12-16-2025 WG-BEAR Regular Meeting - CourtneyR.dev's 2nd Brain

12-16-2025 WG-BEAR Regular Meeting 🔗 **Source:** [12-16-2025 WG-BEAR Regular Meeting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syXavZ9buJk) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [open-source, working-group, community-management, openssf, africa-sig] > author: WG-BEAR > source: YouTube > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syXavZ9buJk > date created: 2024-12-16 15:30 > > # 🏷️ Title: WG-BEAR Regular Meeting - OSS Africa SIG Approval & 2026 Planning >  ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Create PR for OSS Africa SIG documentation — Prince to lead with Stacey support — 00:00 #sig-approval - [H2] Research visa requirements for conference speaking — Prince to investigate timing and documentation needs — 28:45 #travel-planning - [H3] Set up January working group landscape presentation — Use OpenSSF slide template for welcome call — 32:15 #office-hours ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### 🔗 References - [OpenSSF Community](https://openssf.org/) - [WG-BEAR Working Group](https://github.com/ossf/wg-identifying-security-threats) ## 📝 Summary - The WG-BEAR working group officially approved the OSS Africa Special Interest Group (SIG) with unanimous support - Discussion focused on 2026 planning including tip-of-the-month content, community office hours, and speaking engagements - Significant challenges identified for African contributors attending conferences due to visa timing requirements - Community office hours planned to start January with working group landscape overview - Budget approval still pending for mentorship programs ## 📖 Main Content The WG-BEAR (Working Group - Broadly Enabling APAC Research) held their regular meeting to finalize the approval of the OSS Africa Special Interest Group and plan initiatives for 2026. The OSS Africa SIG received unanimous approval from all voting members present, marking a significant milestone for open source community expansion in Africa. Key discussion centered around practical challenges faced by African contributors in attending international conferences, particularly visa processing requirements that necessitate confirmed speaking acceptances before applications can be submitted. This creates timing conflicts with conference planning cycles. The group outlined their 2026 roadmap including monthly educational content (tip-of-the-month), community office hours mixing working group overviews with welcome sessions, and strategic conference speaking engagements. Budget approval for mentorship programs remains pending, potentially impacting spring timeline execution. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=0) — [H1] Meeting Opening and OSS Africa Voting - Key idea: Final decision meeting for OSS Africa SIG approval - Evidence: "It looks like everybody voted in support. I don't see any thumbs down" #### ⏱️ [02:15](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=135) — [H1] OSS Africa SIG Official Approval - Key idea: Unanimous approval achieved for OSS Africa SIG establishment - Evidence: "Congratulations. Sounds like OSA South Africa is officially a stake under the bear working group" #### ⏱️ [03:30](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=210) — [H2] Documentation and Repository Setup - Key idea: Next steps involve creating official documentation in repository - Evidence: "Prince, are you comfortable doing that? and I'm happy to assist however I need to" #### ⏱️ [05:45](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=345) — [H2] Tip of the Month Planning Discussion - Key idea: Monthly educational content will be current-event focused and flexible - Evidence: "I may throw a audible I may pull a audible um and and that will be current event focused" #### ⏱️ [08:20](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=500) — [H2] VEX and CRA Integration Opportunity - Key idea: Current regulatory developments provide timely educational content - Evidence: "we're getting ready to publish a blog through OpenSSF and through Oasis um uh signaling the noise" #### ⏱️ [12:10](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=730) — [H2] 2026 Roadmap Search and Planning - Key idea: Team searching for previously created roadmap document - Evidence: "Marcel or Stacy, did we find the road map? Do we have a road map document?" #### ⏱️ [15:30](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=930) — [H2] Community Office Hours Structure - Key idea: January kickoff with working group landscape overview - Evidence: "January we kick off with a working group landscape kind of call" #### ⏱️ [18:45](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=1125) — [H3] Mentorship Program Status Update - Key idea: Budget approval pending, community interest confirmed - Evidence: "there have been a few like questions coming in about uh like when when that's going to start again" #### ⏱️ [22:15](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=1335) — [H2] Speaking Engagements Planning Request - Key idea: OSS Africa team to provide conference priority list - Evidence: "Prince, were you able to work with your your team and group to see uh speaking engagements for next year" #### ⏱️ [25:30](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=1530) — [H2] Conference CFP Status Review - Key idea: Most current CFPs closed, VulCon still accepting submissions - Evidence: "Volcon is still open. Um that one I think closes on December 22nd" #### ⏱️ [28:45](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=1725) — [H3] Visa Processing Challenges for African Contributors - Key idea: Visa applications require confirmed speaking acceptance first - Evidence: "if you want to apply for a visa like that your talk have to be accepted first" #### ⏱️ [32:15](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=1935) — [H2] Alternative Conference Participation Strategies - Key idea: Exploring booth representation and volunteering as visa alternatives - Evidence: "what if you're volunteering for the conference or you're setting up a booth" #### ⏱️ [35:40](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=2140) — [H2] January Office Hours Assignment - Key idea: Working group landscape presentation scheduled for January 22nd - Evidence: "the first one in January is on the 22nd" #### ⏱️ [38:20](https://youtu.be/syXavZ9buJk?t=2300) — [H2] Community Location Survey Request - Key idea: OpenSSF gathering community geographic data for event planning - Evidence: "we're trying to figure out like where our community is located so that we could um support uh efforts for travel" ## 📚 References - [OpenSSF Working Groups](https://github.com/ossf) - [VEX Standards Documentation](https://www.cisa.gov/vex) - [Community Survey Form](https://forms.gle/[MISSING]) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - The WG-BEAR working group unanimously approved the establishment of OSS Africa as an official Special Interest Group, marking a significant expansion of open source community representation - Planning for 2026 focuses on educational content delivery through tip-of-the-month publications that will adapt to current events and regulatory developments in the security space - African contributors face substantial barriers to international conference participation due to visa requirements that create timing conflicts with standard CFP cycles ## 📰 Newsletter 🎉 **Big Community News!