"Burnout in Open Source: A Structural Problem We Can Fix Together" ( 2026 )

Sunday at 16:05, 25 minutes, UB5.230, UB5.230, Community Miranda Heath , video

I'm a psychology researcher that has been moved by the extent of burnout in Open Source, and I've written what I believe to be the most comprehensive report to date on burnout among OSS developers. I reviewed the academic literature, conducted a qualitative analysis of online discussion in the OSS community, and interviewed OSS developers. I identified 6 factors that contribute to developer burnout: difficulty getting paid, workload and time commitment, maintenance work as unrewarding, toxic community behaviour, hyper-responsibility and pressure to prove oneself. I recommend 4 structural changes to address developer burnout: pay OSS developers, foster a culture of recognition and respect, grow the community and advocate for maintainers.