Are you running a local meetup, user group, or open-source community? 
We know that finding a distinct “home” for your community is getting harder:
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Event websites have become expensive for organizers and increasingly irrelevant for finding deep technical content. -
Social media is noisy, and your event announcements often get buried by the algorithm. -
Messaging platforms are great for chat, but terrible for knowledge retention and valuable discussions disappear into the scroll history instantly.
We created the Meetups & Groups category here on Open Ecosystem to offer a vendor-agnostic, open-source focused alternative.
Here is why you should move your discussions and event listings here:
1. Zero Cost, 100% Community 
Stop paying high monthly fees just to list your events. This platform is free for open communities. We believe money shouldn’t be a barrier to gathering people around open-source technology.
2. Escape the “Algorithm” 
On social media, you have to fight for attention. Here, content is chronological and categorized. If you post an event or a discussion topic, it stays visible to the people who actually care about it.
3. Searchable & Evergreen 
When your group discusses a technical problem here, that conversation becomes a searchable resource for the future. Unlike a chat log that vanishes, a Forum Topic is indexed by search engines, helping new members find your group through the useful content you create.
4. A “Safe Harbor” from Vendor Lock-in 
We are strictly vendor-agnostic. This is a neutral ground where you can discuss technologies (like Kubernetes, ArgoCD, Linux, etc.) without the pressure of a single vendor’s marketing machine dominating the conversation. Additionally, Discourse is Open Source, therefore if one day you decide to migrate you are free to do so.
5. Better Event Management 
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Calendar Integration: List your events so they appear on our global community calendar.
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RSVPs: Manage attendance directly within the thread.
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Speaker Callouts: Use the platform to find speakers from the broader ecosystem, not just your local circle.
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Engage: Use the topics to let your speakers engage with your community before the event takes place.
MORE ADVANTAGES COMING SOON…
How to get started
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Create a Reply to this topic introducing your group. We will then work with you to create a group for your community
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We will use tags (e.g.,
#location,#tech-stack) to help people find you.
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Post your next event date and Call for Papers (CFP).
Ready to move in? Reply below if you need a dedicated sub-category for your group! 
