Hi there, I am Katrin, the new community manager at ownCloud! I am here to manage community relations and be a point of contact for the community. And I have great news for you today!
ownCloud and Open Source
I chose to work with ownCloud because I love working with community. I believe in the power of community. As an Open Source project, ownCloud sparked my interest right away. In ownCloud’s history, the Open Source community has always been key. Without the community, ownCloud would not have been possible. That is also why ownCloud as a company encourages the community engagement of our employees.
A new start
I am excited to share some news as one of my first tasks with ownCloud. Here it is: ownCloud is launching a new community program! There’s some cool stuff happening here at ownCloud, especially with regards to ownCloud Infinite Scale and if you want to join and be part of it, then keep on reading!
About the community program
The Community Program represents our broader outreach and is a means for us to thank our community contributors. In this program we have two initiatives.
The first is the ownCloud Community Contributor initiative – where anyone who is active in the ownCloud community today can request a contributor badge to show their community activity.
The second is the ownCloud Professional Community Program which is meant for community professionals who are not only tech-savvy, but who have experience using our products in professional environments. And, who like to share their knowledge on a regular basis with others. Read more about how you can apply.
What’s in it for you
Members of the ownCloud Professional Community Program are eligible to receive some benefits. These benefits include reference letters, workshops and opportunities to engage with our engineers. Members can request a Community Professional badge. With this program, we want to enable the transfer of knowledge to and from the technical community and show our appreciation by honoring the most active professional community members.
How to contribute to the ownCloud community
If you would like to contribute to the ownCloud community, here is how. There are many ways you can do so. Localize or document ownCloud or develop extensions. You can also participate on GitHub, on our central forum, or on other third party sites and forums, etc.
The ownCloud Community Contributor badge
As mentioned above, if you are already contributing to the ownCloud community, then you can request a Community Contributor badge for your CV and online profiles. This is a badge for anyone who is contributing to the ownCloud community space. (Please note: This contributor badge is not the same as the ownCloud Professional Community badge, which members of the ownCloud Community Professional Program receive, after successfully applying to become a member)
Why we care about community
ownCloud is, and always has been, an Open Source project. As a company, ownCloud sells modules and services to enterprises. That way, we give customers a reliable and fast way to adopt ownCloud. And we are funding the development of the ownCloud project in the process. Open Source is where our roots are, and we have not forgotten this. True, we did not invest as much time as we would have liked in the recent past. This was in part due to our strong focus on ownCloud Infinite Scale.
New direction
We strongly believe in the new direction we are taking. This new direction also shapes and forms our community outreach. Community is key for ownCloud. This is true for our future as much as it was true for our past. We received so much from community: Feedback, documentation, apps and more. We feel it is time to give back, express our appreciation and say: Thank you!
In it for the long run
With our new community approach, we aim to build long-term relationships. We aim to engage and network with people who love our technology. People who have technical expertise and enjoy sharing it continuously with others.
Also, now there is a dedicated Community Manager and that person is me – Katrin. I am thrilled to kick-off new community initiatives here at ownCloud, enable the conversation and strengthen the relationship with the community.
Feel free to get in touch! Should you have any questions, please contact me at .
I look forward to hearing from you!
Katrin
Community Manager at ownCloud