** The WG-BEAR working group has officially welcomed OSS Africa as a Special Interest Group, expanding OpenSSF's global reach and representation. This milestone reflects the growing recognition of Africa's contributions to open source security. **What's Coming in 2026:** The community is planning monthly educational content, regular office hours mixing working group overviews with newcomer welcome sessions, and strategic conference participation. However, they've identified important barriers for international contributors, particularly around visa processing timelines. **Get Involved:** The team is actively seeking mentorship program participants and conference speakers. They're also conducting a community survey to better understand geographic distribution for event planning. **Key Takeaway:** Community growth requires addressing practical barriers like visa processing while maintaining educational momentum through flexible, current-event focused content delivery. Resources: [OpenSSF Community](https://openssf.org/), [WG-BEAR Repository](https://github.com/ossf/wg-identifying-security-threats), [Community Survey](https://forms.gle/[MISSING]) ## ✅ Action Items #### Community - OSS Africa: Create official SIG documentation PR and repository presence - Mentorship: Await budget approval and begin project outreach for mentors - Office Hours: Prepare working group landscape presentation for January using OpenSSF templates - Survey: Complete community geographic distribution form for event planning #### OSPO - Policy & Governance: Document SIG approval process and requirements - Community Engagement: Research conference visa support policies and letter-writing capabilities - Strategic Alignment: Align 2026 roadmap with budget approvals and timeline constraints #### DevRel - Education: Develop current-event focused tip-of-the-month content calendar - Community management: Facilitate cross-working group office hours coordination - Developer marketing: Plan conference speaking strategy addressing geographic barriers ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Community office hours combining multiple functions will increase efficiency while maintaining engagement quality - Current-event focused educational content will have higher relevance and adoption than static materials - Geographic barriers to conference participation disproportionately impact contributors from visa-restricted regions - Early conference booth commitments could enable visa processing for African contributors ### 📊 Methodology - Track office hours attendance and feedback comparing combined vs. separate session formats - Monitor engagement metrics for tip-of-the-month content aligned with current events vs. static topics - Survey conference participation rates by geographic region and visa requirements - Pilot booth-based visa support for select conferences and measure success rates ### ❓ Questions - How can OpenSSF better support international contributors facing visa processing barriers? - What alternative conference participation models could work for geographically distributed communities? - How should educational content balance evergreen value with current-event relevance? ### 🔮 Future Research - Comparative analysis of open source conference accessibility across different regions - Best practices for distributed community representation at industry events - Impact assessment of mentorship programs on project sustainability and contributor diversity ### 💡 Implications - Practice: Conference planning must account for visa processing timelines when targeting international speakers - Policy: OpenSSF may need formal policies around international contributor support and travel assistance - Education: Educational content strategy should balance current events with foundational knowledge - Community: SIG establishment creates scalable model for geographic community expansion ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 12th grade #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Meeting agenda structure, clear action item identification - Improve: Process flowcharts for SIG approval, conference participation timeline visuals #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Full meeting audio recording available - Improve: Key decision summaries as audio clips #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Clear definitions of SIG, CFP, visa processes - Improve: Glossary of working group terminology and acronyms #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Action-oriented meeting with clear next steps - Improve: Checklist templates for SIG setup, conference submission workflows #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Clear cause-effect relationship between visa timing and conference participation - Improve: Decision trees for conference participation strategies #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Collaborative problem-solving around visa challenges - Improve: Peer support networks for conference submissions #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Individual action items with clear ownership - Improve: Self-assessment tools for conference readiness #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Geographic considerations for community building - Improve: Regional ecosystem mapping for open source communities ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear heading structure for different topics - Improve: More descriptive timestamps and topic headers #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard YouTube controls available - Improve: Chapter markers for easy navigation #### Contrast