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I N S E R T H E A D L I N E H E R E

G R O W I N G B E Y O N D 
T H E S O U R C E

A N I N C I D E N T P O S T- M O R T E M

1 7 - 11 - 2 0 1 7

D R . PA U L J . A D A M S

paul.adams@zalando.de @therealpadams

D R . PA U L J . A D A M S

Search & Personalisation Engineering Lead

1 7 - 11 - 2 0 1 7

Who is this dude?

Short Summary

Timeline

Impact

Root Cause Analysis

Lessons Learned

Resolution

TA B L E O F 
C O N T E N T S

https://flic.kr/p/Sq9Pkm

https://flic.kr/p/Sq9Pkm

W H O I S T H I S D U D E ?

GOTO Berlin, 2017

• Engineering Lead

• Zalando: Search & Personalisation

• Crate.io

• KDAB

• Kolab Systems…

• Open Source Lifer

• Zope / Plone / KDE / Kolab / CrateDB / Habitat

• FSFE / KDE eV / OpenForum Academy

GOTO Berlin, 2017

A L I T T L E A B O U T M E

GOTO Berlin, 2017

PA U L’ S L AW O F D E V O P S

S H O R T S U M M A RY


https://flic.kr/p/3XaEMs

https://flic.kr/p/3XaEMs

• Since the 1980s the world of Free Software / Open Source has produced some of the world’s most respected software.

• Especially products for engineers!

• Otherwise limited success with some examples for hope (Android).

Given the vast quantities of Open Source software available, the overall lack of success points to a potential systematic failing. Is Open Source community culture unnecessarily focused on code?

GOTO Berlin, 2017

S H O R T S U M M A RY

T I M E L I N E

https://flic.kr/p/fFXKMu

https://flic.kr/p/fFXKMu

GOTO Berlin, 2017

I N C I D E N T T I M E L I N E

0 2 . 1 9 8 6

0 8 . 2 0 1 7

11 . 2 0 1 7

That Tweet

4 Freedoms goto;

A C K

S TA R T A S S I G N

August, 2017

GOTO Berlin, 2017

A C K N O W L E D G E D ?

I M PA C T

https://flic.kr/p/oEKBiM

https://flic.kr/p/oEKBiM

C U S TO M E R I M PA C T

https://flic.kr/p/ayWfHr

https://flic.kr/p/ayWfHr

B U S I N E S S I M PA C T

https://flic.kr/p/z1zk53

https://flic.kr/p/z1zk53

I N T E R N A L I M PA C T

https://flic.kr/p/e4RpLs

https://flic.kr/p/e4RpLs

R O O T C A U S E A N A LY S I S

https://flic.kr/p/7vUSFh

https://flic.kr/p/7vUSFh

• Why is Open Source so unnecessarily focused on code?

• Because the entire ecosystem is dominated by coders.

• Why is the ecosystem dominated by coders?

• Because we are not very good at welcoming anyone else. Observation bias convinces us we don’t need anyone else.

• Why are we convinced we don’t need anyone beyond coders?

• Because we kinda misunderstood the system that we built!

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W H Y, O H W H Y, O H W H Y … ?

L E S S O N S L E A R N E D

https://flic.kr/p/gj5E9q

https://flic.kr/p/gj5E9q

W H AT W E N T W R O N G ?

https://flic.kr/p/UfHvLb

https://flic.kr/p/UfHvLb

• Freedom 0: The freedom to run the program for any purpose.

• Freedom 1: The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish.

• Freedom 2: The freedom to redistribute and make copies so you can help your neighbor.

• Freedom 3: The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements (and modified versions in general) to the public, so that the whole community benefits.

GOTO Berlin, 2017

T H E S Y S T E M FA I L E D B Y D E S I G N : T H E F O U R F R E E D O M S

W H AT W E N T W E L L ?

https://flic.kr/p/x8Ao2b

https://flic.kr/p/x8Ao2b

W H E R E D I D W E G E T L U C K Y ?

https://flic.kr/p/ehgZSm

https://flic.kr/p/ehgZSm

R E S O L U T I O N

https://flic.kr/p/8RXoKt

https://flic.kr/p/8RXoKt

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I N S E R T H E A D L I N E H E R E