Read more about where EddieHub started and the core values of the community.
++ EddieHub was founded by Eddie Jaoude, GitHub Star, GitHub Star of + the Year 2020 and winner of the GitHub Community Growth Award 2021. + As a passionate advocate of Open Source who has always believed in + giving back to the tech community, Eddie’s particular focus is + creating and supporting opportunities for those wanting to start a + career in tech. +
++ Recognising that starting in Open Source can be daunting, Eddie was + keen to build a community which focused on Open Source for those + with varying tech abilities and at different stages of their tech + journey. +
+ ++ The main objective was for members to share their experiences by + adopting both a mentor and mentee role on the premise that everyone + has something to teach but also something to learn. “Collaboration + First, Code Second” quickly became what the community members live + by. +
++ EddieHub’s overall aim is to support members in: accelerating their + learnings so that they can have the career they want. +
+ ++ This can be broken down into two components: +
++ Technical knowledge is also built upon in the Discord channels + and GitHub Discussions where members can ask questions and share + their projects, whilst getting the guidance and support from + Eddie, our expert moderators as well as all members of the + community. +
++ For EddieHub, learning how to collaborate is key and we believe + that a vital part of knowing how to collaborate with others is + through effective communication skills. +
++ Often there are limited opportunities to expand upon these + skills. You may work within a small team and liaise with the + same colleagues on a daily basis, work on your own or, as a + result of geographic location, there may not be opportunities + (such as clubs or meet-up groups) to develop your communication + style and confidence. +
++ By creating a community with members from all around the world + and with different technical levels, EddieHub has generated an + opportunity for members to interact with a large diversity of + people. This constant interaction between members means that the + way they receive feedback has an impact on how they communicate + feedback to others. +
++ Recognising that at the outset these communication skills were + primarily through the Discord written messages and GitHub Issues + and Pull Requests, EddieHub has launched initiatives for regular + Public Speaking events, tutorials and “Ask me Anything” sessions + to further support its members. +
++ We are pleased that members have reported that this approach has + been invaluable to them. Had they not made their projects Open + Source, they would not have been able to progress these in the + same way as a private project. In addition, whilst feedback was + either not sought or viewed as a negative critique, it is now + both actively encouraged and more confidently given. +
+Behind these aims are EddieHub’s core values:
++ As with many other communities, EddieHub has a Code of Conduct + and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion policy. In addition we have + excellent moderators who keep a close eye to ensure that members + feel EddieHub is a safe space where they can learn, network and + share their experiences. +
++ We had observed that many other communities had a very “male + orientated” language, as well as making assumptions that + everyone went by the “he/him” gender pronoun. We wanted EddieHub + to be different and use gender neutral language to ensure that + we did not alienate any members whilst making a clear stance + against the “bro culture” which often dominates the tech space. +
++ Through a community discussion we achieved this through our + Discord bot named “EddieBot”, which picks up and suggests + alternatives to gender favouring, polarising, race related, + religion inconsiderate or other unequal phrasing. In addition, + Eddiebot was built by the community members and we feel this is + an accurate reflection to members’ commitment to these core + values. +
++ Moderators and members advocate for taking time for self care + and avoiding burning out. We have a Discord channel dedicated to + our members sharing what they do in their down time, which in + turn reminds others to take a break. We want to lead by example + in the tech space and stop glamourising overworking and the + “hustle” culture, through sharing tips and tutorials on the + EddieHub Blog as to how you can ensure you are looking after + yourself. +
++ Whilst no EddieHub member is the same, one thing we all have in + common - Open Source is our hobby, our passion - not just a job. +
++ At EddieHub we will always encourage members to make their next + Open Source contribution and we are their biggest cheerleaders. + Whether we might nudge members directly to check on how their + project is going, to hackathons and challenges as well as asking + them to come out of their comfort zone to moderate a call or + speak in public for the first time. +
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