Author: buildbot Date: Thu Jun 2 13:42:49 2011 New Revision: 790378 Log: Staging update by buildbot
Modified: websites/staging/community/trunk/content/contributors/index.html Modified: websites/staging/community/trunk/content/contributors/index.html ============================================================================== --- websites/staging/community/trunk/content/contributors/index.html (original) +++ websites/staging/community/trunk/content/contributors/index.html Thu Jun 2 13:42:49 2011 @@ -103,9 +103,9 @@ <DIV class="wiki-content"> <p>This page is intended for those people who are reasonably comfortable with open source development models but need a helping hand finding -their way around The Apache Software Foundation.</p> -<p>At the time of writing we don't have much here, so we suggest you mail us -with your questions.</p> +their way around The Apache Software Foundation and our way of developing software +(commonly called "The Apache Way"). For those wishing to start from +the very beginning we have a <a href="/newcomers/index.html">newcomers page</a> too.</p> <h2 id="project_independence">Project Independence</h2> <p>While not all aspects of the Apache Way are practiced the same way by all projects at the ASF, there are a number of rules that Apache @@ -118,6 +118,45 @@ environemnt in which all participants ar opportunity to contribute to and benefit from our software, regardless of motivation or financial objectives. This is discussed in more detail in our document <a href="/projectIndependence.html">Project Independence</a>.</p> +<h2 id="from_contributor_to_committer">From contributor to committer</h2> +<p>Anyone can be a contributor to an Apache project. Being a contributor simply means +that you take an interest in the project and contribute in some way, ranging from asking +sensible questions (which documents the project and provides feedback to developers) +through to providing new features as patches.</p> +<p>If you become a valuable contributor to the project you may well be invited to become +a committer. Committer is an term used at the ASF to signify someone who is +committed to a particular project. It brings with it the privilege of right access to +the project repository and resources. In many projects committers are also invited +to be part of the core group within the project that ensures the project's vitality +(represented by the Project Management Committee, PMC). In a few projects a only a subset of +committers, who have earned even more merit, are invited to be a part of the PMC.</p> +<p>One thing that is sometimes hard to understand when you are new to the open +development1 process used at the ASF, is that we value the community more than +the code. A strong and healthy community will be respectful and be a fun and +rewarding place. Strong code will evolve. </p> +<h3 id="contributing_to_the_project_-_copdoc">Contributing to the Project - CoPDoC</h3> +<p>The foundations of an Apache project and how the community contributes to it is +sometimes referred to by the acronym CoPDoC:</p> +<ul> +<li>(Co)mmunity - one must interact with others, and share vision and knowledge</li> +<li>(P)roject - a clear vision and consensus are needed</li> +<li>(Do)cumentation - without it, the stuff remains only in the minds of the authors</li> +<li>(C)ode - discussion goes nowhere without code</li> +</ul> +<h3 id="becoming_a_committer">Becoming a Committer</h3> +<p>There is nothing at The Apache Software Foundation that says you must write code +in order to be a committer. Anyone who is supportive of the community and works +in any of the CoPDoC areas is a likely candidate for committership.</p> +<p>Apache is a meritocracy. That is, once someone has contributed sufficiently to +any area of CoPDoC they can be voted in as a committer. Being a committer does +not mean you commit code, it means you are committed to the project.</p> +<p>One of the key contributions people can make to the community is through the +support of a wide user base by assisting users on the user list, writing user +oriented docs and ensuring the user viewpoint is understood by all developers. +A main idea behind being a committer is the ability to be a mentor and to work +cooperatively with your peers.</p> +<p>Some of those users become committers in their own write. Some will test code, +some will write documentation, some will do bug triage and some will write code.</p> <h2 id="questions_and_feedback">Questions and Feedback</h2> <p>Feedback can be provided and questions asked by subscribing to our mailing list by sending a mail to