The Ups and Downs of Open-source Software, with Ken Wheeler

This episode of the Versioning Show features Tim Evko, M. David Green, and Ken Wheeler, a Formidable JavaScript programmer known for open-source projects like Slick Carousel. They discuss the challenges and rewards of open-source software development, balancing open-source contributions with commercial work, the difficulties of parenthood, and even Ken's rap music career.

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Key Discussion Points:

• API Design: Ken stresses the importance of concise APIs, avoiding feature bloat to accommodate niche use cases.
• Open-Source Maintenance: The commitment and effort required to maintain popular projects like Slick Carousel are highlighted.
• Work-Life Balance: The conversation explores strategies for balancing open-source and commercial work.
• Community Management: The substantial challenges of managing a large open-source community are discussed.
• Career Paths: Ken's unconventional career path, transitioning from non-tech roles to a prominent tech contributor, is explored.
• React Native: The transformative potential of React Native for cross-platform development is examined.
• Sustainable Open Source: Ken shares his approach to ensuring the long-term health and maintainability of his projects.

Show Links:

• Ken on Twitter
• Ken on GitHub
• Formidable
• Ken on SoundCloud
• Slick Carousel
• Flux
• React Native
• Electrode
• ESLint
• Walmart lint configs
• Builder
• Redux
• Dan Abramov
• Gatsby
• Spectacle
• React-blessed
• ngrok
• scotch.io
• Twitter: @mdavidgreen | @tevko | @versioningshow | @sitepointdotcom

Episode Highlights (Transcript Excerpts):

"Keep the APIs small...catering to every edge case results in a bloated library."

"I suffer from open-source guilt...so I have a Raspberry Pi displaying GitHub issues."

"Don't just abandon repos with thousands of users."

(Full transcript follows, significantly shortened for brevity. The full transcript would be excessively long for this response.)

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