When thinking about open source contributions, most people think about contributing code. This was true in the early days when open source was a way f

Non-Code Contributions to Open Source

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2022-09-23 08:30:17

When thinking about open source contributions, most people think about contributing code. This was true in the early days when open source was a way for people to share the cool thing they built.

Now, as open source becomes the default way to build software, contributions required to create, manage, and sustain projects go beyond code.

Even if the project is valuable, people would not be able to use it without proper documentation. Contributing to documentation can therefore be impactful.

Tip: When you first test out a project, go through the existing documentation and see if you can clearly understand and use the project without any issues.

It’s always helpful to have new people go through the documentation. It will uncover missing information and issues that people close to the project might miss.

If you are a project user, you can help by writing articles and tutorials. This can help people who are trying to use the project.