Hello. Probably FranciscoD already know what I think. Anyway I want to share some more thoughts. I agree with the people-centric view.
On Sun, 2019-09-22 at 17:55 +0100, ankursinha wrote:
Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. It's a passive, task oriented model. Some tasks require newcomers to learn quite a few tools and skills. While newcomers do meet other Fedora contributors, the focus here is on using the task to become a part of Fedora.
Another point is that a community needs people in order to stay alive and vibrant. People that talk (I mean, write) and that interact with each other. People that is interested and curious to know how things works, and people that is happy to explain things and to share knowledge. Sometimes this doesn't happen: people doesn't know how and where to contribute. And doesn't interact: for fear? Afraid of being teased? They think that it is all too difficult? Lack of involvement? Lack of time? They don't feel welcomed? Maybe there is a potential in a person, but nobody (neither himself) know that. And many times it is objectively difficult to contribute: the engine is already running, where can I be useful? Maybe the project doesn't need my work.
But! I think that in a community it is also important, as I said, in order to keep it active, it is important to "speak" (to write, in this case). Well, let's make another example on the other hand: a veteran contributor that write an announcement, that write a news, and nobody that answer. Or someone that write an idea, and nobody give any feedback. This could be frustrating after a while. Leading to a silent mailing list, a silent forum, etc.
And: it is not important to find something to do as soon as I join the community. The important thing is to stay around. Read various mailing lists, read the community blog, the magazine. Look around in the various pagure projects. Maybe after a month, maybe after a year, something happens and suddenly I find my place in the community. The important thing is to stay in the loop, and to keep people in the loop.
Fedora is not the OS. Fedora is the people. The OS and all the cool deliverables we produce are merely means to achieve our goal--- promoting Free and Open Source Software.
I agree.
As I said many times, too many people, I mean, too many users (of any FLOSS project) consider themselves merely "users". I use this product, I pretend something from the developers. I'm not satisfied, I rant somewhere, if I can I choose another "product". (At the same time I don't like the answer: if you don't give back anything to the community, you should shut up.) The point is: it is not mandatory to be an assembler developer, a sysadmin hero, or the greatest engineer in the world in order to contribute. Sometimes it's simpler than we think. Also writing about our own experiences is a way to contribute. I achieved such goal using that software; I installed Fedora on my daughter notebook and she doesn't noticed that she is able to do her daily jobs without any trouble.
So yes, participation is the key.
Ciao, A.