Meet the Members is a look into the lives and stories behind the incredible human beings whose contributions have helped shape our project and community.
Our featured member today is @hellsworth
What’s your name (username)?
Heather Ellsworth
Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am currently the senior developer relations engineer at Mozilla Thunderbird and I’ve been a long time Linux user, starting with Ubuntu 7.04. I remember being in grad school using that early version of Ubuntu and daydreaming of what it might be like to work on Ubuntu and then I got that very opportunity when I was on the Ubuntu desktop team at Canonical for 4 years, before moving onto Thunderbird. I continue to love open source and advocate for its adoption anytime I can.
How did you first get involved in the Ubuntu Community?
I was a user for many years before I actually joined the community. When I was hired to be on the Ubuntu desktop team, I truly became immersed in the Ubuntu culture and community. I learned a lot about package management with a focus on snaps, and helped maintain several.
Can you tell us about your contributions that lead to Ubuntu Membership?
Because I worked at Canonical, I was fortunate enough to be paid to work on Ubuntu full time, which meant I had lots of time to work towards Ubuntu Membership. I started with package management, both deb and snap, but I really felt like I shined when starting the Ubuntu Desktop Team Indaba, which was a monthly one hour recorded video on a given topic relating to Ubuntu. After leaving Canonical, I continue to advocate for snaps and assist in the maintenance of the Thunderbird snap. I also joined the Ubuntu Community Council, to remain connected to the vibrant Ubuntu Community.
What is the core motivation that keeps you contributing to Ubuntu and the open source movement?
I firmly believe in the philosophy of open source software. Everyone should have access to high quality software without having to pay expensive licensing fees and everyone should be welcome to participate. The Ubuntu community is one of the most welcoming open source communities that I’ve encountered and I continue to recommend it’s adoption among friends and coworkers.
What’s your proudest moment or most memorable interaction within the Ubuntu community?
I’m proud of the Ubuntu Desktop Team Indaba videos because when I first encountered Ubuntu and Linux, it was a faceless project. These videos helped humanize the project as well as gave me opportunities to ask those new user questions that all new users have but are afraid to ask. It feels wonderful to be able to deliver the information I wish I had to new users.
How has being a part of the Ubuntu community impacted you personally or professionally?
The Ubuntu community has really ingrained my belief in the power of community and has shown me what a truly welcoming and inclusive project can feel like. It has impacted me professionally by proving to potential employers that I have the skills and passion for open source development and community leadership.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to start contributing but doesn’t know where to begin?
Find where the developer advocates hang out and join that space. This might be Matrix, Discord, or even Reddit. Go and introduce yourself, let folks know what your skillset is and someone will likely be able to point you in the right direction. If all else fails, there’s always a long list of new bugs filed for the given project that you can help triage by trying to reproduce the issue and providing additional information that will assist the developer that will be working on the fix.
Outside of the world of Ubuntu and tech, what are some of your other passions or hobbies?
I love camping, hiking, kayaking, knitting, playing various boardgames, and watching horror movies with my friends.
What excites you about the future of Ubuntu?
I think that Ubuntu is the gateway Linux operating system that introduces so many people to FOSS because it is a very smooth user experience that is intuitive for new users. I’m excited for Ubuntu to continue in this role to bring more users and developers into the FOSS movement and adoption.
