Celebrating the Launch of Apache Local Community (ALC) Taipei: A New Era for Open Source Innovation
We are excited to share the news of the official inauguration of the Apache Local Community (ALC) Taipei, an initiative supported wholeheartedly by the Apache Software Foundation (ASF). ALC Taipei is a vibrant, volunteer-led group based in Taiwan, driven by engineers with a deep passion for Apache’s open-source technologies. This community is committed to promoting and significantly contributing to open-source projects of global importance.
Embracing Open Source: The OpenSource4You Philosophy
The essence of ALC Taipei is encapsulated in its motto, "OpenSource4You." The community aims to make open source an essential avenue for Taiwanese engineers, enabling them to broaden their expertise, enhance their skills, and establish strong connections with the global technology community.
A Global Impact: Innovating Beyond Code
Members of ALC Taipei are firm believers that impactful open source transcends mere lines of code. It represents a culture of collaboration and a model for innovation. The community has already left a significant mark on several prominent Apache projects, demonstrating their commitment and expertise:
- Apache Kafka: Members of ALC Taipei are the second-largest contributors to the Kafka project. They have been pivotal in leading major architectural changes, such as removing thousands of lines of Zookeeper-related code and managing the migration to Log4j 2. These efforts have significantly improved Kafka’s stability and security.
- Apache YuniKorn: Multiple members hold roles as committers and Project Management Committee (PMC) members. They have showcased YuniKorn’s advanced features at Community Over Code Asia 2024.
- Apache Airflow: The community has introduced transformative improvements to Airflow’s user interface, including Gantt charts, calendar views, and multi-language support. Members have also played key roles in developing core features such as Human-in-the-loop and provider integrations for External Event Driven Scheduling.
- Apache Mahout: ALC Taipei members are pioneering efforts to transition to QuMat, a quantum computing interface, marking a significant reboot for Mahout.
- Apache Ozone: Contributors have achieved committer and PMC member status, presenting impactful technical designs like S3 Lifecycle Management at community conferences. Their goal is to achieve feature parity with S3.
- Apache Gravitino: During its time in the Apache Incubator, three members became committers and contributed to essential features, including the design and optimization of the Metadata Cache System.
The Power of Mentorship and Community Engagement
The ongoing success of ALC Taipei is built on a strong Mentor-Mentee succession model, connecting aspiring contributors with experienced engineers from leading global tech companies. This hands-on guidance helps navigate and contribute to complex open-source projects. The community organizes various activities to spread knowledge and foster a passion for open source, including:
- Tech Executive Insights: Hosting sessions with industry leaders, including founders, senior executives, venture capitalists, and professors, to share insights into open-source technology foresight and its relationship with career development.
- Open Source Challenges & Incentives: Offering tangible rewards like cash prizes and development hardware to encourage sustained contributions from students and emerging engineers.
- Hands-on Training and Recognition: Promoting participation through regular contribution challenges and publicly acknowledging and celebrating member contributions.
- In-Person Networking: Regular meetups and offline gatherings for members to exchange technical knowledge and career advice.
- Practical Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging members to document their experiences and insights through technical articles, reinforcing learning and accelerating collective knowledge transfer.
- Global Exposure: Consistent participation in international open source summits, showcasing members’ contributions on the world stage.
Future Vision: Showcasing Taiwan’s Software Excellence
ALC Taipei’s establishment marks a foundational step toward hosting premier international open source events in Taiwan, such as Community Over Code. Through continuous open source contributions, the community aims to demonstrate the high caliber of Taiwanese engineering talent. The goal is to create a platform where Taiwan’s brightest minds can make a global impact on world-class projects without leaving the island.
Acknowledging Our Contributors
We express our deepest gratitude to all contributors whose passion, dedication, and selfless sharing have brought ALC Taipei to its current international visibility and achievements. Together, we are writing the next influential chapter in Taiwan’s open source history.
For more information, visit the Apache Foundation’s official announcement.
