Path to OTel Code Owner: Lessons from otelhttp (Grafana ❤️🔥 OpenTelemetry Community Call #10)
In this episode of the Grafana OTel Community Call, we're joined by Sonal Gaud, code owner of otelhttp on opentelemetry-go-contrib. We'll trace her path from writing test-coverage PRs to owning the instrumentation library that most Go services use to get HTTP traces and metrics for free — and go deep on how otelhttp actually works under the hood: context propagation, metrics/attributes via the Labeler, route cardinality, and how the library evolves alongside HTTP semantic conventions. We'll also talk about what it's like to review PRs and protect backward compatibility in a widely used contrib package, and where otelhttp is headed next. Guest: · Sonal Gaud (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonal-gaud/, https://sonalgaud12.github.io/) Hosts: · Imma Valls (https://www.linkedin.com/in/imma-valls/) Join the conversation, bring your questions, and learn how this project evolves with contributions from across the community. Links shared during the livestream: · https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/tree/main/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttp · https://pkg.go.dev/go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttp · https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/blob/main/CODEOWNERS · https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/pull/8801 · https://opentelemetry.io/docs/specs/semconv/http/ · https://clotributor.dev/ · https://github.com/open-telemetry/community/blob/main/policies/genai.md · https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/pull/8587 · https://fossunited.org/c/indiafoss/2026/cfp/9i6peimmer · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ChxYYjlvpc #opentelemetry #golang #http #grafana #observability TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introduction & Welcome 01:08 - Sonal’s Journey to OpenTelemetry & Go 02:16 - What is a Code Owner vs. Maintainer? 04:40 - Advice & Tips for First-Time OSS Contributors 07:04 - How OTEL HTTP Works Under the Hood 09:11 - Zero-Code Instrumentation in Go (OTLC) 10:14 - Semantic Conventions & error.type Attribute 12:35 - PR Review Process & Code Owner Responsibilities 15:38 - AI’s Impact on PRs & OpenTelemetry’s GenAI Policy 18:18 - API Deprecation & Maintaining Backward Compatibility 20:25 - OTEL HTTP Roadmap & API Stabilization 22:31 - How to Find Open Issues & Non-Code Contributions 29:05 - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a Maintainer 34:36 - Best Practices for Seeking Help from Maintainers 41:40 - FOSS India Talk Highlights & Closing