions and user habits from the start.

Screenshot of a virtual talk at FOSS Backstage, titled "Right-to-Left, Left-to-Right: Rethinking Multilingual Design." This is delivered by three (3) speakers, each shown in a small square to the right of the slides being presented. The speakers are Batool Almarzouq, Goodnews Sandy and Richie Moluno.

Empowering African Communities Using Open Source - Joseph Zikusooka

Joseph highlighted areas where FOSS can drive impact in Africa: health, research, education, agriculture, tourism, startups, and environmental initiatives. He also pointed out the challenges Africans face in getting into open source, such as high internet costs, poor connectivity, and frequent power cuts. The keys to empowering African communities include support, engagement, partnerships, certification, and incubation.

Screenshot of a virtual talk at FOSS Backstage. On the left, a slide contains these words: "FOSS in Africa: Why is adoption low? Lack of awareness and motivation. Prestige using proprietary software. Vendor lock-in especially Government. Few certified / skilled open source professionals. Software piracy. Fragmented FOSS communities." On the right, are 2 squares containing an audience, and the profile photo of a presenter.

Open Design Guide - Christoph Ono & Eriol Fox

The Open Design Guide is 12 chapters of wisdom, and serves as a bridge for designers entering open source.

An individual wearing a black t-shirt, presents a talk, with slides displayed on the right. The current slide samples Chapter 2 of the Design Guide, titled "The Designer's Role."

One thing that stood out for me was how they acknowledged the role of GenAI in the guide’s development, while admitting its limitations. I particularly loved the idea of a reading club and plan to borrow this for my Research 101 course!

Beyond Words: Crafting User-Friendly Documentation - Zainab Daodu

This was a fantastic, practical talk on documentation, born out of a wealth of experience! Some key lessons (in bullet points, to make Zainab proud):

Screenshot of a virtual talk on proper documentation. This is delivered by a speaker, shown in a small square to the right of the slides being presented. The speaker, Zainab, is a black female in a red top.

Relationship Problems in Open Source - Shauna Gordon-McKeon

Shauna identified some challenges in FOSS - burnout, onboarding difficulties, funding issues, and bad User Experience. The solution? Strong relationships.

When we build personal connections, contributors and users stop being abstract figures and become real people we care about. The 5’Cs in relationship-building: Clarify, Connect, Communicate, Conflict, Commit.

Screenshot of a virtual talk on "Relationship Problems in Open Source." This is delivered by a speaker, Shauna, shown in a small square to the right of the slides being presented.

Honestly…

…the highlight of my FOSS Backstage experience was seeing my sisters shine! I hope to see even more underrepresented voices given platforms to speak in the future.

I’m eagerly looking forward to the recordings being released at the end of the week so I can catch:

Despite the slow start, FOSS Backstage 2025 ended on a high note. What I would do differently next time is be there in-person next time!