• Posted by GibaPhp
  • Posted on 3/14/2008

Reasons to join a community of Free Software.

This is an article of such, great contributor to communities of free software in the world.

Last year was something unusual during PGCon Brazil 2007. One of the speakers suddenly disappeared from the map and are left with a hole in the grid of the event. So, here that Mr. Diogo Biazus in record time preparing a lecture entitled “PostgreSQL Br - Manual of Use.” The lecture was a great success and raised an issue that bothers me some time ago: how to participate in communities of SL. Unfortunately the slides of the speech Diogo do not show the richness of the speech. Clearly, in a few minutes of preparation would not be possible to do better, but the fact is that I would like to share a little of the issue with people who were not at the event and combine it with my personal experience.

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<devaneio>
This post began with a teaser of a great colleague, the master fike. I was on IRC that I felt frustrated because he encampado a campaign disastrous for a specific action of the community of PostgreSQL-US. Then came the teaser: “And what you learned from it?”. I had the answer at the tip of the tongue. In fact I still am with the wise words of Mr. Diogo Biazus echoing in the mind. But how would the Beto Guedes: “The lesson we know of color, but we lack… learn.” And I must say that I am head hard… then here I am writing again. I believe we learn much when composing, it is a practice old mine. I think everyone should write what they think. When writing, (in your own words, not copying), compiled a number of ideas into something that should make sense to anyone reading. I still have much to learn… think that the day that I can translate what I feel with few and simple words, a person will be more known. Less is more… I know that, but I do not know how to do yet. Who knows in my next lecture in FISL not reduce the number of slides… talk less and teach more?
</ Devaneio>

Reasons to join a community of SL

The first thing I learned is that there are several reasons that lead people join a community. What is not always clear is that not all are there for the same reason as you. More than that, you do not always have clarity of the same reasons. You can come with a purpose, continue by others and leave for something completely alien to all that.

1. You want to learn more about the technology X: this is why it takes most people to participate in a community. See, this can not be the only objective of all, after all, if everyone just want to learn, there would be no one to teach. But the thirst for knowledge is something that also has its nuâncias. There are people who want to learn about particular technology for believing that it is interesting for N reasons, there are those who are curious, some made by the obligation. More than that, people are used to learn in different ways. Knowledge is not something linear, is not contained in a book or a person, he exists and that recreates from human relations. Tarzan never learn to speak, read and write with books on a desert island. The relationship between human beings is critical in this process. So the communities are privileged space for learning, because it is a meeting of people willing to discuss a specific issue.
2. You want to meet people who like the technology X: make friends with people with similar interests is a good reason to enter a community. This may mean wanting to learn more about the technology X, but can mean finding people with whom you would like to take beer, chatting on IRC at dawn or philosophise the wilderness there. Nerds, Geeks, Hackers, as is called or if intitulam these people, they like to find and organize in groups is not only to learn but to live. This is a very important part of communities that are sometimes underestimated: the fun. Some people are attracted by the simple fact of being fun, the point of meeting privileged of the community.
3. The vanity, it is a very common reason. You want to be recognized for their talent, their knowledge, their ability and their made. Despite the vanity be seen as a sin, with a little common sense it is not enough to be a problem and can be channelled to a great virtue. The world would lose much if the great geniuses not share with the world their great inventions. The fact is that there is vanity communities live with it all the time. It is known that a false can have a modest presence parasite while a vain sincere can be a great gift if fed properly. Finally, they say, the fact mount a blog and displaying it to the world does not have a point of vanity?
4. You want to design professionally. As learning is the brother of friendship and entertainment, the vanity is almost the twin ambition. You want to improve life or not? The secret to career success is not only the knowledge or in their technical capacity, is also in its networking. Not pointless be puritano and find that you do not think about having career success. A good community has always been an area of free transit between professionals in a particular area. Being known among professionals highlights of a community can be a good door to new opportunities. In fact, when someone needs a professional with a particular profile, to an important job, seek an indication of someone of prominence in the community is a safe way. The professionals keys, as well as executives, are not found in classified or companies, consultancies, are found by alert. You will never be nominated for a position if it is not well known.
5. You want to be altruistic and help people in some way. Free Software has this call to action that back peace of mind to people of good heart. Particularly, this is one of the most cited reasons for being in a community in one of the least performed. Quite frankly… discussion of a list of thousands of people, who really help with something? There is a relationship on the corporate level, “win-win”, which means that large companies contribute to some communities. This type of investment typically get feedback in terms of internal and external marketing and also return in terms of cost reduction. Therefore, we can not ignore the fact that altruism has its compensations. But in fact, help can be rewarding, especially if it is accompanied with new friendships and sharing of knowledge. It is a truly unbeatable trio at the individual.
6. You are an evangelizer and want to change the world. This is very similar to the altruism, but has notable differences. The evangelists do not just want to help, they want to change the world. The call of the SL for this type of person is very common. Discussions on patents, licenses and things of the genus has full flow among the evangelists. Many believe the evangelists flatfish, but they are important because they are the balance of the community. The evangelist, is not an erosion verborragia without eco may propose significant changes in quality to the community, can humaniza it. Yes, not espantem, flatfish can be an important part of humanity.

