Re: [Fsfe-uk] "Contributing to Free Software" article

[Roger Leigh]

Tom Chance <address@hidden> writes:

> 1.1 - the software isn't *able* to be modified... how about "which allows 
> certain freedoms, including..." or "which can be modified..."?

OK.

> In general, it reads well, but I was left feeling that the advice was in 
> places a bit random, especially in the coding section. As a document aimed at 
> companies using free software, especially companies involved with software 
> development, it would work well, since I assume they'd simply approach the 
> projects they already rely on and use your tips to guide them in. But as a 
> document for individuals, it's too sketchy, especially for non-coders.

The intent was simply to be a list.  In most cases, I would expect
potential contributors to get in contact with the relevent projects
and coordinate their efforts from there, so this doesn't aim to go
into great detail: it's just a collection of ways and examples.

> Perhaps you could expand the 2.0 point to explain that there are many things 
> a 
> user can do to contribute, that they should consider these following tasks as 
> options, and then include a few words on how to select a project to 
> contribute to, how to approach them, etc.

Sure.  In most cases, people will contribute to projects they are
actively using, or are interested in, so "selection" usually happens
quite naturally.

> I also think it'd be a good idea to mention a few projects that have schemes 
> specifically aimed at recruiting relatively clueless users keen on 
> contributing. The KDE Quality Team project (http://quality.kde.org/) does 
> this, for example, and has some more expansive guides, especially in areas 
> you don't have space to explain well (e.g. documentation, user interface, 
> communication and promotion).

I'll take a look.  It sounds good.

> And being an overtly and overly political type, I'd include a note about 
> working with free software-friendly organisations to protect free software 
> against legislative and technological threats :-)

I'll add something appropriate.  It's not a political document itself,
though.


Thanks for your comments.  I'll try to attend to them sometime this
week.


Regards,
Roger

-- 
Roger Leigh

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