Pros
- The community forums have a positive vibe. - There are plenty of opportunities for "lead" roles. - It's affordable: Joining a project is free, classes are reasonably priced. - Most projects are "real," e.g., in-development apps/websites for non-profit organizations. - Anyone can observe or shadow a project, usually via free tools such as Zoom or Discord. - Some projects lead to very positive experiences, and you can build some great relationships.
Cons
- People who apply as "apprentices" shouldn't expect to necessarily work with experienced leaders or experts. - Some roles are highly competitive and very challenging to get, e.g., UX design apprentices. - Sometimes, the people chosen as project leaders are not effective or have poor leadership skills. - Support for teams from top leadership or mentors — e.g., the executive director, experienced professionals, etc. — can be spotty or non-existent, which sometimes leads to poor volunteer experiences or project failures. - There's a priority on rapid growth of the organization over consistent, high-quality experiences for volunteers. - Several projects are related to crypto or Web3, which is associated with environmental harm. - "Decentralization" is one of the organization's stated values, but a lot of authority is vested in the executive director, and he can sometimes be a micromanager.