About
Learn more about the Houston Open Source Society and our mission
About the Houston Open Source Society
[This section can be filled out with your organization's specific story and mission.]
Our Mission
The Houston Open Source Society (HOSS) exists to foster a vibrant open source community in the Greater Houston area. We believe that open source software development, collaborative coding practices, and civic technology engagement are essential to building a more connected and technically literate community.
What We Believe
- Open Source First: We advocate for open source solutions and contribute to existing projects whenever possible
- Collaborative Learning: Knowledge sharing and peer mentorship are core to our community
- Civic Engagement: Technology should serve the public good, and we actively contribute to civic technology projects
- Inclusive Community: We welcome developers, designers, students, and technology enthusiasts of all skill levels
- Transparency: We operate with openness and transparency in all our activities
Our History
This group and many of its members tracks their origins to Houston Linux Users Group. We split in 2025 over a disagreement about organization.
Get Involved
There are many ways to get involved with HOSS:
- Attend Meetings: Join us every (or any) Wednesday at rotating locations around Houston. We'd love to have.
- Participate: It's not rocket science. It's very easy. Come talk about any technology that interests you. We want to see what gets your gears going. A lightning talk is 30 seconds to 15 minutes.
- Community Building: Help organize events, reach out to new members, or improve our infrastructure.
- Help us flier college campuses.
- Help us make the connections needed to secure future venue space.
- Help us find sponsors that want to buy food or drinks for the group: we don't accept cash.
- Help us flier college campuses.
- Contribute to Projects: Participate in our ongoing open source projects and civic technology initiatives
- Share Knowledge: Give a presentation, lead a workshop, or mentor newcomers
- Civic Contributions: Help with our ongoing contributions to OpenStreetMap, Wikipedia, and Wikidata
Contact Us
- Discord: Join our community discussions at discord.gg/FgGS5quF7P
- Facebook: Follow us at facebook.com/HoustonOpenSourceSociety
- Website: Visit us at houstonopensourcesociety.com or houstonoss.com