Open Source Utopia

Community Contribution

Mathias Bolt Lesniak Episode 13

Who can contribute to open source projects? Contribution is central, but it's a lot more than what first comes to mind.

Watch the video version on YouTube



This episode is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Created by: Mathias Bolt Lesniak
Creative advisor: Jeffrey A. “jam” McGuire

Welcome to episode thirteen …… of the Open Source Utopia Podcast. Although it's no crime to use open source …… software in blissful ignorance, we who know what open source means, still have a job to do. We have to speak up about …… the benefits open source is giving us, but also what it means to give back …… and actively support it. The first hurdle we have to overcome …… is to know what we mean …… when we talk about contribution. Because, I think many people consider giving back, but don't see any opportunities …… that are right for them. That, however, can be fixed. So, here's the thing to repeat. Contribution is not limited to only coders, who can contribute to the software's code. It's also not limited to those …… who are able to donate money. You see, there are many practical tasks …… surrounding open source projects. For some of them, it's even a benefit to be a non-coder, because they require a non-technical perspective. Take writing and improving end-user documentation. That is best done with an outsider's mindset. Marketing and public relations is also good. It's often about translating a technical feature …… into a practical story …… with an impact everyone can understand. And, let's not forget, having a community means someone …… should help out with onboarding …… and caring for the community members. So, where do you want to start contributing? But now I'm getting ahead of myself. A community doesn't come by itself. It all starts much, much earlier, with the developer …… at the Birth of the Community.