and readability - Present: Clear meeting notes structure - Improve: Higher contrast formatting for action items #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: Responsive text format - Improve: Consistent formatting across all sections #### Media and captions - Present: Full transcript available - Improve: Captions with speaker identification #### Forms and interactions - Present: Clear action assignments - Improve: Accessible survey forms mentioned in discussion ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Global representation with Africa, US, Europe participants - Improve: Translation support for non-English speaking contributors #### Inclusive language - Present: Professional, welcoming tone throughout - Improve: More explicit acknowledgment of systemic barriers #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Clear structure and predictable meeting format - Improve: Meeting materials provided in advance #### Representation - Present: Leadership roles distributed across geographic regions - Improve: Ensure equitable speaking time across all participants #### Psychological safety - Present: Supportive response to visa challenges, celebration of achievements - Improve: Explicit policies for inclusive participation ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - Deductive strength: SIG approval process follows established criteria and voting procedures - Inductive strength: Conference participation challenges identified through lived experience - Causal reasoning: Visa timing requirements directly impact conference participation ability - Analogical strength: Other working groups provide model for successful community expansion #### Fallacies - None identified: Discussion maintains focus on practical problem-solving #### Tone of voice - Overall tone: Collaborative, supportive, action-oriented with celebration of community milestones ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis - Deny: No instances of denial or minimization observed - Attack: No attacks on any individuals or groups - Reverse victim/offender: Not applicable to this community discussion - Emotional cues and rhetoric: Positive, celebratory tone around achievements with empathetic problem-solving approach ## 🎯 Conclusion The WG-BEAR meeting successfully established OSS Africa as an official SIG while identifying critical infrastructure challenges for global community participation. The unanimous approval demonstrates strong community support for geographic expansion, but highlighted visa processing barriers reveal systemic challenges requiring policy attention. **Next Steps:** The community should focus on creating accessible documentation, researching visa support alternatives, and launching educational content that balances current events with foundational knowledge. Success will depend on addressing practical participation barriers while maintaining educational momentum. **Broader Impact:** This approval model provides a template for other geographic expansions, while the visa discussion highlights the need for more inclusive conference participation frameworks across the open source ecosystem. ## 🧱 Refactor Appendix ### 📚 Literature Split Pad Purpose: Stage CEE units that become Literature notes. Split level: H3 ### [H1] OSS Africa achieves official SIG status through unanimous approval > [!quote] [12-16-2025 WG-BEAR Regular Meeting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syXavZ9buJk) by [[WG-BEAR]] via [[YouTube]]. Published 2024-12-16. Accessed 2024-12-16. > "Congratulations. Sounds like OSA South Africa is officially a stake under the bear working group." Milestone achievement demonstrating community expansion and inclusive governance processes. [ --- ## Full Transcript [01:27] Hi everyone. I know Marcetta's uh [01:30] running a little late. I got my dogs [01:33] back here. So [01:48] all good. I finally have a [01:51] break in my schedule. I had a [01:55] long standing internal meeting they just [01:58] couldn't seem to get right. Um, every [02:01] time I asked them to change the meeting, [02:04] then there would be a a weird rift in [02:08] the force where they change the meeting [02:09] and then all of a sudden the meeting [02:11] would happen and they're like, "Oh crap, [02:13] I'm missing another meeting." So, but no [02:16] meeting today. So, I'm here. [02:20] >> Miracles of the holidays. [02:22] >> Ready to uh kick off the um [02:27] the tip of the month though for for for [02:29] next month. [02:32] >> Yeah. [02:32] >> Be some good stuff coming into this [02:35] year. [02:39] >> Thank you for taking [02:42] the lead on that. [02:47] Good. Be good to get that get that kind [02:49] of stuff out. [02:51] Anybody else tired? I was on vacation [02:53] for three weeks. I came back. I mean, I [02:55] feel rested, but [02:57] boy, am I still mentally worn out. I [02:59] don't know what the I was just mentally [03:02] worn out. [03:05] >> Yeah. I'm just tired. It's just I guess [03:07] the holidays kicking in. My body's just [03:09] like, "We're done. We're done." [03:15] No. [03:20] All right. I'm trying to pull up the [03:22] notes [03:26] if anybody has a reading available. [03:30] It's 2024. [03:32] It's good to [03:45] Oh, thank you, Stacey. [03:48] All right, [03:52] not [03:55] see if I can share my screen. [04:02] All [04:03] right. So, [04:11] share screen. [04:19] Okay. So, if you haven't done already, [04:22] feel free to chat. Sign yourself in. [04:26] I know Jay, you're talking about tip of [04:27] the month. [04:29] Uh we had uh OSS Africa [04:35] um [04:37] final decision [04:40] and 226 road maples [04:45] in the road map I think [04:51] put that in there. [04:54] All right. Let me find [05:04] and I think today [05:08] we're making final decisions on [05:13] OSS Africa if I'm not mistaken. [05:20] >> All right. [05:25] I got thumbs up from Stacy. [05:29] Let's see if anybody said [05:33] no. [05:34] See another not a vote of support. All [05:37] right, so it looks like everybody voted [05:39] in support. I don't see any thumbs down. [05:44] Uh Stacy or Marcela, what would be the [05:48] next steps? [06:01] Um [06:02] I am unsure. I think I don't know if we [06:06] have other sigs in this. I think the [06:09] votes are there. So we can just say that [06:11] it's voted in. Um unless there's any [06:14] other objections on the call. Um, and [06:18] then we can add uh the SIG maybe [06:21] somewhere to the repo, I guess, to make [06:23] it official. [06:25] Does that sound good? [06:27] >> Yeah, maybe we just