OSS Unsung Heroes: Crafting Productive Communities Invisibly

Open source software (OSS) has become an integral part of the digital landscape and our society today. OSS communities are led by volunteers with diverse backgrounds, collaborating on open platforms to develop and maintain complex software. Existing studies have shown that diversity imbalances have persisted for years in OSS projects. For example, fewer women participate and reach leadership positions in OSS projects. It has been found that women contributors often disengage earlier than men [1]. Similarly, contributors from Non-western countries report facing more barriers than those from Western countries, and non-English speaking contributors report challenges when participating in discussions [2], [3].