Mission
The Houston Open Source Society (HOSS) is dedicated to building community and promoting open source software education, development, and support. We profess collaborative coding practices, user-ownership of data and software, and digital civic engagement in the Houston metropolitan area.
Values
- Open Source First: We advocate for open source solutions and contribute to existing projects whenever possible.
- Civic Engagement: Technology should serve the public good, and we actively contribute to civic technology projects such as OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikipedia, and Wikimedia Commons.
- Inclusive Community: We welcome developers, designers, students, and technology enthusiasts of all skill levels. Knowledge sharing and peer mentorship are core to our community.
- Transparency: Our organizational decisions, meeting notes, and project work are conducted openly and shared publicly.
Organizational Structure
HOSS is a voluntary community organization that functions as a democratic egalitarian collective. Our society is always flat, and free. Money never exchanges hands. We are not a profit-corporation nor a 501(c)(3) non-profit — we're just a bunch of Houstonians from all walks of life.
There are no officers, boards, or hierarchies. Decisions are made by consensus among active members.
Membership
Membership in HOSS is informal and open to anyone. There is no fee, application, or approval process. Show up to a meeting and you're part of the community.
Members who wish to formalize their participation may be listed in the member directory. Active membership is defined as attending two or more meetings per year.
Meetings & Coworking
We meet every Wednesday at different locations around Houston. Each meeting features talks and discussions about open source projects and technologies, collaborative coding sessions, classes, and opportunities to contribute to civic technology initiatives.
Beyond weekly meetings, members regularly organize impromptu coworking sessions. These informal gatherings are about community — mutual support, building relationships, and simply working alongside fellow members.
Meeting locations rotate weekly. See the meeting schedule for current details.
Contributions
Members retain full ownership of any work they contribute. Projects created under the HOSS banner are encouraged to use open source licenses. Written content and documentation are encouraged to use Creative Commons licensing.
HOSS does not claim ownership or intellectual property rights over any member's work.
Code of Conduct Principles
HOSS is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of experience level, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, personal appearance, race, ethnicity, age, religion, or nationality.
Members are expected to:
- Be respectful and considerate in all interactions
- Welcome newcomers and help them get started
- Focus on constructive collaboration
- Refrain from harassment, discrimination, or exclusionary behavior
Concerns about conduct may be raised with any active member or discussed in the #improve-hoss channel on our Discord server.
Amendments
This charter may be amended by consensus of active members. Proposed changes should be discussed in the #improve-hoss channel on Discord and brought to a Wednesday meeting for group consideration before adoption.