Welcome to the Eternal September of open source. Here's what we plan to do for maintainers.

Open source communities are experiencing a surge in contributions, reminiscent of the "Eternal September" phenomenon, due to the ease of creating pull requests and advancements in generative AI. While this increased participation is positive, it also presents challenges, as maintainers are overwhelmed by low-quality contributions that strain the trust necessary for open collaboration. GitHub is responding by implementing tools to reduce review overhead and give maintainers more control, such as pinned comments, interaction limits, and repo-level controls. Additionally, open source projects are experimenting with new strategies, like invitation-only contribution models and enhanced education for new contributors, to manage this influx effectively. The goal is to foster a balanced approach that encourages genuine contributions without creating barriers, ensuring the continued growth and sustainability of open source projects.