Hi Everyone, There have been many people on this list of late who say they don't know how to get involved in open source software. I would like to share a few pointers that I have gained from my years of experience in the open source software world.
The first step to getting involved is doing exactly what you are doing. Participating in a mailing list like this and contributing ideas and perspectives, is the best way to get started. Now, let's dispel a couple of common myths: Myth #1: Only geeks and programmers can help. Truth: Actually there is a greater need for non-programming help in the form of beta testing, translating, documentation writing, and community support (ie. community members helping each other solve their own technical problems). Open source software needs more of the average user if it is going to find a place in the mainstream. Myth #2: I have to start my own project to get involved Truth: One of the best things about open source is that you can take an existing project and modify it to meet your needs. You don't have to start your own project to get involved. You can pick an existing project you like and find out how to help. Myth #3: I have to be independently wealthy with loads of free time Truth: You are in control of how much time you want to spend on a project. If you just have enough time to install and test something a couple of hours a week, that will be very helpful. Caution: OSS can be addictive, stressful, and demanding. It should come with a warning label... "OSS is known to cause sleep deprivation" :) But on a serious note, keep your priorities straight and remember that it's ok to back off when you need to. It should always be enjoyable. When it starts to get too stressful, take a break. OK, here is a list of some of the things that you can do to get involved: 1. Use open source software. You don't have to switch to linux or open office, but you will be surprised about all of the good software that is OSS and is already out there. 2. Find a community around software that you are interested in (being on this mailing list, most of you are already here) 3. Listen and explore the community. Before you jump right into the deep end, you might want to listen to the mailing list for a while and get a feel for the water. Figure out who the leaders are and what is currently being done and where you would like to help. 4. Submit a bug report 5. Write some help documentation 6. Help someone else in the community 7. Submit a feature request 8. Fix the bug that bothers you the most (i.e. "scratch your itches") 9. Submit a patch or module 10. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Faith and goodwill are what drive open source software. Fear will only hold things back. People who get involved in OSS, also tend to be forgiving. I also have some tips for those who want to start their own OSS projects: 1. First check that you will really be filling a need by starting a new project. Examine what else is out there before you get started and see if there is anything else that is close that you can modify before starting something new. (i.e. Are there other scouting software projects out there that we can start from?) 2. Examine your life and determine if you have the time to commit to starting an OSS project. Be prepared to give 10-20 hours a week or more to start a good project and have it be successful. 3. It doesn't have to be perfect at first. It just has to basically work and meet the original need. It will continue to grow from there. One of the biggest things that causes the failure of OSS projects before they even get started is over designing it in the early phases such that it never gets off the ground. 4. Start it out with internationalization in mind. The OSS community outside of the US is very large and requests to translate it will be one of the first requests that you get. Be prepared by designing it for internationalization from the start. 5. Release early and release often. 6. Have FUN!!! I will also testify that, while the church is not in the primary business of building software, the Spirit will guide you all of your righteous endeavors. That includes any work you do in Open Source software. I have often had my prayers answered in regards to my software projects while sitting in front of my computer screen. And I have felt the Holy Ghost guiding me. So, as you decide what to do, pray. Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. I look forward to the great good that we can do together as a community. --John John Finlay PhpGedView Project Manager Instructor, Neumont University _______________________________________________ Ldsoss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ldsoss.org/mailman/listinfo/ldsoss
