In 2017, I published a list of ten fantastic people[1] who inspired me. In this post, I'd like to recognize some of the people who have influenced and helped me in my open source and DevOps journey during the past year. This list is 100% personal; there is no particular rhyme or reason to the order. There are also a lot of terrific people I have not included.
I encourage you to create and share your own list (even if it includes only one person). Or let us know your additions in the comments below.
Vicky Brasseur[2]: When people ask, "How do I start in open source?" I send them in Vicky's direction. Vicky is dedicated to making the process of contributing to open source software friendlier and more accessible. At her recent keynote address at Open Source 101 in Raleigh, Vicky was able to clearly explain why contributing to open source matters for business[3]. This is a fight that not many have any more; only the stalwarts remain. Bringing the enterprise into the fray of open source contributors helps everyone. A rising tide lifts all ships: No one embodies that concept better than Vicky.
Ashley McNamara[4]: Looking for a story about how open source software has helped someone? Look no further than Ashley McNamara's Journey to Go[5]. Ashley made the leap from art to programming to support her family, and within a few years, she had been promoted to principal developer advocate at Microsoft and was keynoting at GopherCon 2017. I routinely seek Ashley's guidance for not only technical and programming advice but also parenting advice (parenting teenagers is hard!). I am so thankful to Ashley for sharing her story with