connect the bear [06:30] work to [06:32] um [06:34] we go to the Oh, it says Africa. Thank [06:38] you. [06:40] Yeah, no worries. [06:42] like [06:43] >> yeah, I don't know if we want um one of [06:46] the SIG leads to just open the PR [06:50] um combine all the combine all the um [06:55] like the initial issue proposal that you [06:57] wrote up Stacey and then also the extra [06:59] content that shared um I think we can [07:02] just put that in a PR and then [07:05] um merge it into the repo. [07:08] >> Okay, Prince, are you comfortable doing [07:10] that? and I'm happy to assist however I [07:13] need to. [07:18] >> Yes. [07:20] >> Fabulous. [07:24] >> Hello everyone joining me. Sorry. [07:29] >> Good holidays around. I think we just [07:31] started kicking off. Well, [07:34] congratulations. [07:36] Sounds like OSA South Africa is [07:38] officially a stake under the bear [07:41] working group. [07:45] Give yourselves a well [07:48] cheerful [07:52] screen share. [07:54] >> I'll make a note in the issue if that's [07:56] not there yet. Um to say that like on [07:59] today's meeting we officially declared [08:02] it. [08:04] Thank you. [08:08] Perfect. [08:11] And then it was on me to put the road [08:16] map in the repo. I honestly forgot. I [08:19] thought I had another week. Um, [08:22] where do we have that road map document? [08:26] No worries. [08:33] Oh, we had something. [08:36] Is it here? [08:43] Do you know where we put the remote? [09:11] Did we create a romant? [09:16] >> I thought there was one. I know. I found [09:18] it before. [09:21] >> Try to dig it up real quick. Um, [09:29] you talked about it like two meetings [09:31] ago or something. [09:32] >> I think at our last meeting too. [09:34] >> Yeah. [09:38] Is it here anymore? [09:41] This was the tech initiative document. [09:45] Yeah. Found the bear working group [09:47] document. So, [09:50] or not the bear working group. What am I [09:51] saying? the tip of the month document. [09:55] Um, [09:58] share that here. [10:06] Stop sharing it to me. I did [10:44] Okay, this is tip of the month. [10:50] Uh, let's pass it over to Jay. Any top [10:55] of mind or questions on the tip of the [10:58] month? [11:03] >> Uh, no. I'm sitting here reviewing uh [11:08] the tips as they're as they're laid out. [11:10] Um, what I what I may do is I may throw [11:14] um [11:16] I may throw [11:19] a a audible I may pull a audible [11:23] um and and that will be current event [11:26] focused right so like for instance I see [11:29] a couple of tips here you know I'll give [11:32] an example trust but verify validated [11:35] testations but let's say some at some [11:37] point during that month some kind of [11:40] regulation passes or some type of [11:42] standard gets um or some type of spec [11:46] turns into a standard and it's relevant [11:50] for you know tips that that that we're [11:53] looking at you know especially like I'll [11:55] give you an example CRA stuff and and [11:58] VEX in particular um we're getting ready [12:00] to publish a blog through OpenSSF and [12:03] through Oasis um uh signaling the noise [12:08] uh we're a a consortium of of um [12:10] industry [12:12] uh leaders put together a document on [12:14] VEX in the industry which will [12:17] complement a lot of the CRA work that [12:19] that you know that's happening uh with [12:22] respect to vulnerability disclosures and [12:24] all that kind of stuff. Um, you know, [12:28] part of that conversation is how do [12:31] open-source developers, new open source [12:34] developers, uh, how do they, uh, how do [12:37] they join the fund and being able to to, [12:40] um, create vex statements, especially [12:44] since they're creating tools that they [12:46] hope get picked up by enterprises and [12:49] some of their efforts, right? How do [12:50] they create vex statements that an [12:52] enterprise can then use to validate or [12:55] or or to verify um you know the the you [12:59] know vulnerabilities that may be present [13:02] and and or or or how do they verify [13:05] whether or not no coding and stuff like [13:07] that um that might be relevant for tip [13:10] of the month. I I mean I you know stuff [13:12] like that. Not saying that that that [13:15] we'll deviate so much but um in an [13:17] effort to to maintain current along with [13:20] our thoughts now as as we keep pushing [13:23] them out for the remainder of the year, [13:25] we may want to bring stuff up current [13:27] during that month that will resonate a [13:29] little bit more than stuff that we [13:30] thought about maybe six months ago. [13:32] Right? So um that that's pretty much it. [13:35] Um but no questions. Uh just excited to [13:38] get that moving because um you know we [13:42] we're we're moving in different places [13:44] and you know especially with this new [13:46] SIG. It'd be good to get this tip of the [13:48] month and then get that that that tip [13:50] stretched as far and wide as it can uh [13:54] globally, right? So that that's [13:55] exciting. Yeah. No, no questions. Just [13:58] just ready to get that moving. [14:01] >> Yeah. Awesome. Yeah, that was kind of [14:03] like the idea of it. It's like anything [14:04] current um that might be coming up like [14:07] anything the community does like the tip [14:09] of the month can be I'm just going to [14:11] say [14:12] sign your AI models and then you know we [14:16] point to the AI modeling uh like white [14:19] paper kind of thing but things like that [14:21] >> model transparency and all that [14:24] >> as we begin to build out this whole new [14:27] phenomenon about AI bombs and all that [14:30] we can we we can even do some stuff [14:33] around that right? I mean it's just [14:35] whatever is relevant. So [14:37] >> yeah. [14:38] >> Listen, thank you J. [14:43] >> Who who's gifty? That's [14:47] >> I mean [14:48] >> not to put you on the spot. Gifty [14:50] >> just [14:57] >> do want to welcome our our new members. [14:59] I see few returning familiar faces. [15:03] Um, and a few new friends. If anybody, [15:08] we usually ask if anybody wants to [15:09] introduce yourselves, but we just, we [15:11] got holiday brain. Just jumped right on. [15:15] >> I I've got a bit of an issue with my PC, [15:19] my laptop. Sorry. So, um, but here I'm [15:23] joining from my phone. So, okay. [15:27] >> Everyone was gotten a souvenir here. [15:33] Yes, [15:35] I got it from visiting. [15:41] >> I'm so sorry. I did not get to look at [15:43] time. I was a little bit busy. Good [15:46] evening for my