We are all a product of our experiences. Different communities around theworld have different core assumptions about behaviour, how decisions are made,the role of the individual in a group, and more. What makes up culture, andcan we have better community experiences by understanding it? We are all a product of our experiences. Different communities around theworld have different core assumptions about behaviour, how decisions are made,the role of the individual in a group, and more. Sociologist Geert Hofstededefined six dimensions of culture, covering values, the relationship of theindividual to a group, respect for hierarchy, and attitude to change. Inaddition to these, there is a wide variation in communication styles relatedto the use of physical gestures, attitudes to silence, the need for context. By understanding what makes up culture, you will have tools to question yourown cultural assumptions, increase your empathy for other participants fromdifferent cultures, and avoid misunderstandings as soon as they occur. Can wehave better community experiences by understanding the culture participantsare coming from? Can we give tools to current community members to be moreculturally sensitive and welcoming? And can we also give better advice topeople joining the project for the first time, which meets them where theyare, rather than expecting them to fit in with the community culture on dayone?