We have changed a few things with Technically Speaking lately. Firstly, we stopped using Google Docs to collaborate (partly because of the terrible formatting problems in the HTML that gets generated) and moved over to writing in markdown and checking into GitHub. We also open sourced the repo – so now the content is more searchable, but also the process is more transparent. We aren’t squashing our commits, so if people want to see how issues get built up (and when they get written!), they can.
We also got two sustaining sponsors – these are companies who are supporting an issue a month through the rest of 2016. Both Chiu-ki and I hate chasing sponsorship, but we think that projects should be sustainable, which means $. We are also opposed to the devaluation of work done by women. This is why we went on strike earlier this year, and why we have decided to operate on a principle of no-sponsor-no-issue. Knowing that two issues a month definitely have sponsorship has removed a big cognitive load and means that this project is definitely viable through the end of the year.
We use the money to cover operating costs, like stickers! Web hosting etc, and being in a position to do things for readers e.g. Sending gifts etc to our mentors last year, and giving away tshirts and books in a competition. But mainly we have been using the money to support events that we believe in – mainly in areas that are less affluent. We sponsored alterconf (and donated to Ashe’s sustainability fund), Self.Conference in Detroit, Rubyconf Colombia and also we were pleased to be one of the founding sponsors for try!Swift diversity tickets. We’re really happy we can support what Natasha is doing.
We both spoke at Write Speak Code last week, and it was amazing to meet so many readers, and to hear from some of them the difference it has made. The impact we have had has been way beyond anything we imagined when we dreamed this idea up in Copenhagen. Actually we never talked about impact, we just had an idea that we thought was needed. Now, it’s clear we were right – so thanks everyone who supported us from the beginning, and everyone who has joined us along the way.
And thanks to our sustaining sponsors – Glowforge and TravisCI, whose support has made such a big difference over the past few months.