rbowen commented on code in PR #195: URL: https://github.com/apache/comdev-site/pull/195#discussion_r1844093089
########## source/contributors/_index.md: ########## @@ -4,100 +4,181 @@ url: /contributors/ tags: ["faq","navigation","contributing"] --- -This page is for people who are reasonably -comfortable with open source development models but need a helping hand finding -their way around the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) and our way of developing software -(commonly called "The Apache Way"). For those wishing to start from -the very beginning, we have a [newcomers page][1] and an -overview of our [Contributor Ladder](https://community.apache.org/contributor-ladder.html). +Contributing to an Apache project is the second step on your journey up +the [contributor ladder](/contributor-ladder.html). -## Project Independence And Policies +User → **Contributor** → [Committer](/committers/) → [PMC member](/pmc/) -While not all ASF projects practice all aspects of the Apache Way in the same way, there are a number of rules that ASF -projects must follow – things like complying with PMC -[release voting][2], [legal policy][3], [brand policy][4], -using [mailing lists][5], etc., which are [documented in various places][6]. +While we tend to think of contributions to open source as *code*, a +contribution can be anything - good questions, documentation, design, +event coordination, and so on also qualify as contributions. Projects +need your skills, even if you're not a programmer. -One of these invariant rules is that projects are managed -independently of any commercial interests. The goal is to create an -environment in which all participants are equal and thus have an equal -opportunity to contribute to and benefit from our software, regardless -of motivation or financial objectives. This is discussed in more detail -in our document [Project Independence][7]. +But, it can sometimes be hard to know where to get started. We're here +to help. Here's some of the basics. -## Communication on mailing lists +{{% toc %}} -Development at the ASF has traditionally been done on mailing lists. -This is not merely because we've always done it this way, but is an -intentional decision, in order to include a wider community than who -happens to be on your Slack channel at a particular moment. +## What projects can I contribute to? -This is why we say, at the ASF, [**If it didn't happen on the mailing -list, it didn't happen**](/contributors/mailing-lists.html). +Most contributors start as users, and then see something that they want +to improve, fix, or otherwise help out with. -## Moving From Contributor to Committer +There's [a lot of projects](https://projects.apache.org/). You can look +through them +[by name](https://projects.apache.org/projects.html?name), +[by topic](https://projects.apache.org/projects.html?category), +or [by programming language](https://projects.apache.org/projects.html?language). -Anyone can be a contributor to an ASF 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 document the project and provide feedback to developers) -through to providing new features as code patches. +## Where is everything? -If you become a valuable contributor to the project, the Project Management Committee (PMC) may invite you to become -a _committer_. At the ASF, a committer is someone who is -committed to a particular project. It brings with it the privilege of write access to -the project repository and resources. In many projects, committers may also be invited -to be part of the core group within the project that ensures the project's vitality, the PMC. -In a few projects only a subset of committers who have earned even more merit are invited to be a part of the PMC. +Every [Apache project](https://projects.apache.org/) website *should* +have an **/about** page (or similar) that lists the basic "where is +everything" about the project. If they don't, here's where to start looking: -One thing that is sometimes hard to understand, when you are new to the open -development 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. More importantly, a diverse and healthy community can -continue to support the code over the longer term, even as individual -contributors come and go from the field. +### Download -In particular, we have some [etiquette and behavior expectations][8] when -you work with ASF communities. +Most (not all) Apache projects will have a prominent download link on +the front page of their project website. This will (hopefully) be +accompanied by instructions on how to download, build, install, and use +the releases. + +Getting to know how to use the software that a project releases is a +reasonable first step towards contributing. Keep notes of that first +user experience, as that is valuable information for the project, and +might be a good place to start your contributions. + +### The Code + +Most (not all) Apache projects have their code on +[GitHub](https://github.com/apache). Search for the project name in the +**apache** GitHub organization. + +### Communication + +Most (not all) Apache project have their main discussions on [mailing +lists][lists]. Most projects have +`us...@project.apache.org` and `d...@project.apache.org` mailing lists, +focused, respectively, on end-user questions, and development activity. +You can read the archives (i.e., messages from the past), as well as +participate in current discussions, either by subscribing to the lists, +or by using the [lists.apache.org][lists] site Review Comment: It worked in my local test. I'll convert it to a number if you feel that's necessary, but I find this format a lot easier to read. -- This is an automated message from the Apache Git Service. To respond to the message, please log on to GitHub and use the URL above to go to the specific comment. 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