Common problems found in the communities of SL

People are in the middle of this caldeirão buzzing community. Many things cool and bad happen in this environment. Each will can have its positive side and negative, depending on your dose, form and historic moment in which the community finds itself. A fusion of form and content is so important in communities that should be statues built around this idea. You may not be empty of content, you must have something to say or if silence. Most of it does not bring anything interesting, so bring any new information is important. But as important as the message is as it arrives to its receptors. The same content, when cut in its form gives a completely different reception. Each community has its own label, its rules and codes of conduct. These rules are not always a shirt of force, may even be modified, but they must be followed.

Even with form and content in harmony, exitem some problems intrinsic to the reasons that lead to want to join the community:

* All you want to learn, but you should try a little for that. Learning requires effort and discipline. If you do not read the relevant documentation and not made at least a search on Google, then you made no effort. Do not expect that people always help you if you do not give value to the efforts of others.
* It can happen to anyone learn how to help you, or do not have time to help you when you needed. You do not have absolutely the least right to claim that it is happening. But if happen, think first of all if you have been clear in its message, if properly informed of FORM. Learn ask is an art. Formulate a question is more complex than it appears. Paulo Freire said that “a good question worth more than half of the answer.” It is worth reading the text of Eric Raimond “How To Ask Questions The Smart Way“, or its translated version.
* The fact that you have friends in the community, does not mean you can open hand of a minimum of formality in the communication. When you are only among friends, you can relax, otherwise, the rules of the community must be respected. Using the minimally correct grammar, avoid slang and much respect to all is the least that is expected. Beware of the games, some people interpret certainly you so wrong. In summary, although the relaxation is often desired, not all are there to play, many take things more seriously.
* The humility tends to be present among the large developers. But the enthusiasts often empolgam. Not banque the owner of the truth. If you want to criticize a point of view, to do so justified, and with much respect. They are not autodenomine hacker, master jedi or any honorific title. If the other to do so, very good, but never self exalt. Campaigns for self promotion then, nor think. Even if you can disguise, someone will find out and you will be abominado.
* All want to grow professionally, not just you. Do not sell anything to please anyone, nor yourself. You will never be respected in the community if they do. You can disseminate their curriculum, products and services in your blog personal, but never in the midst of community, unless you decide eg sponsor the community. Banners on sites, shares in events and other forms of donations are valid, but it is only that.
* If you want to help, to do so responsible. Teaching by example, requires a minimum of concern with the didactic, with form and content. The receiver may not be patavinas understanding of what you want to explain. Since is helping someone, to do better. This does not mean that you have to give everything chewed in the mouth, but that his message must be clear and informative. It may be a link to an article or a chapter of the documentation, but must be accompanied by a brief commentary explaining what to expect that link. It is common accompany long conversations with loose or head that could be resolved with a small explanation a little clearer.
* Free Software is not time for football. If you like a particular technology, you should not want to push it to the detriment of others. You can compare, show situations where it takes advantages and disadvantages, but should not desmerecer the other. It is one thing to say that the technology is better X and Y does not. Another thing is to say that in a scenario A, the technology will meet with X N advantages. Here, form is everything. If you just shout that X is better than everything, you will not be contributing to the listener and still be denegrindo the image of X technology that will take time to football fame.
* Help with what you can. If you do not have pique to account for a particular task, not propose it. People will count on you and if you do not give account, the community will be damaged if you do not give account of the work. There is a saying for this: “Promise little, and you do too will be remembered. Promise much, and you will not obey… forgotten or worse, will be remembered! ”
* A community is like a person who is born grows, if multiplied, ages and dies. You must learn to evaluate the time of things happen. As you have a vision beyond the community, she rítimo walk as his own and there is nothing you can do against that. You can not hasten many things, with the risk of erosion the community and cause a heart attack in full adolescence. A group much new needs mature and grow gradually. As you have already participated in other communities more mature and have great expectations, this does not translate into action if you do not find a group of people with similar expectations and more: willingness to put their plans into action. Believe it, people grow with the community, you also grow.
* Never wait for recognition of the community. There is a moment where the community is meeting to welcome the most valorosos members of their community. There are no prizes, dancing, or gala fireworks. No cover debts of gratitude. Do not wait even a ‘thank you’. Just be there and do the best that you are willing to do.
* Most of the communities has a very informal. Pouquíssimas has a legal structure that ampare with positions and elections. So do not expect to be considered an “official member”. Some communities grow to a point of creating a larger bureaucratic structure, but few communities that do and even then, you should not expect to be condecorado devoted member or official. Some of the largest and most respected members of communities has a very weak link or even nonexistent with its bureaucratic apparatus.
* Not brigue. Do not feed the trolls. The conflicts appear with some frequency, but its impact is inversely proportional the ability of people ignore them. The lost time with fights could be spent on more useful things like taking beer with friends, spend time with family or do more to help their community.
* Meet the media and know uses them. Most communities are geographically dispersed. If you have mastered the English, you are in contact with the entire world, the place where you are no matter. The most important tool of communication is e-mail. It seems simple to use, but people make mistakes when they participate terrible of lists. Some errors are perdoáveis do, but in general the errors turned their readers. Read once in life to RFC 1855. Other tools like IRC, Wiki, TRAC, CVS, CMS and others are fundamental to you participate effectively. Learn, be happy and let others happy too.
* The Starter often lead to ear when stress starts to help. However, not enough help, help is essential as they should. Review the code / documentation / translation / whatever of a beginner provides work for the more experienced. A job poorly done is more work for the reviewer than if he had done the same des the beginning. There are strict rules to incorporate changes in a complex code. Until Mr. Marcelo Tosatti led several stress of ear before having their first patches accepted.

