How to get involved with Postgres without being a PG Expert | Claire Giordano | PASS Data Summit 2023

Slides from a talk about ways to get involved with the PostgreSQL open source database even if you're not a PG expert—presented at the PASS Data Community Summit in Seattle in Nov 2023. Abstract: Over 700 developers have contributed over 54,000 commits to Postgres: their expertise, dedication, and skill are big factors in the increasing popularity of Postgres. But what if you’re not a Postgres developer yet, are there things you can do to help the Postgres community? Are there ways to get involved in the PG community without being a Postgres expert?

In this updated version of the talk Claire gave at FOSDEM and at Citus Con: An Event for Postgres, you'll learn about 17 ways you can get involved in the Postgres community, beyond code.

From docs to translations to advocacy to demos—as well as sharing what you’ve learned as a Postgres user story—there are many ways to contribute. And just like sailboat racing—in which every single person in the crew influences the final score—all these different types of contributions to Postgres are valuable.

Transcript

1. How to get involved with Postgres without being a PG expert? Claire Giordano She/Her Head of Postgres community efforts @ Microsoft
2. Claire Open source champion @clairegiordano clairegiordano@hachyderm.io citusdata.com/blog/authors/claire-giordano Microsoft Head of Postgres & Citus open-source community efforts at Microsoft. Alum of Citus Data, Amazon, Sun Microsystems, and Brown University CS. Conference speaker at PGConf EU, FOSDEM, PGConf NYC, Nordic PGDay, & Swiss PGDay. Chair of Talk Selection Team for Citus Con: An Event for Postgres. Loves sailing in Greece. He/Him Giordano @clairegiordano
3. #PASSDataCommunitySummit You’re just starting to use Postgres Who is this Postgres talk for? You’re just starting to use Postgres
4. #PASSDataCommunitySummit You’re just starting to use Postgres Who is this Postgres talk for? You’re just starting to use Postgres New job in a Postgres company! New job in a Postgres company!
5. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Job search, looking for a “side gig” You’re just starting to use Postgres Who is this Postgres talk for? You’re just starting to use Postgres New job in a Postgres company! New job in a Postgres company! Looking for a “side gig”
6. #PASSDataCommunitySummit You have a PG problem to solve, some kind of “itch” Job search, looking for a “side gig” You’re just starting to use Postgres Who is this Postgres talk for? You’re just starting to use Postgres New job in a Postgres company! New job in a Postgres company! Looking for a “side gig” You have Postgres friends & you want to get involved
7. #PASSDataCommunitySummit You have a PG problem to solve, some kind of “itch” Job search, looking for a “side gig” You’re just starting to use Postgres Who is this Postgres talk for? You’re just starting to use Postgres New job in a Postgres company! New job in a Postgres company! Looking for a “side gig” You have Postgres friends & you want to get involved Pivoting from another DB to Postgres & want to contribute
8. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Once Upon A Time... 6.5 years ago, I was in a “new job in a Postgres company”
9. #PASSDataCommunitySummit All these different ways of contributing to Postgres add value Just like racing sailboats Source: Livestream of Rolex Big Boats Racing Series, Sep 2021 (my son was on the crew!) #PASSDataCommunitySummit
10. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Looks like he’s paying attention to the spinnaker? That’s my son Source: Livestream of Rolex Big Boats Racing Series, Sep 2021 (my son was on the crew!) #PASSDataCommunitySummit
11. Source: Josh Berkus on GitHub: https://jberkus.github.io/pdf_presos/50_ways.pdf Josh Berkus gave a similar talk in ~2013
12. #PASSDataCommunitySummit This is how Josh drew “Contribution Pie” in 2013
13. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • Time • Treasure ($$$) • Talent (unique skills) I know a guy who used to say parents have 3 ways to support their children’s universities (beyond tuition) Three “T”s
14. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Ways to Get Involved With Postgres, in today’s talk SHARE FEEDBACK INSPIRE CONVERSATION DONATE
15. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Ways to Get Involved With Postgres, in today’s talk SHARE FEEDBACK DONATE 1. User experiences 2. Today I Learned / My First 6 Months 3. Video Demos 4. Social Media CONVERSATION INSPIRE 5. Online Q&A 6. Hallway Track @ Events 7. Support Meetups 8. Doc feedback 9. Report bugs 10. Test new releases 11. Language skills 12. Design skills 13. #Sketchnotes skills 14. Sponsorships 15. Shine light on others 16. Say thank you!
