Web Monetization and Open source collaborations — ILF Ambassador Progress Report

Brief Project Description

Hi, I'm Santosh, Open Source Ambassador at the Interledger Foundation. Since starting my Ambassadorship in September, my mission revolves around three core objectives:

• Improve the Interledger project repositories ready for contributors to get involved 🚀
• Help Build and test the Web Monetization provider extension that runs on the v2 spec and also improve the tooling around WM. 🔧
• Create a framework for ILF to participate in Open Source Campaigns 🌐
  • Spearheading our participation in events like Hacktoberfest.
  • Establishing a comprehensive framework for the Interledger Foundation's involvement in Open Source Campaigns.

Project Update

1. Open Source Campaigns:

   • Participated in Hacktoberfest, the largest Open source campaign globally. You can find more about what we achieved with clear metrics here.🎉
   • Authored and published ‘Git hacks for Hacktoberfest‘, a practical guide to facilitate open-source contributions here. 📖

2. Community Engagement:

   • Collaborated with seven Open Source and Tech Communities spanning two continents and three countries.

     • Angola Open Source Community in Angola
     • GDSC Mbeya in Mbeya, Tanzania
     • Open Source Talks in Ahmedabad, India
     • Codewave Hub in Hyderabad, India
     • GDSC NFSU in Gandhinagar, India
     • GDSC - ABES in Ghaziabad, India
     • Hack This Fall in Vadodara, India

   • Co-developed the Hacktoberfest website with the help of Hui Jing here.🌟

3. Educational Initiatives:

   • Delivered talks at multiple Hacktoberfest events, reaching over 550 individuals globally.🗣️
   • Initiated a Community Templates Repository here to streamline the collection of different blog post templates within the Interledger community.📚

4. Repository Contributions:

   • Authored and updated contribution guides on various Interledger repositories. Small contributions to Testnet as well. 🛠️
   • Successfully migrated the Eleventy Monetization Plugin to the V2 Spec and published it on NPM here. 📦
   • Built and published the Astro Monetization plugin, a Web monetization plugin for the Astro framework on npm here. 📦

Project Impact & Target Audience(s)

During the Hacktoberfest Campaign, my outreach successfully introduced Interledger, Web Monetization, and Open Payments to over 1300 participants, mostly individuals from diverse backgrounds, including People of Color. This global engagement resulted in substantial Code Contributions, spanning eight countries across four continents, fostering a collaborative spirit across multiple Interledger Repositories during Hacktoberfest.

Recognizing the evolving landscape of the Web Monetization (WM) specification, I initiated the essential process of porting WM tools to the v2 spec. This proactive step is pivotal in revitalizing the WM tooling ecosystem, ensuring its alignment with the latest WM Specification. Notably, the Eleventy and Astro plugins have already been successfully published on npm, and the Hugo plugin will be published soon in the upcoming months.

The impact extends beyond the immediate community. By addressing the lag in WM tool evolution, we are contributing to the advancement of the Web Monetization ecosystem. Furthermore, this endeavor of participating in Hacktoberfest has created a gateway for individuals worldwide to engage with a more inclusive and innovative community, that is committed to fostering global financial inclusion and equitable opportunities. 🌍

Progress on Objectives, Key Activities

1. Empowering Open Source Contributors ✅

   • Authored an insightful blog post on GitHub Hacks for Open Source contributors, providing practical insights and tips for efficiency.
   • Writing and updating the Contributing.md across Interledger Repositories, ensuring clear guidelines and fostering a welcoming environment for new contributors. Updated for many popular repositories. I will update the rest over the coming months.

2. Framework for Open Source Engagement ✅

   • Successfully constructed a robust framework for Interledger's participation in Open Source Campaigns, fostering partnerships with diverse Open Source and Tech communities.

