People always wonder why we are doing the things we do in these open source communities, especially here in the PHP community. I even ask myself, “Why am I contributing my time for others?”.
What is the true meaning of Christmas? While there are many other meanings, here is one of my favorites:
“to give up one’s very self — to think only of others — how to bring the greatest happiness to others — that is the true meaning of Christmas”[1]
This can be compared to the PHP community. Most of us are here because we are giving back. We are here to give to others and do selfless acts to make the community a better place. We are here to bring happiness to others.
As an organizer of a PHP meetup and PHP conference, I do this for the purpose of giving back to the community for being so great to me.
What makes the PHP community so special? Why did I choose to be in it?
I first got into the PHP community since I was teaching PHP courses and wanted to increase my knowledge. This is how I found the meetup. The rest is history.
The community will always have a special place in my heart. I have seen so much positivity and greatness from everyone. Each person empowers each other. Each person tells each other what their strengths are and the good things they see in each other.
The PHP community has helped me find greatness in myself.
This is the spirit of Christmas. This is the spirit of the PHP community.
Let’s keep spreading the greatness and happiness to others. Thank you to each and every contributor that allows the PHP community flourish.
- The American magazine, vol. 28 (1889), p. 742.