16. Share your user experiences 1
17. #PASSDataCommunitySummit 1 • Blog posts • Talks • Podcast interviews • Twitter/Mastodon/Threads • PGSQL Phriday blogs • Official “case studies" Share your user experiences
18. #PASSDataCommunitySummit 1 1. Headlines 2. Scannability 3. Diagrams 4. Tables 5. Bullets 6. Code blocks REMEMBER: • Blog posts • Talks • Podcast interviews • Twitter/Mastodon/Threads • PGSQL Phriday Blogs • Official “case studies” Tips for telling user stories
19. #PASSDataCommunitySummit with tips & checklists More Tips: My talk from PGConfEU 2022 Source: aka.ms/claire-slides-blogging-tips-pgconfeu2022 #PASSDataCommunitySummit 1
20. #PASSDataCommunitySummit ~83.2 K views & growing Example: Pouria Hadjibagheri of UKHSA co-authored post on implementation of UK COVID-19 dashboard Source: aka.ms/blog-ukcovid19-dashboard-citus #PASSDataCommunitySummit 1
21. Today I Learned / My First 6 Months 2
22. Example: “Today I Learned” 2 So much to learn from Simon Willison’s “work in public” Source: til.simonwillison.net/
23. 477 Example: “Today I Learned” 2 Has published a TON of these TILs since started in ~2020 I think? Source: til.simonwillison.net/
24. Example: My First 6 Months 2
25. Some people learn better via video 3
26. #PASSDataCommunitySummit How you solved a problem, what you learned, how you solved something Use Video to show how you use Postgres Source: aka.ms/how-citus-distributes-postgres #PASSDataCommunitySummit 3
27. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • Titles should be compelling • Frontload w/ most important words because...... • YouTube truncates title @ 70 chars Good video metadata will help your video get discovered #PASSDataCommunitySummit 3 Thumbnail Description Hashtags Bookmarks Links Chapters Title
28. Promoting on social media reaches more ppl, grows ecosystem 4
29. #PASSDataCommunitySummit your learnings, user stories, meetups, talks attended, TIL, QOTD, OH, how-to, new releases So many PG things to signal boost on social 4
30. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • Mastodon • Twitter • LinkedIn • Threads Where to promote & share? 4 • Slack • Reddit • Discord • IRC
31. Join in the online Q&A 5
32. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • PostgreSQL Slack • IRC • Stack Overflow #postgresql • Reddit: PostgreSQL, SQL, ... Join in online Q&A to ask questions, share your perspective 5
33. Attend Conferences 6
34. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • Meet people / Make friends • Volunteer to help with event • Great way to learn about PG Be part of Hallway Track @ Conferences 6
35. Run, host, & support local meetups 7
36. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • Need organizers • Your company can donate meeting space • Need $$$ for food/drink • Need speakers Meetups always need help 7 Source: @PostgreSQLNL, @OptimaDataBV
37. Docs feedback 8
38. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • Clarify • Fix ambiguities • Bring the “new person” perspective to docs & help improve for other newbies! Docs feedback is a gift too! 8
39. #PASSDataCommunitySummit “Submit correction” link @ bottom of each docs page takes you here 8 Source: postgresql.org
40. Report bugs with Postgres 9
41. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Report bugs with Postgres 9 Source: postgresql.org When you find a bug with Postgres we want to hear about it.” Your bug reports play an important part in making PostgreSQL more reliable.” “ “
42. #PASSDataCommunitySummit WHERE to report bugs 9 Source: postgresql.org 1. Mailing list, or 2. Bug report web-form here: postgresql.org/account/submitbug/ 3. Unless it’s a security issue!
43. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Security issues are special 9
44. User testing 10
45. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • Your own applications • New PG Beta, RC releases • New features • Also, tell the PG community when things work! User testing 10 To: pgsql-hackers Lists: pgsql-hackers Just tested our application FOOBAR (a multi-tenant SaaS application) with the RC 1 release of PG16 and wanted to let y’all that it worked! Imaginary email....
46. Translations 11
47. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • Mailing list: pgsql-translators • More info: babel.postgresql.org • Instructions in Postgres docs: “Native Language support” Help with message translations #PASSDataCommunitySummit 11
48. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • Italian was “saved at the last minute” because of this call for help during PG 15 Translations really need help! #PASSDataCommunitySummit 11
49. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • for message translations • to create nice/friendly tooling • to coordinate translation of documentation Says Álvaro Herrera: “Volunteers = welcome!” #PASSDataCommunitySummit 11 Postgres 11 had 14 translations Postgres 16 has just 11 “Survivors” Czech French French German German Italian Italian Japanese Japanese Korean Korean Polish Portuguese PRC Chinese Russian Russian Spanish Spanish Swedish Swedish Turkish Vietnamese Greek, Georgian, Ukrainian
50. Graphics & visuals pull people in 12
51. #PASSDataCommunitySummit PostgreSQL 16 release artwork design contest that Mark Wong ran on 99designs Use your design skills /Graphics & visuals pull people in #PASSDataCommunitySummit 12 Source: https://99designs.com/illustrations/contests/postgresql-v-release-artwork-1239210 Winner
52. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Use your design skills /Graphics & visuals pull people in #PASSDataCommunitySummit 12
53. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Use your design skills /Graphics & visuals pull people in #PASSDataCommunitySummit 12 “Elicorn” = Citus open source mascot.
54. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Stickers are a thing in developer world #PASSDataCommunitySummit 12 • Promote your Postgres projects too • Spark unexpected conversations
55. Use “Sketchnotes” 13
56. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Combine words, lettering styles, color, sketches, bullets Use “Sketchnotes” to share your learnings 13 Source: twitter.com/reverentgeek
57. #PASSDataCommunitySummit 1) reinforce learning 2) give you an asset you can share! Visual note-taking aka “sketchnotes” do 2 things: reinforce learning & give you an asset you can share! 13 Source: twitter.com/krisztaszerovay
58. Sponsorships 14
59. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Sponsor Conferences & PGDays #PASSDataCommunitySummit 14 Call for Sponsorships is now open!
60. Recognition matters 15
61. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • Privately. Publicly. Both. • Beyond code • Not just developers Shine a bright light on other people’s work. Recognition matters. 15
62. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • Human side of Postgres • + databases, open source • + PG extensions too Example: Path To Citus Con podcast for developers who love Postgres 15
63. Working in public PostGIS How I got started Conference talks Favorite ways to learn For app developers Topics: aka.ms/PathToCitusCon A new podcast for developers who love Postgres Path to Citus Con 15
64. #PASSDataCommunitySummit p.s. Ratings & Reviews help new listeners discover (& help podcasters know it’s useful!) 15 aka.ms/PathToCitusCon
65. Say thank you 16
66. #PASSDataCommunitySummit • Privately. Publicly. Both. • Especially junior & new people • Not just luminaries & friends Say thank you. If you like someone’s work, praise it. 16
67. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Say thank you to conference speakers whose talks you have learned from You will MAKE. THEIR. DAY. 16
68. Don’t forget Postgres extensions! 17
69. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Might be easier to get involved with a smaller ecosystem project first 17 See my talk from PGConf NYC 2023 https://aka.ms/Claire-PGConfNYC2023-extensions
70. #PASSDataCommunitySummit 17 Ways to Get Involved With Postgres SHARE FEEDBACK DONATE 1. User experiences 2. Today I Learned / My First 6 Months 3. Video Demos 4. Social Media CONVERSATION INSPIRE 5. Online Q&A 6. Hallway Track @ Events 7. Support Meetups 8. Doc feedback 9. Report bugs 10. Test new releases 11. Language skills 12. Design skills 13. #Sketchnotes skills 14. Sponsorships 15. Shine light on others 16. Say thank you! EXTENSIONS 17. Check out Extensions!
71. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Thanks & credits & inspiration go to • Josh Berkus • Samay Sharma • Thomas Munro • Rob Treat • Melanie Plageman • Simon Willison • Lætitia Avrot • Isaac Alves • Marco Slot • Ryan Booz • Charles Feddersen
72. #PASSDataCommunitySummit Thanks to all the Postgres speakers @ #PASSDataSummit I’m learning from!
73. Thank you Claire Giordano clairegiordano@hachyderm.io @AzureDBPostgres @citusdata @clairegiordano @clairegiordano and be sure to check out my new podcast @ aka.ms/PathToCitusCon Path To Citus Con for developers who love Postgres