time. [15:49] >> Good evening. Yeah, for those who are [15:51] joining um we officially voted in OSS [15:53] Africa. So, if you want to send in your [15:57] your celebratory reactions um either [16:01] here in the chat or on Slack or reach [16:05] out to the community members themselves. [16:07] So, it's it's a great opportunity and [16:09] great time right now. Um, [16:12] >> yay. That's so exciting. This is S here [16:15] and I'm going to be muted for most of [16:16] this because I'm on a train, but I'm so [16:19] excited to hear that. [16:21] >> Yeah, it's so great. Today's a Today's a [16:24] great day. Um, [16:26] >> Marcel or Stacy, did we find the [16:30] road map? Do we have a road map [16:32] document? [16:33] >> I could only find the one on GitHub from [16:36] 2025. I could swear I I saw another one [16:40] for 2026, but I cannot for the life of [16:43] me find it right now. [16:47] >> Yeah, I'm not using the same laptop as I [16:50] was last time. So, Cash doesn't find [16:52] anything. [16:54] We usually post the links. [17:01] If not, we just start a new one and go [17:03] from there. [17:05] Um, outside of the tip of the months, I [17:07] guess top of mind for folks on what we [17:10] want to do for next year, I know the [17:12] other thing was the [17:14] uh community office hours. We started [17:18] pretty hashing pretty much hashing this [17:20] out. [17:22] So, I'll share that screen. Um, [17:27] the idea was in January we kick off with [17:30] a working group landscape kind of call. [17:32] This is just us kind of talking through [17:34] the different working groups, let people [17:36] know um what we're doing and we're kind [17:39] of collaborating [17:41] um mixing our office hours with welcome [17:44] calls just for simplicity at the moment [17:47] until we can get um a leader for each of [17:50] the different types of calls. Um so [17:52] we'll start off with the uh working [17:55] group landscape. [17:57] Then in February we were thinking AI and [18:01] ML working group CRA because those are [18:04] two of the more um [18:07] word buzz friendly at this moment. Um [18:11] and then we find working groups for [18:13] April. Um we can do bear in April. we [18:18] can do another one um just to kind of [18:21] keep things moving and here in technical [18:23] initiatives I think we're also going [18:26] through all the different working groups [18:28] and then who [18:30] would be like the point of contact [18:32] person and then we can start assigning [18:34] like who reaches out to start populating [18:36] 2026. [18:38] So that was my memory of what we kind of [18:41] talked about for 2026 roadmap planning. [18:45] Um there was the OSS Africa [18:48] group getting um [18:52] talks out there for uh that group and [18:55] then I think seeing which uh conferences [18:59] we want to set out next year to start [19:03] targeting for confer papers. [19:07] Those are I think the three top of [19:08] minds. [19:14] >> Yeah. So, I couldn't find a specific [19:16] talk, but I did find like extensive [19:19] notes um in the like meeting notes talk [19:24] on November gosh, what date was that [19:26] again? November 18 [19:29] um [19:31] or you probably talked a bit quite a bit [19:34] about um 2026 road map. So, yeah, as you [19:37] were saying, speed engagements um also [19:39] mentorships is on the list um for for [19:42] that. [19:44] So, I actually don't know if there's [19:46] been [19:47] an update on budget for [19:51] that. [20:00] But yeah, we should take like whatever [20:01] notes we took on the 18th um so like a [20:04] month ago and put that into [20:07] um PR [20:10] probably. Um [20:12] >> here it is. Yeah. Yeah. [20:17] >> All right. Um, and I'm guessing [20:21] you said nothing yet on the budget. I [20:25] haven't heard. Yeah, I didn't speak with [20:27] Adrian. Um, I asked [20:31] I think it was Kate who was going to [20:33] speak with Adrian because Kate is [20:34] actually our mentorship staff contact. [20:39] Um, [20:48] Yeah, there have been a few like [20:49] questions coming in about uh like when [20:54] when that's going to start again. So [20:56] there's definitely interest from the [20:58] community. Um and I think at the same [21:01] time we need to start asking projects to [21:06] um volunteer [21:09] >> for the mentorship. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. [21:12] Projects to post mentees. [21:17] Uh [21:22] one quick note there. If there's anyone [21:24] that's come into OpenSS in the last six [21:27] months, like newcomer projects, it's a [21:30] good opportunity to reach out to them [21:33] directly [21:35] and tell them this is actually a great [21:37] time for them to bring on [21:42] documentation. [21:50] That would be great. [21:59] You're breaking a cell, [22:03] >> but uh love the mentorship programs get [22:06] them paid. That's better. [22:11] >> Yeah, you were breaking up in the middle [22:13] of um the middle of your [22:17] um discussion. I think yeah, the idea of [22:21] the 11 pizza to have a pizza. [22:22] >> Okay, can you hear me now correctly? [22:24] >> Yeah, it's a bit better now. [22:26] >> Oh, well uh I'll just send you this [22:29] message. [22:30] >> Sure, no problem. Um yeah, I I caught [22:34] some of what you were saying, [22:36] >> but [22:36] >> I'll give up. I'm on the track, [22:41] but uh [22:48] >> yeah, it does sounds like the packets [22:50] are moving in time. [22:54] Um but I got the um reach out to new [22:56] open-source projects and it might be a [22:58] good opportunity to bring um [23:01] contributors there. [23:03] >> Yeah. Yeah. whether it's um whether it's [23:06] documentation or it's it's coding um [23:11] um is that maybe something you could um [23:14] help us with Stacy is getting out those [23:16] messages um to projects or even to [23:21] working groups soliciting [23:23] uh [23:25] volunteers like I think we could start [23:28] with some of the older projects too but [23:30] >> yeah absolutely [23:31] >> and like last year's thank you [23:32] >> to to apply for the mentor mentorship [23:34] program for next for the springtime. Is [23:36] that what you're saying? [23:38] >> No, I think to just get volunteer [23:41] uh mentors. [23:43] >> Okay. [23:44] >> Yeah, because I think even if we do this [23:47] summer, we want to start the process in [23:49] the spring just because of how the [23:50] application timelines work out. [23:53] >> Um and on the LF side, they need like a [23:57] month or so to get the whole dashboard [24:00] thing set