[jlokier]

I found working in the Linux space did have that problem in pre-COVID times. Especially the lack of solid relationships, due to never meeting people and getting to know anyone personally.

I spent too much time working on things for free (not just open source, but also voluntary work, and a couple of tech R&D ventures that ate my savings) and as a result I couldn't afford to attend any of the in-person conferences in far off countries, where the real action seemed to migrate to. That was a strategic error on my part!

LKML also become stressful for me after a decade of reading, just due to the energy to skim the mails each morning due to sheer volume. So I fell off, which was a shame because I had a very solid understanding of the entire kernel at one time.

[pabs3]

It sounds like we are talking about different spaces, I was talking about Linux distros (specifically Debian). Even before I started going to the conference there was some feel of community.

Perhaps the Linux community is larger than Debian or more subject to churn as people change employers and thus change which part of Linux they work on. Or maybe as you say attending the conferences is a bit part of community feeling.

I'm surprised you read LKML, the volume is enough to put anyone off. If you are still interested in reading some of it, these days there is lore+lei to filter down the volume just to your personal interests.

https://lwn.net/Articles/878205/