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Remember my Gen Z open source talk at #OSSummit? We published it on the @github blog because y'all haven't stopped talking about it since June 💭 Maintainers under 26 dropped from 25% to 10% since 2021. Meanwhile Gen Z is learning to code on YouTube and running Discord communities... 🧵

20/8/25, 4:12 pm1 repost9 likes

Abby Cabunoc Mayes

@abbycabs.dev

20 Aug 2025

...but we're wondering why they don't stick around in our projects? Since June, so many of you started experimenting. Discord servers. Video docs. Purpose-first READMEs. This community continues to amaze me ✨

Abby Cabunoc Mayes

@abbycabs.dev

20 Aug 2025

Blog: github.blog/open-source/... Real talk: what's one tradition in open source that might be pushing away younger contributors?

github.blogWho will maintain the future? Rethinking open source leadership for a new generationOpen source is aging. We can better support Gen Z contributors through purpose, flexibility, and pathways to leadership.

Edmund Lee

@edsrlee.bsky.social

27 Aug 2025

🏺 #Archaeology #digital infrastructure relies heavily on open source #OSS. E.g. @archesproject.bsky.social . @abbycabs.dev shares important guidance here for sustaining the maintenance of those projects.

Wes

@notwes.bsky.social

20 Aug 2025

Good read, thanks! I completely agree with the goals, but I admit that I think the Discord advice has been a struggle for me. The projects I have seen use them seem to have really spamy activity. Either all questions and no answers, or actual spam posts.

Wes

@notwes.bsky.social

20 Aug 2025

The slack communities, despite slack being worse for community building IMO, have much higher "signal-to-noise" ratio. Is this something you have seen? If not, can you point me to some "good" examples? Specifically ones run by unpaid volunteers?