OCX 24 - A melting pot of ideas and inspiration
The Open Community Experience 2024, held from 22nd to 24th October in Mainz, Germany, was hosted at the historic venue Halle 45, a former train depot adding an interesting vibe to the conference.
As I stepped into the venue, I was struck by the vibrant atmosphere and the palpable sense of community. This year's event was different from my previous experiences, as it was its own smaller event, with all the different tracks bursting with their own collocated events. It didn't feel like we were just keeping track of specific topics; instead, it felt like we were all part of a larger, unified community.
It was a melting pot of ideas and discussions, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to present alongside Marcel Kurzmann. Our talks, “Hello World+ projects to test and benchmark software composition analysis tools” and “Eclipse Apoapsis - Open Source based Software Composition Analysis at scale” were featured in the main OCX track and received an overwhelmingly positive response. They sparked engaging discussions not only about the topics but also about open source in general. It was a proud moment for me, as it was my first time speaking at an OSS event, and Bosch's support allowed me to actively contribute to the community.
Ruth Ikegah's speech on "Building an Inclusive Open Source Community in Africa" was truly eye-opening. Her talk shed light on the determination and resilience of African OSS contributors, despite facing significant challenges. Have you ever considered the impact of having limited access to electricity on OSS? Despite this obstacle, individuals in Africa still find the time to work on their personal development and contribute to OSS projects. It was a humbling experience that changed my perspective and highlighted the incredible individuals across the globe.
Another highlight was Cedric Dumont's keynote on "Scaling New Heights: Emerging trends in performance and leadership for thriving as a team in disruption". Cedric's emphasis on the power of collective intelligence and trust within a team struck a chord with me. He highlighted the significance of resilience and training one's mind to think positively, attributing these qualities to achieving success. As an extreme athlete for Red Bull sports, known for his daring jumps from planes and more, Cedric's quote, "Everything you really want is on the other side of fear" resonated deeply with me.
Attending OCX24 was a rewarding and insightful experience, fostering connections and knowledge-sharing within the open source community while also offering the opportunity for lighthearted fun. My main takeaway from was the value of face-to-face interactions and meaningful discussions. The event underscored the power of community and the value of coming together to share ideas and experiences.
Nikola Babadzhanov, Open Source Consultant
Nikola Babadzhanov is an Open Source Consultant in the Bosch Open Source Program Office with a deep passion for open source software and a mission to challenge proprietary business models.
His journey with open source began during his university days when he sought "free" software for editing and reading MS Office files, leading him to discover Open Office. Intrigued by the concept of open source, he soon started merging his compliance experience with this newfound passion for open source. Today, his primary focus is on Open Source Management, aiming to drive a shift towards greater collaboration through Open and InnerSource, particularly within Bosch.
