A Groovy Journey in Open Source Land

Embark on a journey through the evolution of the Groovy programming language in this insightful conference talk. Explore the transformation of Groovy from a hobby project to a professionally sponsored endeavor, and its subsequent return to community-driven development within the Apache Software Foundation. Discover the language's impressive 4.5 million annual downloads and its position as the most widely deployed alternative language on the JVM. Gain valuable insights into the importance of community in open source projects, the differences between contributing as a hobby and as a paid committer, and the impact of professional open source development. Learn about Groovy's history, latest developments, and recent news, including its parser, ecosystem, and key features. Understand the challenges faced by the project, such as the "Groovy sinking ship" period and team changes, as well as its triumphs, including Android support and joining the Apache Incubator. Engage with the speaker's experiences and perspectives on contributing to open source projects and the significance of joining the Apache community.