H/FOSS Project Tools/Structures/Communication
For any H/FOSS project, the ability to attract and retain new members is of absolute importance. Attaining new community members is a sure way to speed up the development of a project. The problem is many new members to an open-source project get discouraged by the sheer amount of information (or lack thereof) for a given project. There are structures however, that can be implemented by H/FOSS project leaders or veteran contributors to relieve new members of this discouragement. The general idea is that of a low barrier for entry.
Qualities to Attract/Retain New community Members
- Having great documentation/Wikis/FAQs
- A good name and clear mission statement
- A friendly and open community that is welcoming to new members
- A clear indication of development status (timeline of where the project stands)
- Intuitive website/documentation design
In my opinion, the best thing an H/FOSS project can do to attract and retain new members is to have clear instructions for how new members can start contributing. A guide of best practices when first starting should be a part of all H/FOSS projects as it is the quickest onramp for new members to become a part of the community.
