What are Open-Source Happiness Packets?
People are generally much more loved than we think we are. But while it's easy for many to complain when they don't like something, we're often fairly silent when things are good. Open-source communities are no different, especially when our main communication channels are textual and virtual.
However, the feeling that you made a difference, that your work matters and has value, and that the people you work with are happy to work with you, is an awesome and important feeling. With Open-Source Happiness Packets, we're trying to spread that feeling.
How does it work?
Openly expressing appreciation, gratitude, or happiness to other people can be difficult. This is especially true when you don't know them very well. Many of us come from cultures in which people are not open by default about such feelings, and naturally feel uncomfortable or even creepy to share them.
Open-Source Happiness Packets is a very simple platform to anonymously reach out to the people that you appreciate or to whom you are thankful in your open-source community. Your message can be sent anonymously if you feel uncomfortable to share your name with the recipient. Of course, we encourage you to share your name, but it's completely optional!
Happiness Archive
If both the sender and the recipient agree, we can publish the Happiness Packet on the website. With this, we're building an archive of open-source happiness that people and communities can use to draw inspiration.
As an example, here are two random messages from our archive:
Anonymous message
It was a fantastic opportunity to visit your campus and get to know you and the community you're trying to build at Drexel. I always appreciated you added constructive feedback to the group discussions and brought up some interesting ideas and suggestions. Your energy helped set a tone in the beginning, and I think it helped make it easier for some other people to get involved too, because you didn't just talk, but you listened too. Thanks for everything you brought into this weekend and for being excellent hosts. We're lucky to have people like you in open source, and I hope I get to see you again soon!
From Sebastian Zartner to Florian Scholz
I'm happy that you're always reachable, responsive and friendly everytime I come to you with an annoying question. :-)