Open Source Community Roles
November 4, 2007 by tibor · Leave a Comment
I liked this simple list of Open Source Community Roles originally posted at: http://gl.blog2articles.com/The-10-roles-in-an-open-source-community/
The 10 roles in an open source community
Posted on Nov 02, 2007 under games |
The 10 roles in an open source community
1) Developers
Developers are the backbone of every open source community. Without them, the project would not exist. Many open source projects were started by a single programmer who created a piece of software to meet their own requirements. While most open source developers graciously volunteer their time, a growing number of developers are being paid to work on open source software.
* Ubuntu Development
2) Packagers
Open source applications need to be converted into a package format before they can be included in a Linux distribution. Packages make it easy to install a software application, including any required dependencies.
* Ubuntu MOTU Packaging Team
3) Artists
Most open source applications will need graphical artists to create icons, buttons, and logos. Some \rojects will also need musical artists to create audio files.
* Ubuntu Artwork Team
* Ubuntu Audio Team
4) Documentation writers
A software project will not be successful if users cannot learn how to install, configure, and use the software. Good documentation will increase the adoption of an open source application. Wikis make it easy for anyone to help with creating and editing documentation.
* Ubuntu Documentation Team
5) Beta Testers
Open source projects need people to test the software. These beta testers are the equivalent of a Quality Assurance team. Developers will often create beta versions and release candidates before they release a version of software to the general public. Beta testers play a crucial role in testing software on multiple hardware and software platforms, and in a wide variety of environments. These testers will create new bug reports, triage existing bug reports, and test patches that the developers create.
* Ubuntu Bug Squad
6) Translators
One of the coolest things about open source communities is that they are international. This means that your users will understand many different languages. Therefore, the more languages that you support, the larger your user base will be. Modern tools like Rosetta provide a simple web-interface that allows anyone to be a translator, regardless of technical ability.
* Ubuntu Translation Tool
7) Support Technicians
A good open source community will have volunteers to answer technical questions that other users may have. These support technicians will monitor forums, mailing lists, and IRC channels looking for users who have questions.
* Ubuntu Forums
* Ubuntu Support Team
Advocates
Advocates are people who tell other people about the benefits of open source software. They review open source software on their blog, they demonstrate their Linux laptop to friends and family, and they convince co-workers and managers to replace proprietary applications with open source alternatives.
* Ubuntu Marketing Team
9) Users
Users will hopefully become contributing community members. Because users benefit the most from open source software, they are often inclined to give back by donating their time and skills.
10) Infrastructure providers
Someone needs to maintain the hosting of the website, forums, wikis, IRC channels, and version control systems that the project uses. Without these contributions, open source community members would not be able to communicate with each other.
* Launchpad
* SourceForge
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many different ways to contribute to an open source community. It may surprise you to know that only two of the ten roles require programming skills. This means that anyone can find a way to participate in an open source community. Go ahead and Get Involved!
….
Planning to start a Linux enthusiasts group meeting in the Vail Valley (Vail, Minturn, Avon, Edwards, Wolcott, Eagle, Gypsum, Glenwood Springs, … whatever)
October 19, 2007 by tibor · Leave a Comment
I will also be posting about this on Colorado Linux Mailing Lists, Meetup.com, Vail Daily Public Announcements and flyers. If you are interested feel free to drop me a line at the following email address: blog at milehighlinux.com. Keep checking this blog for updates about this community building effort.
