Because diversity of thought, ingenuity and contribution is at the heart of open source, we are looking forward to the results from the Linux Foundation’s recently released survey on open source Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Completing this survey allows users to receive 20% off tickets to the Open Source Summit and Embedded Linux Conference. This survey length is around 15 minutes and allows you to enter as much or as little information as is comfortable for survey respondents.
Let’s start by running through the survey. This survey begins with a cursory screening of the general demographics and language preferences of the respondent. There is space for open responses asking survey takers what, if any, DEI obstacles they have encountered and whether or not they feel welcome in the open source space.
The survey then takes a more serious turn, asking users if they have experienced tension, unwelcoming language, threats, and more. It further requests the user to explain if they have experienced any harassment in the open source field and whether or not it was related to their background. Everyone in the open source community will benefit from a more transparent view of discrete experiences and this survey is just the beginning of working to make the open source community even more welcoming.
This survey is clear and thoughtful, allowing participants of all kinds to enter their experiences to help provide the open source community, at large, with more information about the DEI experiences of their peers. Following the more serious content, the Linux Foundation is interested in the role one plays in the open source community; if they hold a leadership position, whether they are a part time or full time employee, how often they contribute to open source communities and more.
Finally, the survey collects some demographic, dis/ability and diversity data to get a better understanding of the open source community as a whole, and we are looking forward to the results after the survey is complete.
