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Sending Emails with React

· 4 min read
Bekah Hawrot Weigel
Developer Experience Lead

Today is day 23 of my 29 Days of Open Source Alternatives series, where I'll be exploring open source alternatives to proprietary software in the categories of Game Development and Multimedia, Development Tools and Platforms, Productivity and Collaboration Tools, and more. If you'd like to see the list of the open source alternatives I'll be covering this month, head over to my 29 Days of Open Source Alts Page or if you're interested in some of the top OSS projects of last year, check out this list. This is the last post in the Content Management and Publishing category.


Recently, I’ve gained some experience working on drip campaign emails to help support our new users at OpenSauced. So when Vic asked this question on X, I thought it would make for an interesting blog post in my series.

From Messy to Memorable: Shorten Your Links, Boost Your Brand

· 4 min read
Bekah Hawrot Weigel
Developer Experience Lead

Today is day 22 of my 29 Days of Open Source Alternatives series, where I'll be exploring open source alternatives to proprietary software in the categories of Game Development and Multimedia, Development Tools and Platforms, Productivity and Collaboration Tools, and more. If you'd like to see the list of the open source alternatives I'll be covering this month, head over to my 29 Days of Open Source Alts Page or if you're interested in some of the top OSS projects of last year, check out this list. This is in the Content Management and Publishing category.

I had never really used a link shortener until about a year and a half ago, and didn't realize how convenient they really are. So if you're not sure why you would use one or which to choose, you can check out the rest of this post.

What's a Headless CMS?

· 8 min read
Bekah Hawrot Weigel
Developer Experience Lead

Today is day 21 of my 29 Days of Open Source Alternatives series, where I'll be exploring open source alternatives to proprietary software in the categories of Game Development and Multimedia, Development Tools and Platforms, Productivity and Collaboration Tools, and more. If you'd like to see the list of the open source alternatives I'll be covering this month, head over to my 29 Days of Open Source Alts Page or if you're interested in exploring a longer list of open source headless CMS, check out this list. This post is in the Content Management and Publishing category.


Imagine managing your website's content directly where it lives – on the live site itself, without code or technical jargon. That's the idea of headless CMS. So, what exactly is a headless CMS, and why should you care?

What's the Right Newsletter Platform for You? Open Source Spotlight on Ghost

· 4 min read
Bekah Hawrot Weigel
Developer Experience Lead

Today is day 20 of my 29 Days of Open Source Alternatives series, where I'll be exploring open source alternatives to proprietary software in the categories of Game Development and Multimedia, Development Tools and Platforms, Productivity and Collaboration Tools, and more. If you'd like to see the list of the open source alternatives I'll be covering this month, head over to my 29 Days of Open Source Alts Page. This post is in the Content Management and Publishing category.


I've recently been on the hunt for a newsletter provider for a new project I'm working on, and I know my teammate @nickytonline has been thinking about it too. Before starting at OpenSauced, I wasn't familiar with Ghost, but now I've sent out 21 issues you could say that I know my way around. (The next issue drops the first Monday of March, so if you want to check out what I learned from 29 Days of OSS Alternatives, you can sign up here.)

Dev, Medium, and Hashnode: Choosing Your Digital Stage

· 4 min read
Bekah Hawrot Weigel
Developer Experience Lead

Today is day 19 of my 29 Days of Open Source Alternatives series, where I'll be exploring open source alternatives to proprietary software in the categories of Game Development and Multimedia, Development Tools and Platforms, Productivity and Collaboration Tools, and more. If you'd like to see the list of the open source alternatives I'll be covering this month, head over to my 29 Days of Open Source Alts Page or if you're interested in some of the top OSS projects of last year, check out this list. This is the first post in the Content Management and Publishing category.

I started blogging when I was learning how to code. Back then, I had only heard of Medium, and I didn’t think it would be a good fit for me. Fast forward to a couple of years later, I was following The Practical Dev on the platform formerly known as Twitter, and I appreciated the audience it was building both there and here. I posted my first Dev blog in April of 2020, A Letter to My Past Self, and I’ve posted regularly since then. Sure, Dev isn’t the only platform out there, but it’s built with the open source software, Forem, and one of the most reputable open source alternatives for blogging.

