The Open-Source Chatbot That Accidentally Built a Community

Explore the journey of an accidental open-source project in this 45-minute conference talk from linux.conf.au 2022. Discover how a simple chatbot for National Novel Writing Month participants evolved into a thriving community-driven project. Learn about the challenges of scaling, maintaining, and improving an open-source tool while navigating the complexities of community management, international collaboration, and unexpected growth. Gain insights into project management, code maintainability, and the importance of community feedback in open-source development. Understand the pitfalls of relying on closed-source APIs and the benefits of establishing proper structures early on. Follow the speaker's journey from solo developer to community facilitator, and explore how this project connected people worldwide during uncertain times. Gather valuable lessons on harnessing free and open-source software to address non-technical needs and turn ambitious ideas into reality, even if by accident.