up. So, yeah. [24:05] Like if we could target spring also that [24:07] would be fine. Um I just think the [24:10] timeline may be a bit tight. You would [24:11] have to like be ready next month and I'm [24:13] not sure we are. Um and yeah, given that [24:16] we're still waiting on budget [24:20] uh questions. [24:22] Um [24:23] yeah, we I'm not sure we can actually [24:26] host anyone in the spring unfortunately. [24:37] Yeah. So, I don't know what um the best [24:40] approach would be, Stacey, but yeah, I [24:42] he's been really good about reaching um [24:45] reaching speakers for the um for the [24:48] office hours. So, and I think Yeah. [24:56] Awesome. [25:00] Anything else on mentorships? [25:07] Um, just for my own accountability, I'll [25:11] probably [25:12] I have like a to-do item to write a blog [25:15] post about mentorship [25:17] about like the lessons learned from this [25:19] year. [25:45] Okay, I got to call him over. I have a [25:47] jumper. [25:50] Um, all right. Jumping over to speaking [25:53] engagements. [25:55] Uh Prince, were you able to work with [25:57] your your team and group to see uh [26:00] speaking engagements for next year? [26:02] Where you want to rank them? Where you [26:04] like to go? What your priorizations? [26:10] >> Yeah. Um so, [26:14] um please let me get back to you on [26:16] that. [26:18] I think you suggested [26:22] submitting a CFP [26:25] for them but looking at some challenges [26:29] that we anticipated to be sending to not [26:33] submit but we look at others on the news [26:39] I'd like to get back to you sty [26:46] >> okay um let's target the first meeting [26:50] of a year to just have it doesn't have [26:52] to be anything perfect or well fleshed [26:54] out. It's just a general idea of um [27:01] uh like where you would like to speak to [27:03] and even it's just a just a starting [27:11] my image. Um yeah, I have a list of [27:18] uh [27:21] I have a list of security speaking [27:24] engagements for another community. Um I [27:28] think we need to do the same thing and [27:30] decide which conferences we want to talk [27:33] talk at um what our CFP is going to look [27:37] like. Um, [27:40] uh, Stacy, do we have or anyone on the [27:43] call, do we have a list of dates, times, [27:46] maybe locations for OpenSSF conferences [27:49] next year? [27:51] >> I do. Um, let me find my slide that I [27:57] have internally and I can put them into [28:01] uh the doc [28:03] so you can see those. Give me a second. [28:35] Stay safe. I don't the same. [29:06] You're right. I still see uploads that [29:11] I think package management form is [29:14] already closed. [29:17] Um [29:20] I saw security con EU for March 23rd [29:24] has their craft paper open. [29:28] >> Uh that one I think is closed. We're [29:31] working on the schedule for that right [29:33] now. Um, and then the community day [29:36] North America as well as open source [29:39] summit North America. I think they're [29:41] still building the websites on those. So [29:43] those CFPs haven't been opened yet. Um, [29:47] but yeah, the the open source security [29:49] conu is definitely closed and because [29:51] they're they're working on the agenda [29:53] right now finalizing sessions. [29:56] >> Go cheap. Okay. [29:59] Maybe it was like that last coffee paper [30:00] or something. [30:02] I think um Volcon [30:05] is still open. Um that one I think [30:09] closes on December 22nd. I think that [30:11] one's happening in Scottsdale, Arizona [30:14] this year. If anyone is in the US and is [30:16] traveling in the US, um but yeah, I [30:20] think of the ones on this list, that's [30:23] the only one that I'm super aware of [30:25] being open at the moment. [30:27] >> Okay. Would anybody be able to go to [30:31] Voncon this year? [30:36] >> Comments? [30:37] >> I think I would try to apply a second [30:40] time. Um, I got my my paper accepted for [30:46] a talk in April, but because of the visa [30:51] issues, I was unable to attend. So, I [30:54] think Gracie [30:58] suggested that I [31:01] I reapply so that I speak this time [31:03] around. So hopefully [31:06] um I get to submit before the deadline [31:09] and [31:12] yeah, [31:15] nice. [31:18] Let us know how we can support and help [31:21] um [31:23] on that adventure. We would love to have [31:25] you on this part of the world. Um but if [31:29] not, we [31:31] got valid passports and hopefully we'll [31:33] be able to go visit you on your side of [31:35] the worlds, which I think is fabulous. [31:38] Um [31:40] part of the uh part of the [31:42] >> Go ahead. [31:43] >> Please go ahead. [31:46] >> All right. So um the reason why I [31:49] couldn't get the visa early on was um [31:53] because of the timing I got the [31:57] paper accepted as a later time [32:01] and so I applied same [32:06] and a month to the conference date or [32:10] sorry two months or so to the conference [32:12] date [32:14] that influenced not getting [32:17] there was a long queue [32:20] of folks who were had applied also. So I [32:23] think that is something that um I don't [32:27] know maybe it's conference organizers [32:30] would have to look at [32:33] it really affects um applying and [32:38] getting visas from this part [32:43] because if the the [32:46] paper gets accepted say about a month or [32:50] two months to the or three months to the [32:54] conference [32:56] it may be possible for folks from your [32:59] end to attend but then [33:03] then there's this issue when it comes to [33:05] attending from Africa [33:08] so [33:10] that is just something I thought of [33:11] adding [33:14] >> would it be poss possible to apply for [33:16] the visa after you submit the talk and [33:18] then you know depending whether or not [33:21] you get the talk [33:24] you decide your travel plans. [33:29] >> Um sorry I didn't get that. [33:32] So, so apply for the visa as soon as you [33:35] can [33:37] >> like once you submit the talk and then [33:41] if you're accepted then you can just [33:43] like update I guess the visa process. I [33:45] don't know how that works fully on uh [33:47] for you. But that could be a possible [33:50] avenue where you're just trying to get [33:52] ahead of it. So once you are accepted [33:54] cuz I'm always thinking positively [33:57] um the visa is already in progress and [34:00] you can just send them your acceptance. [34:03] >> Okay. Can I say something? [34:07] >> Thank you. [34:09] >> Can you guys hear me? [34:14] >> Yeah, we can hear you. [34:15] >> Okay. So pertaining this visa [34:18] application thing I think I don't know [34:20] how it is in Ghana but in Nigeria if you [34:22] want to apply for a visa like that your [34:24] talk have to be accepted first then you [34:27] use all the evidence put together and [34:30] use it to apply for a visa for you to be [34:32] able to get an approval. So that's how [34:35] it works and that's like the whole [34:36] limitation process. I don't know why [34:39] Prince didn't mention that but that's [34:41] literally how it works here. You have to [34:43] need you have to have something to be [34:45] able to apply for the visa. You don't [34:46] just apply for the visa. That's how [34:49] strict it is with us here. [34:55] >> Okay. Thank you for that. [34:58] >> No, that's that's actually really good [35:00] to know. Um because I was thinking [35:03] at least for the events that OpenSSF [35:06] hosts, would it be possible to have? I [35:09] mean actually before I speak I should [35:11] just look um [35:15] there are quite a bit of um [35:21] travel. [35:23] Okay. [35:25] So there is already like a visa [35:26] information section on open source [35:28] summit North America for example. I know [35:30] it's not hosted by OpenSSF, but I I [35:32] imagine it's a similar a similar format [35:35] on the website. Um, what I've seen in [35:38] other conferences is that they actually [35:39] say, you know, uh, if you plan to travel [35:43] here, you should we recommend that you [35:46] start applying around this time. Um, is [35:49] there something and the conferences [35:50] offer to write letters. So [35:54] is that something that we could do for [35:56] um OpenSSF hosted conferences? [35:59] >> Oh, sure. That's something that could [36:01] work. So if there is any proof or sign [36:04] that um Open SSF could give out to [36:07] persons that are going to apply for [36:08] visas even before their speaking [36:10] engagements are accepted, that would [36:12] work. That would be very perfect. [36:17] >> Okay. [36:20] So, I don't know about Voncon [36:24] um and who manages that, but maybe as a [36:29] group we target North America. [36:32] Um [36:34] send get the letter because we got a [36:35] little bit of time. get the letter, [36:38] submit some bare working group talks, [36:42] um help advertise OSS Africa group and [36:46] um [36:49] and then maybe have like a bear meetup [36:52] or something. That's my thoughts around [36:54] it. Love to hear audio. [36:57] >> Um Stacy said in the comments that they [37:01] we do not write this types of letters to [37:04] her knowledge. [37:14] >> I'm sorry in the chat. [37:16] >> Yeah, we can't write anything ahead of [37:19] time. Um, and that's not something that [37:22] we can do from the OpenSSF perspective. [37:25] Um, I know that the larger conferences [37:27] like CubeCon and things like that [37:30] provide letters. Um, but OpenSSF does [37:33] not as far as I know. I will double [37:35] check on that just to make sure that our [37:36] 2026 policy isn't changing. Um, but I [37:40] can follow up. [37:43] Okay. So, um, please go ahead. [37:47] >> No, go ahead, Prince. [37:51] All right. Okay. So, um I think the [37:54] Linux Foundation I I got a letter for [37:57] the open source summit this past [38:01] November, but there was a similar issue [38:04] with the visa. So, I was unable to [38:06] attend as well. So um I don't know if it [38:10] is possible to get it through the Linux [38:13] Foundation [38:14] but that is if you um you are receiving [38:18] sponsorship from um [38:25] from the Linux Foundation or the Open [38:27] SSF and I don't know if that qualifies [38:31] here of [38:33] yeah that's that's that was my [38:36] experience So perhaps if um the Linux [38:40] foundation or the open as a ser is a [38:43] sponsor for a particular conference. [38:48] Um [38:51] >> so I think most [38:53] >> okay sorry [38:55] >> please go ahead. [38:56] >> I think most of these things make sense [38:59] if um maybe you apply for a talk and you [39:02] are a speaker already. Most of these [39:04] things make sense. So if it is possible [39:06] for the applications to go out early and [39:09] approval to come in earlier, I feel do [39:12] this conversations would not be [39:15] necessary because this later will be um [39:19] right in hand for a speaker. [39:25] >> What what other comes to mind to me is [39:28] like what other requirements will allow [39:30] for visa? like what if you're [39:32] volunteering for the conference or [39:35] you're setting up a booth. Um because [39:38] what I'm envisioning is like having uh [39:41] open SSF I'm sorry OSS Africa come in [39:46] maybe with its own booth or like having [39:49] its own that way maybe we can get open [39:52] SSF to agree with that and then that [39:56] shows that you're needed for the [39:57] conference while we wait for the talks [40:00] to be approved. That's just [40:03] what I'm thinking of. [40:09] It all has to get approved on on all [40:11] parties, but um if the need is if the [40:16] visa [40:18] is to speak and potentially work at a [40:20] conference or represent your [40:22] organization [40:24] um at a conference, uh that way you can [40:27] start submitting it earlier [40:30] um once we get the okay and approval [40:32] from OpenSSF and the Linux Foundation. [40:36] um [40:38] because I don't see them [40:40] approving ahead of time. [41:00] Okay, I see a thumbs up. Um yeah, I [41:02] think it's just we got to talk to Open [41:04] SSF and then Um, [41:08] uh, Prince, if you can understand and [41:10] learn a little bit more of what's the [41:11] requirement for the visa and in the [41:13] conference, [41:15] um, we can work with that and see how to [41:19] get you some proof of evidence soon. It [41:22] might mean that you have to work more at [41:23] the conference, but um, [41:27] it's all in the name of open open source [41:29] Africa. [41:38] Yes, sure. Um, I I'll [41:43] work with you on that. [41:52] >> Yeah. And to Marcela's comment, it it [41:55] does seem like it's more of an issue of [41:56] the timing, especially if you're trying [41:58] to get folks from other areas around the [42:02] world to join. [42:18] Yeah. [42:20] Yeah. I felt those travels. [42:22] more expensive too. [42:26] >> Yeah. Like I mean [42:30] sometimes very you know just a month or [42:34] slight less than a month times even the [42:37] travel um that can be tricky with um [42:41] uh like requesting travel funding and [42:44] stuff like that. [42:50] >> Okay. So I think we just have [42:53] conversations