The Open Source Slack Alternative

· 4 min read
Bekah Hawrot Weigel
Developer Experience Lead

Today is day 18 of my 29 Days of Open Source Alternatives series, where I'll be exploring open source alternatives to proprietary software in the categories of Game Development and Multimedia, Development Tools and Platforms, Productivity and Collaboration Tools, and more. If you'd like to see the list of the open source alternatives I'll be covering this month, head over to my 29 Days of Open Source Alts Page or if you're interested in some of the top OSS projects of last year, check out this list. This is the last post is in the Productivity & Collaboration Category.

I remember the first slack I joined. I was just learning how to code, and I got involved in a Moms in Tech group. The founder of the group and I met up for coffee while my one-year-old played nearby, and she told me to join the group's slack.

What Design Tool Should I Use?

· 4 min read
Bekah Hawrot Weigel
Developer Experience Lead

Today is day 17 of my 29 Days of Open Source Alternatives series, where I'll be exploring open source alternatives to proprietary software in the categories of Game Development and Multimedia, Development Tools and Platforms, Productivity and Collaboration Tools, and more. If you'd like to see the list of the open source alternatives I'll be covering this month, head over to my 29 Days of Open Source Alts Page or if you're interested in some of the top OSS projects of last year, check out this list. This is post is in the Productivity & Collaboration Category.

Designers today have many options for design tools. But navigating closed ecosystems, subscription models, and limited integrations makes it all, well, complicated. And to add to this complication, I want to share another option that might reshape the design experience: the open source tool, Penpot.

What do you use for a second brain?

· 6 min read
Bekah Hawrot Weigel
Developer Experience Lead

Today is day 15 of my 29 Days of Open Source Alternatives series, where I'll be exploring open source alternatives to proprietary software in the categories of Game Development and Multimedia, Development Tools and Platforms, Productivity and Collaboration Tools, and more. If you'd like to see the list of the open source alternatives I'll be covering this month, head over to my 29 Days of Open Source Alts Page or if you want more open source to learn-to-code programs, check out this list. This is our first post in the Productivity & Collaboration Category.


Have you ever heard of the concept of a "second brain"? A "second brain" is an external, digital system for storing, organizing, and retrieving information. The concept is that it's like an extension of our own brains because it helps us to retain knowledge, improve productivity, and foster creativity by removing some of the cognitive load on our own brain. Notion and Evernote are popular tools used in this context.

Modernizing File Management with Spacedrive – Is it worth it?

· 4 min read
Bekah Hawrot Weigel
Developer Experience Lead

Today is day 14 of my 29 Days of Open Source Alternatives series, where I'll be exploring open source alternatives to proprietary software in the categories of Game Development and Multimedia, Development Tools and Platforms, Productivity and Collaboration Tools, and more. If you'd like to see the list of the open source alternatives I'll be covering this month, head over to my 29 Days of Open Source Alts Page or if you want more open source to learn-to-code programs, check out this list. This is our first post in the Productivity & Collaboration Category.


My first job after college was as a GED (Graduate Equivalent Diploma) instructor. That means that I was teaching people in the United States who had left high school how to pass their GED exam. I do not consider myself an organized person. (See my last post if you want to learn why.) But one day, my department lead showered me with praise for being so organized. And then I thought, "The dirty clothes on my floor at home aren't connected to my organization at work." They held separate space in my brain.

Transforming Productivity with Open Source Gamification: Habitica

· 4 min read
Bekah Hawrot Weigel
Developer Experience Lead

Today is day 13 of my 29 Days of Open Source Alternatives series, where I'll be exploring open source alternatives to proprietary software in the categories of Game Development and Multimedia, Development Tools and Platforms, Productivity and Collaboration Tools, and more. If you'd like to see the list of the open source alternatives I'll be covering this month, head over to my 29 Days of Open Source Alts Page. This is our second post in the Productivity & Collaboration Category.


A couple of years ago - mid-pandemic - I was diagnosed with ADHD. Maybe it was unsurprising to people who knew me, but it was surprising to me. I didn’t have the symptoms I had heard about. I did well in school, I accomplished all of my tasks, all-in-all I was what some might consider incredibly productive. What I learned about myself and my ADHD is that I had created decades of coping mechanisms that I didn’t even realize. I tended to lean into the things that I was good at.