you don't need to be a ninja rockstar to contribute to open source

YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A NINJA ROCKSTAR

TO CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN SOURCE

OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS

http://www.commitstrip.com/en/2014/05/07/the-truth-behind-open-source-apps/

WHY CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN SOURCE?

• Why should I contribute?

• Why should a business contribute?

WHY SHOULD I CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN SOURCE?

Figures from a poll published by the Liferay Open Source project in December 2012http://www.liferay.com/

WHY SHOULD I CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN SOURCE?

• To give something back.

• To collaborate with some really smart people.

• It's interesting and challenging.

• It's fun!

• It's a great opportunity to learn something new.

• It will help you get better jobs in future.

• It helps you write better code.

• It teaches you about good development practises and quality control.

• It looks good on a CV.

WHY SHOULD A BUSINESS CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN SOURCE?

Figures from a poll published by the Liferay Open Source project in December 2012http://www.liferay.com/

WHY SHOULD A BUSINESS CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN SOURCE?• Helps staff learn about that Open Source product

• Skilled staff in certain Open Source Projects gives opportunities for selling:

• Consultancy

• Training

• Contribution to an Open Source project helps you guide the direction of that project, perhaps to add features that you want.

• Open Source participation is like free on-the-job training.In addition to learning about the Open Source product itself, your employees learn about:

• Software engineering practices

• Testing and quality assurance

• Communication skills

• Teamwork

• Leadership

• Open Source participation impresses potential customers and new employees.

• Makes upgrading easier if changes are part of the core product rather than patches to the product

HOW CAN I CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN SOURCE?

• How can I contribute?

• How can a business contribute?

HOW CAN I CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN SOURCE?• Write code.

• Answer questions on forums (e.g. StackOverflow).

• Bug Testing.

• Submit bug reports (SSCCE – Short, Self-Contained, Correct Example – http://www.sscce.org/)

• Improve documentation.

• Translations.

• Organize user groups in your local area.

• Blog about Open Source adoption and contribution.

• Write Tutorials

• Organise classes: teach what you know.

• Speak at a technical conferences.

HOW CAN I CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN SOURCE?

Figures from a poll published by the Liferay Open Source project in December 2012http://www.liferay.com/

HOW CAN I CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN SOURCE?• Understand the goals of the project; make sure your contribution is in line with

them.

• Play by the rules of the project that you're contributing to.

• Submit complete patches that implement full features: include any test information and documentation.

• Have low expectations. Learn to accept rejection.

• Persevere. Improve upon comments and keep sending updates.

• Be humble. Never add your name to the list of contributors yourself. The project leader should do so, if she or he values your work.

• Be honest about your available time and skills.

• Be a doer, not a talker or a troll.

HOW CAN A BUSINESS CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN SOURCE?

• Push your changes to Open Source Software back to the developers of those projects.

• Allow staff members to work on Open Source libraries/applications that your company uses.

• Partner with an Open Source project for a case study.

• Offer to host meet-ups for Open Source projects.

• Offer to provide pizza for Open Source project meet-ups.

• Provide testimonials about the Open Source Software that your business uses.

• Donate to, or participate in foundations associated with projects.

CONTRIBUTING TO OPEN SOURCE

Questions?

WHO AM I?

Mark BakerDesign and Development Manager

InnovEd (Innovative Solutions for Education) Ltd

Coordinator and Developer of:

Open Source PHPOffice library

PHPExcel, PHPWord,PHPPowerPoint, PHPProject, PHPVisio

Minor contributor to PHP core

@Mark_Baker

https://github.com/MarkBaker

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/mark-baker/b/572/171