Logs in OpenTelemetry were once the least mature signal, but that’s changing fast. This talk explores how the evolution of the OpenTelemetry Logs signal is driving foundational changes across the project, reshaping how developers, operators, and observability platforms think about telemetry as a whole.
You will get an inside look at the recent addition of OpenTelemetry Events, the expansion of semantic conventions to better align with real-world logging use cases, and the newly proposed support for complex attribute values like nested objects and arrays. These changes are not isolated, they represent a coordinated effort to unify and modernize telemetry data, improve correlation across signals, and enable richer, more structured observability experiences.
I'll dive into the technical challenges, design decisions, and emerging patterns that are turning logs into a first-class citizen in the OpenTelemetry ecosystem. It will help you understand why logs are no longer just “legacy baggage,” but the foundation for the next generation of OpenTelemetry-powered insight.