Whether you're an individual or an organization, you can be a good open source citizen! This is a responsibility we all have, to contribute not just to our projects, but to the greater ecosystem in order to create a brighter future for everyone who interacts with any given piece of technology, whether they're using, developing, or designing it. We can become good citizens through conscientious contribution, offering the support which we are capable of, and asking for support when we need it. We must take an active role in order to create a better future for technology.
In free and open source software, we talk about how to contribute to individual projects. We also need to talk about the responsibilities that come along with being a participant in the greater FOSS ecosystem. In asking ourselves what it means to be good open source citizens, and how we can best accomplish that, we also have to look at how to help others do the same. Individuals, projects, foundations, nonprofits, educational institutions, and companies all have responsibilities to FOSS. These responsibilities may seem different, but they all have a similar shape: contribute, give back to the community, support the work of others, and build technology keeping the future and rights of users in mind.
