Speck&Tech 90 "It takes a village"

Hey there! 👋

Speck&Tech is the digital community of Trentino, which, since 2016 - over a beer and a slice of speck - has brought together developers, data scientists, researchers, designers and, more broadly, people passionate about technology. In the last 10 years, it has organized more than a hundred free events, open to everyone, with a simple and effective format: a couple of talks centered around a different theme each time.

Open source projects and online communities are built by people who contribute, collaborate, and make things happen together. But what makes a community thrive, and what can make it fall apart? From software projects that bring together people with different skills and ideas to online networks offering an alternative to Big Tech, building something that lasts takes more than good intentions: it takes people willing to get involved.

This evening, we'll explore what makes open source communities work, drawing on lessons from more than two decades of LibreOffice, and how the same spirit of collaboration can shape a more open and independent social web. From contributing to long-running software projects to discovering the federated world of the Fediverse, we'll look at what it means to move from being users to being active participants. Welcome to "It takes a village"!

This event will be half in English, half in Italian 🇬🇧🇮🇹 Access to the venue is reserved for those with a valid ticket, which will be scanned at the entrance of Impact Hub Trentino. If you can’t join us in person, follow the live stream here.

Please find below our amazing speakers for the night:

1. FLORIAN EFFENBERGER
🇬🇧 Too many cooks spoil the broth? How to (not) burn your fingers in an open source project

ABSTRACT: Open source projects often bring together many contributors with a variety of visions, skills, and goals. Like salt in the soup, this can certainly enrich the outcome - if handled with care. In this talk, Florian will share his idea of open source communities, illustrate his own journey from OpenOffice.org volunteer to LibreOffice project co-founder, and tell you the do's and don'ts to avoid a recipe for disaster. All you'll hear is based on real-life events and actual lessons learned from the past 22 years.

BIO: Florian has been a free and open source enthusiast since 2004. He co-founded the LibreOffice project and The Document Foundation and serves as the nonprofit's Executive Director. He shares experience in open source, community stewardship, governance, and sustainable leadership. A proud uncle, he loves to spend time with the family, and he shaped the tasty idea of open source cooking.

2. FILIPPO DELLA BIANCA
🇮🇹 Oltre le piattaforme: il Fediverso, da utenti a protagonisti

ABSTRACT: Il Fediverso è molto più di un'alternativa a X, Instagram o Youtube: è un ecosistema di servizi federati basati su protocolli aperti in cui interoperabilità e decentralizzazione cambiano il modo di costruire le relazioni online. Vedremo come funziona tecnicamente, come orientarsi tra istanze e applicazioni, e soprattutto come accompagnare nuovi utenti nel Fediverso e sfruttarne al meglio le potenzialità. Dalle strategie di onboarding alla crescita delle community senza replicare le logiche delle grandi piattaforme.

BIO: Filippo Della Bianca è presidente di Fedimedia Italia APS, co-fondatore di Devol e amministratore di Mastodon.uno, la principale istanza italiana del Fediverso. Da anni promuove software libero, decentralizzazione e alternative alle Big Tech, lavorando alla crescita di community online e alla costruzione di un ecosistema di servizi digitali aperti e indipendenti.

This event is proudly powered by Telmekom:

and is organized in collaboration with NOI Techpark Südtirol, who are waiting for you on November 13-14 for the South Tyrol Free Software Conference:

Impact Hub Trento is a coworking space where individuals and companies can work, grow, innovate, and connect. Impact Hub Trento offers flexible workstations, modern meeting rooms, and a dynamic community. Did you enjoy the environment, and are you part of the Speck&Tech community? Here’s an exclusive discount on your next Flex Membership!

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