Episode 292: Vlad-Stefan Harbuz: Launching the Software Stewardship Lab

Guest Vlad-Stefan Harbuz Panelist Richard Littauer | Eriol Fox | Abby Cabunoc Mayes Show Notes “Today we’re launching the Software Stewardship Lab.” - Vlad-Stefan In this episode, Richard, Abby, and Eriol welcome Vlad-Stefan Harbuz - University of Edinburgh PhD student, Executive Director of the Software Stewardship Lab, and Director of the Open Source Pledge - to talk about the Open Source Pledge and the newly launched Software Stewardship Lab. They discuss how companies can better support the open source software they depend on, why it can be difficult to know where funding should go, and how the lab hopes to address issues like software security, hidden dependencies, and maintainer burnout. Press download now to hear more! [00:02:03] Richard introduces Vlad and his background, and Vlad shares his path into open source research. [00:03:30] Vlad explains how the Open Source Pledge works. [00:06:17] The conversation turns to how the funding goes directly to maintainers. [00:07:57] Vlad discusses why open source funding becomes a popularity contest. [00:10:05] We hear about challenges for large companies joining the pledge. [00:13:16] Vlad tells us about the Software Stewardship Lab. [00:15:09] The conversation highlights the importance of design, user experience, copywriting, localization, data collection, and other essential work that is frequently overlooked or poorly funded. [00:17:59] Vlad discusses potential partnerships with the Software Sustainability Institute and researchers studying open source, research software, and community health. [00:20:58] We hear how the lab plans to fund its work and the hidden risk of binary dependencies. [00:25:49] The lab’s work extends beyond dependency mapping to research on maintainer burnout, the effects of AI, mental health, and governance structures that encourage sustainable participation. [00:28:48] Vlad urges employees and decision-makers to recognize that supporting open source is both a public good and a practical business investment that can prevent critical infrastructure from breaking. Quotes [00:09:12] “These metrics are at best proxies currently.” [00:17:47] “We need more educational resources to show people that this stuff is really important and it’s not just lines of code.” [00:28:19] “It’s about creating a larger space that focused on more general questions in open source sustainability.” [00:28:53] “I would like to tell people that work for large companies to tell their employers that their corporate commercial work relies more on open source software that people develop for free in their free time, the work is tremendously important for their business, and there are other organizations that are doing work to help create resources to make this infrastructure more sustainable.” [00:29:31] “Try to convince your boss that this stuff is worth funding, and not just for the social good! It’s also in the company’s interest, so you have two very good reasons to do it.” Spotlight [00:31:15] Eriol’s spotlight is Paloma Oliveira’s book, Diversifying Open Source. [00:31:48] Abby’s spotlight is Ben Balter’s book, Open and Async. [00:32:25] Richard’s spotlight is the Generative AI Risk Register. [00:33:01] Vlad’s spotlight is Chad Whitacre and Open Path Episode 4. Links SustainOSS [email protected] [email protected] SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) SustainOSS YouTube Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox Website Abby Cabunoc Mayes Website Vlad-Stefan Harbuz LinkedIn Vlad-Stefan Harbuz Website Software Stewardship Lab Software Stewardship Lab Contribute (Open Collective) Open Source Pledge UK Research and Innovation: Apply for funding npmx Open Technology Research Open Source in war-torn Ukraine and around the world—join me on an epic journey ❧ Open Path #4 PEP 725 – Specifying external dependencies in pyproject.toml PEP 770 – Improving measurability of Python packages with Software Bill-of-Materials PEP 804 –An external dependency registry and name mapping mechanism Sustain Podcast: Episode 247- Chad Whitacre on the Open Source Pledge Sustain Podcast: 3 episodes featuring guest Chad Whitacre Sustain Podcast: 3 episodes featuring guest Andrew Nesbitt Sustain Podcast: 2 episodes featuring guest Kailash Nadh Sustain Podcast: 1 episode featuring guest Neil Chue Hong Sustain Podcast: 1 episode featuring guest Stuart Geiger Sustain Podcast: 1 episode featuring guest Sean Goggins Sustain Podcast: 1 episode featuring guest James Howison Sustain Podcast: 1 episode featuring guest Kaitlin Thaney Sustain Podcast: 1 episode featuring guest Miranda Heath Report on Burnout in Open Source Software (Miranda Heath Website) Diversifying Open Source: An Open Standards Playbook for Inclusive and Equitable Tech Projects by Paloma Oliveira About empires, pirates, and the small files that undo power (LinkedIn post by Paloma Oliveira) Open and Async by Ben Balter Generative AI Risk Register Open Path Episode 4 (YouTube) Sponsor CURIOSS Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Support Sustain