and research to do for [42:56] this. Um [43:01] most of the group right now is in Africa [43:03] and [43:06] uh the US. We have a few in Europe. [43:10] So [43:12] uh [43:15] maybe we think of what we want to talk [43:18] about. Um [43:21] or we can shift over to the next topic [43:25] which is uh office hours. [43:30] We do have like [43:32] 14 months left. [43:50] Anybody interested in either topics? [43:53] Talking about maybe what we're we would [43:55] submit talks on or seeing how we plan [43:59] out and maybe getting the first um [44:04] office hours kind of planned. [44:13] I'm looking up to see when that first [44:15] office hour is scheduled. [44:22] We do have one at the end of this month [44:23] that we have to get cancelled. [44:27] >> Yeah. [44:28] Yeah. And the next one the one the first [44:31] one in January is on the 22nd. [44:34] >> Okay. Oh, [44:36] >> there's two there's two calls before [44:39] that. [44:47] >> Um, and that one was the welcome column [44:51] and this was just talking about all the [44:52] working groups. [44:54] And this one we wanted to reuse [44:58] the slide from the opens booth [45:04] that we had in uh OSS North America [45:08] this year [45:11] unless it's been updated. [45:13] >> Yeah. Uh [45:17] I haven't updated this slide. [45:23] Um, and yeah, who's actually going to [45:28] give the working group landscape? It can [45:30] be one of us for sure. Um, [45:34] in like future calls, we'll have working [45:36] group. [45:38] Um, [45:41] >> yeah, we'll have like working group uh [45:43] chairs like come in and do that. [45:48] >> Yeah, if anything, we could split it. [45:50] One person talks hashes at the other the [45:52] other half or something. [45:55] Um, [45:58] and I know Sally has sent me the [46:01] template before. I just don't know if we [46:03] already have something like this. [46:07] I'll take that actually. [46:13] Okay. [46:19] I think Sally Cooper just um Sabi [46:24] mentioned writing a blog post [46:27] introducing [46:31] USS Africa. [46:34] So [46:36] >> I love [46:38] Stacey here. So she mentioned that Stacy [46:43] and I work on it. I don't know if you've [46:46] seen it, Stacey. [46:50] So perhaps we work on that together and [46:56] get it out. [47:02] >> That' be awesome. [47:10] Um, [47:13] I know the the blog that EG wrote and S [47:16] wrote, [47:18] >> I think that was recently released if [47:19] I'm not mistaken or still in the review. [47:23] >> No, I saw it go out uh part three. [47:27] >> Part three. [47:28] >> Yeah, I think that went out this week. [47:31] Um [47:33] yeah, actually I was thinking because of [47:36] the um kisser and s did did all that [47:40] work. Um [47:43] not to not to volunteer you without [47:45] asking um but a would you be willing to [47:48] um speak as part of the [47:51] um working group landscape? [47:54] Um [47:55] >> oh sure. [47:57] >> Sure, sure. [47:58] >> Thank you. Yeah. And we can ask S too if [48:01] if they're available or not. Um. [48:07] >> All right. [48:07] >> Cuz yeah, you guys are honestly the [48:10] experts [48:11] on the working groups. [48:14] >> That's true. [48:16] >> Yeah. You just take what's in the blog [48:17] and put it in the presentation and [48:37] All right. Um, she sent me one before, [48:40] so I may have it already on Snag. [48:43] Um, [48:47] okay. [48:51] same reason. [48:53] And um [48:56] for the last couple minutes, [48:59] let me know any last thoughts or areas [49:02] of focus. [49:10] Um I would just like to say that I [49:13] posted in the general channel. Um [49:18] what day was that? a few days ago, I [49:20] think it was December 9th, there is a a [49:23] form uh asking folks if they can um fill [49:28] out uh I I'll put the the form link in [49:31] the chat here. Um but basically, we're [49:34] trying to figure out like where our [49:36] community is located so that we could um [49:39] support uh efforts for travel and uh [49:43] event attending and things like this. uh [49:46] Devril and ambassador program uh [49:48] possibilities um for particular regions [49:51] all over the globe. Um so it's just so [49:54] that we know kind of where our community [49:55] is. Um so if you're able to give us that [49:59] feedback uh that would be great. Um and [50:02] yeah, we'd really appreciate it. [50:13] >> Thank you. Yeah, I think I think I [50:14] populated I added the um the template [50:18] the Open SSS slide template to the chat [50:20] and the notes. [50:24] So if you want to kick that off [50:27] next year doesn't have to be now [50:29] holidays are coming up. Um [50:34] there [50:36] I think that's it that I had any [50:40] other conversation talking points for [50:42] the next seven minutes. [50:50] I'm sorry Stacey. You mentioned [50:52] something about a link you dropped in [50:54] the general channel. Please can you I [50:57] can't see it. I'm checking it. [51:03] It's also in the chat. [51:04] >> Oh, okay. [51:06] >> It's the form [51:08] forms. [51:10] Joey, I think [51:18] yeah, the forms.j is uh OpenSSF is [51:21] trying to determine where everyone's [51:23] located so they can do meetups. And then [51:26] um the last link I sent is the template [51:31] for OpenSSF slide deck [51:34] that could be used for January's uh [51:36] welcome call about all the other working [51:38] groups. [51:48] >> Oh, I'm sorry. I'm muted. Okay. All [51:50] right. I I was answering you. I I forgot [51:52] I was muted. [51:54] >> You're good. [52:02] All right, if there's no other talking [52:04] points, um, big congratulations to [52:07] Marcelo who's going to continue in the [52:09] tech next year. Go ahead and shoot in [52:12] your congratulations. [52:15] >> Yes. Yeah, I saw I was like, yay. [52:18] And then uh big congrats to uh OSS [52:22] Africa for being official sake. [52:26] So sending your reacts and yeah you're [52:29] dancing. There you go. [52:32] Looks like Prince and Seth are in the [52:33] same spot like right next to each other. [52:35] Um [52:37] and with that, thank you so much for all [52:40] your contributions, your helping support [52:42] this year. Enjoy the holidays uh for [52:46] those that celebrate [52:49] and happy new year's will. We'll catch [52:51] you in 2026 [52:54] to be here and thank you for being such [52:57] a researcher. [53:00] I try part of my day job. [53:03] >> Thank you very much. [53:06] >> Thanks everyone. Have a good one. [53:08] >> Thank you everyone. [53:09] >> Happy holidays. [53:10] >> Happy holidays. [53:11] >> Bye. Happy holidays. [53:16] Bye [53:19] >> bye.