Encouraging Community Development

Encouraging Community Development

Pippin Williamsonhttp://pippinsplugins.com@pippinspluginsfacebook.com/pippinsplugins

What is community development?

• Other people do “work” on your project

What is community development?

• Other people do “work” on your project

• Code contributions

What is community development?

• Other people do “work” on your project

• Code contributions

• Written documentation

What is community development?

• Other people do “work” on your project

• Code contributions

• Written documentation

• Tutorials

What is community development?

• Other people do “work” on your project

• Code contributions

• Written documentation

• Tutorials

• Bug reports

What is community development?

• Other people do “work” on your project

• Code contributions

• Written documentation

• Tutorials

• Bug reports

• Testing

What is community development?

What kind of projects?

What kind of projects?

• Themes –– _s, StartBox, Genesis

What kind of projects?

• Themes –– _s, StartBox, Genesis

• Plugins –– bbPress, Easy Digital Downloads, WP e-Commerce

What kind of projects?

• Themes –– _s, StartBox, Genesis

• Plugins –– bbPress, Easy Digital Downloads, WP e-Commerce

• Libraries –– WP_Logging, Custom Meta Boxes and Fields, WP_Session

What kind of projects?

• Themes –– _s, StartBox, Genesis

• Plugins –– bbPress, Easy Digital Downloads, WP e-Commerce

• Libraries –– WP_Logging, Custom Meta Boxes and Fields, WP_Session

• Tools –– WP-CLI, WP Stack

How to encourage contributions

• Ask for it

How to encourage contributions

• Ask for it

• Make it easy

How to encourage contributions

• Ask for it

• Make it easy

• Give contributors credit

How to encourage contributions

• Ask for it

• Make it easy

• Give contributors credit

How to encourage contributions

• Be nice

• Ask for it

• Make it easy

• Give contributors credit

How to encourage contributions

• Be nice

• Help out the first timers

• Ask for it

• Make it easy

• Give contributors credit

How to encourage contributions

• Be nice

• Help out the first timers

• Give solid, polite feedback

How to continue getting contributions

• Respond in a timely manner

How to continue getting contributions

• Respond in a timely manner

• Maintain quality

How to continue getting contributions

• Respond in a timely manner

• Maintain quality

• Accept criticism

How to continue getting contributions

• Respond in a timely manner

• Maintain quality

• Accept criticism

How to continue getting contributions

• Be constructive

• Respond in a timely manner

• Maintain quality

• Accept criticism

How to continue getting contributions

• Be constructive

• Ask others for their opinions

• Respond in a timely manner

• Maintain quality

• Accept criticism

How to continue getting contributions

• Be constructive

• Ask others for their opinions

• Admit you are wrong

How to respond to bad patches?

How to respond to bad patches?

“Thank you for taking the time to submit a patch, though there are a couple of things that need updated before I can approve it.”

How to respond to bad patches?

“Thank you for taking the time to submit a patch, though there are a couple of things that need updated before I can approve it.”

• List the issues clearly

How to respond to bad patches?

“Thank you for taking the time to submit a patch, though there are a couple of things that need updated before I can approve it.”

• List the issues clearly

• Be polite

How to respond to bad patches?

“Thank you for taking the time to submit a patch, though there are a couple of things that need updated before I can approve it.”

• List the issues clearly

• Be polite

• Thank them for their contribution

BUT

Maintain standards

Do not let crappy code in

Maintain standards

There will always be sub-par contributions.

Maintain standards

There will always be sub-par contributions.

Do not allow them in just because they are contributions.

EVER

Educate instead

Educate instead

Identify the sub par contributions

Educate instead

Identify the sub par contributions

Your standards make or break the project.

Educate instead

Identify the sub par contributions

Your standards make or break the project.

Help the submitter make it better.

Educate instead

Identify the sub par contributions

Your standards make or break the project.

Help the submitter make it better.

Developers get better the more they contribute.

Educate instead

Identify the sub par contributions

Your standards make or break the project.

Help the submitter make it better.

Developers get better the more they contribute

–– encourage them.

Never be rude or throw insults

Some people are douches “special”.

Never be rude or throw insults

Some people are douches “special”.

Take them down with kindness.

Never be rude or throw insults

Some people are douches “special”.

Take them down with kindness.

Do not EVER be rude back.

Never be rude or throw insults

Some people are douches “special”.

Take them down with kindness.

Do not EVER be rude back.

–– stern is fine, not rude

EVER

Tools to encourage community development

Tools to encourage community development

github

Tools to encourage community development

Tools to encourage community development

trac

Tools to encourage community development

Tools to encourage community development

forums

Tools to encourage community development

Tools to encourage community development

giving credit

Tools to encourage community development

Tools to encourage community development

extensible code

Tools to encourage community development

you

thanks

P.S.

I really, really like plugins.

Ask me about them.