3. Participation in Hacktoberfest ✅

   • Successfully participated in Hacktoberfest and onboarded contributors to participate across Several Interledger Repositories

4. Advocacy for Web Monetization ⏳

   • Currently submitted proposals on Web Monetization at Web development meetups and conferences, Looking forward to speaking at them in the upcoming months.

5. Recognition for Partnerships ✅

   • Rewarding our valuable Open Source and Tech Community partners, acknowledging their pivotal role in our shared success. We have sent out Interledger Swag to our community members. 🎁

6. Guide for Web Monetization Transition ⏳

   • Currently working on a comprehensive guide for porting Web Monetization code from v1 to v2 spec, providing developers with a seamless transition path.

7. Development and Publication of WM Tools ⏳

   • Building and Publishing Web Monetization tools, contributing to the growth and accessibility of the Web Monetization ecosystem. Also published for Eleventy and Astro, Hugo will be published soon and others will follow.

Communications and Marketing

I delivered online talks at 4 Community events and one offline talk at the Hyderabad Hacktoberfest event. Authored and published about Github hacks for contributors here, We Announced our participation in Hacktoberfest here and wrote a detailed report about the impact here.

I also submitted proposals to Several tech conferences and I hope to speak about Web Monetization and Interledger at several conferences over the upcoming months. 🎤

What’s Next?

• Spearheading a Diversity-focused Hackathon/Workshop. If anyone wants to collaborate to make this happen, I would love to collaborate and do this together.
• Contribute to the building of the Web Monetization Provider
• Crafting a comprehensive guide for transitioning Web Monetization code from v1 to v2 spec.
• Collaborating on developing a contributor-friendly "How to Get Involved" page on the interledger.org website to guide enthusiasts through the Interledger Foundation's mission.

Community Support

• Contribute to Astro Monetization and Eleventy Monetization plugins.
• Help me port more of the libraries listed here to the v2 spec. Your involvement is pivotal in advancing the capabilities of the Web Monetization tooling system.
• Collaborate with us on Web Monetization, Rafiki, or any Interledger Hackdays and Workshops. If you're passionate about organizing such an event within your community, we'd love to hear from you.🤝
• Your valuable insights and feedback are instrumental in fostering an open-source culture. Share your thoughts on how we can enhance our approach to encourage greater contributor involvement. Let's collectively build resources that empower your communities to learn and actively engage in this transformative payments revolution. Your participation is not just welcome; it's pivotal to our shared success.

It has been an incredible learning experience throughout the past few months. Thank you everyone at Interledger for supporting me on this Ambassadorship so far.

Heartfelt gratitude to the exceptional individuals who have been the pillars of support throughout my journey:

• @chrislarry: Your ideas, motivation, and unwavering support during the Hacktoberfest Campaign and throughout my ambassadorship have been invaluable.

• @laka: A special thank you for your continuous guidance, steering me towards an impactful pathway throughout my ambassadorship.

• @vineel: Your constant mentorship has been instrumental in getting things done, and your support has truly shaped my ambassadorship.

• @lwlkarama: An immense appreciation for always being available to answer questions, provide guidance, and assist in creating a more significant impact with my work.

• @ayeshaware and @julaireh : Your encouragement and motivation have been a driving force behind my efforts.

• Sabine, Timea, Huijing, and the entire Tech team: Your approval of my and other contributor’s PRs, guidance for contributors, and efforts to make everyone feel welcome has made a world of difference. You are the best.

• Madalina: A huge thank you for promptly providing all the designs I needed, anytime, day or night. 🎨

• Chiara and Anna: Your constant support in Social Media and Marketing has been invaluable to the success of our endeavors. 📢

• Fellow ambassadors, Erika and Jeremiah: Thank you for your diligent reviews and constructive feedback on everything I contribute to Community.interledger.org. Your insights continually help me elevate my work.

This journey has been enriched by your collective wisdom, encouragement, and collaboration. Thank you for being the extraordinary team that makes every achievement possible. 🙏🌟