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The original was posted on /r/opensource by /u/opsfactoryau on 2024-09-29 00:28:23+00:00.

I’ll go first.

I learned to code when I was around 11 years old (I’m 40 now.) Someone sat next to me in the library was writing JavaScript and I asked what it was, and off we went. From there I went into the world of IRC and I started asking how stuff worked. I then started setting up my own IRCd servers, web servers, etc. to learn how stuff worked. This all led to Linux and of course GNU and, of coures, open source as a concept.

Over time I got work in IT because of open source software. Eventually I became a Linux Systems Engineer and this led me to FOSDEM. I went in 2014 and that’s where I met my now wife (she’s not in IT - we met in the hostel.) If it weren’t for open source I wouldn’t now be living in Australia. It’s been quite the journey.

How has open source affected your life? I’d love to hear stories from people who have had life changing events occur to them because of open source software. I’m in the process of making a documentary about the impact of open source software on real people as opposed to just looking at the global impact, which I think a lot of people are aware of.

I look forward to reading your responses.