Join

If you are one of those people who are entering now, is with all the good intensões the world, know that there are many ways to work with a community. The most important of it is undoubtedly help improve the software. Remember that for most other contributions that are important, the community would not exist if the software did not exist. This should be the goal of all members of the community. However follows some things you can do:

* Support to write software;
* If you do not know scheduling, help document;
* If not known document, help translate,
* If you do not know translate, help others to use,
* If not known use, help to advertise,
* If you know not disclose help test.

Meritocracia is the key to participation in the community. Meritocracia - in communities of SL - means that who does have merit and who does not have. Simple. Decisions are made by those who do. It is very common for people to be waiting for a leader, cacique, leader, mentor, or whatever, delegate a task to you. Surprise… this happens. You must apply to the tasks and not expect that you choose to do so. Most of the time you do something and then presented to the community the results of its work. It is simply this:

* Do you have an idea to do something, or check the list of things that the community would like to do. Most communities maintain a ‘whole list’, know her, you might have some ideas from there. It is common also have a list of unwanted things, which will not be well received if you propose. If the community in which you want to work do not have any of these resources, it is worthwhile to consult the history of their discussion lists, or forums to see if the matter has been discussed before.
* Make sure there is already someone doing that. If you have, you can help the person or group who is doing it or choose something else to do. Search well before we launch the action. It is very common that you find it had a new idea and in fact it already being implemented, even if in some obscure corner of the Internet. There are many people willing to help, but most want the glory of his only do something rather than help in something that already exists - just think of the hundreds of Linux distributions exist that this starts to make sense. This is unproductive and cause great confusion in the community - think that creating something new is easier than keep it updated.
* Make! If this is a task you can meet alone, and made only shows when you have something functional at hand. If your job depends on others, combine well before and make sure that all are willing to do so. Do not disclose the initiative if you are unsure who will able to meet. Have a maxim, “talk is cheap, show me the code.”
* Before the show you did, check the calendar of the community. There are times when the community is not open for individual contributions. There are times when some priorities are established. When the community is about to launch a new version of software, the tests are important and new code is unwanted. The organisation of major events also usually move much of the community for some shares, at the expense of other actions of disclosure. Good sense is crucial.
* Show what you did, is open to criticism and contributions. Here you must be very careful in order to communicate. People should understand exactly what you did, should feel comfortable and encouraged to review and criticize its work. His work will only grow if people incorporate it in the community, and this depends on the quality of their work and how it was made. Not estrague everything with a presentation tosca or arrogant.

It is very common some people participate in various actions or to specialize in one task. There are people whose participation comes in waves, participating actively for a time and then disappearing. There are people who like some tasks and hate others. One thing universal is that all wrong. I falhei miseravelmente at several points. I think some people have become somewhat tedious from my mistakes. We come errando some years… hope to be able to hit more and make new mistakes in the future.

Original Link: by Telles.
Reasons to join a community of Free Software

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