[Fedora-join] A standard set of steps to join any Fedora sub-team

Wed Apr 23 21:38:56 UTC 2014

Well, standing on the outside, looking in... what I see is an 
overwhelming scattered web of impossible options to figure out.  It 
seems like if I want to know anything, there is no direct link to 
anything.  I have to weed through countless links and end up in a mess 
of opened tabs.  None of which gives me an answer.

So the first option of thinning out the web of stuff to do and join and 
give a simple clear pathway to what needs to happen, what I need to know 
and what I need to click on would be most helpful.  The guided tour 
isn't really what I'm looking for.  I don't want to feel like I'm 
bothering someone.  If this takes off like you hope it does, then the 
tour guides will be overwhelmed.

A simple web site, with an easy to follow pathway.  You are here 
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o you are now here.  Something like the mozilla site, 
but with less rabbit trails.   A menu of options categorized like this:

What do you want to do?

-Build a Software Package
-Contribute Financially
-Tester
-Other Options

Then under those specific headings, have a dropdown of a clear pathway 
of steps.

-Build a Software Package
--(Step One) Write your program
--(Step Two) Install the RPM thingy
--(Step Three) Compile the program with the RPM thingy

At least if you make it this simple, you can have a clear path to an 
organized plan.  Right now, I it feels like there is no organization.

Here is a slightly detailed version of what I did to get here.

-I started being interested in Linux in early 2000
-Read countless articles (back then) about which distro to use in a 
production environment
-Chose CentOS because my boss wouldn't pay for anything, including 
Windows licenses
-Practised doing as much as I could with walkthoughs to install servers 
and admin stuff.
-Fell in love with Linux because it allowed me to feel in control and 
free from Windows stupidity

That's when I really wanted more...

-I started researching all the options and variants of Linux.
-Found Fedora and loved the outlook and dedication to freedom
-Followed Linux daily on news sites and such
-Started using Fedora full time at F12
-Started trying to do more with the command line
-Got really excited about all the bleeding edge updates
-Started evangelizing Linux to my friends and family
-Wrote some walkthroughs and website for helping people get Fedora 
installed and tweaking things to make their lives easier
-Started going to college so I could learn to be a programmer and learn 
more so I could do more.

So over the past few years, I have been commenting on Linux blogs and 
articles.  I read and follow news feeds.

I am passionate about all this...

But when I try to figure out how to help Fedora, or learn how to 
contribute in any way, there is no doorway.  There is no Welcome mat 
that says, "Here is where you come in".  It honestly feels like unless I 
live near Red Hat, and walk into the building, there will never be a 
welcome.  At least until I read the article posted on lxer that was on 
fedoramagazine, about "Join Fedora".  That was such an exciting find for 
me.  I read through the entire irc post, just so I could know what you 
guys were planning to do.

For someone like me that is going to school, specifically so I can 
dedicate the rest of my life to building a better open source world and 
hopefully contribute to Fedora.  (I'll probably have to find a job 
somewhere to support my open source contributing addiction)  I am 
willing to learn, but there is no easy pathway to get what I need to 
know.  It sure won't be in my school books, and my teachers wouldn't 
know the first thing about it.  So I've had no resources to rely on.

I hope this helps,

-Cory

On 04/23/2014 04:51 PM, Sarup Banskota wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 24, 2014 at 2:08 AM, Cory Hilliard <coryhilliard at gmail.com 
> <mailto:coryhilliard at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     Hello there,
>
>     I think this group is exactly what I've been looking for.  I've
>     been a computer admin/web programmer for many years.  Around 2003
>     I became interested and started using Linux.  Through all that I
>     fell in love with Open Source and Linux and am now half-way
>     finished a 3 year CS program.  I did this because I want my whole
>     future to be wrapped up in contributing to Linux and Open Source. 
>     (Specifically Fedora).
>
>
> Hi Cory! Welcome to the Fedora Project!
>
>
>     There never seemed to be a visible entry door for people like me. 
>     You all seemed like a tight-knit group of "geeks" that had a
>     secret knock or passageway to get in... and unless you knew them,
>     you weren't invited.
>
>     Entry is almost overwhelming.  I don't know anything it seems. 
>     I've wanted to learn how to write an RPM, how to contribute, how
>     to test... but the methods to do so are so confusing and so
>     obscure, unless someone either explains it or you read a manual
>     that is thicker than a New York phone book, you'll never know how.
>
>     I read the irc chat you guys had.  If you want an understanding
>     from the viewpoint of an outsider.  Please ask me.  I'll tell you
>     how huge the castle wall looks like.
>
>
> I can totally understand. I'm very glad you've appeared on the mailing 
> list. I'm not sure if I should ask a newcomer about ways to improve 
> his experience, but I have a quick question for you: would you rather 
> ask for a less intensive join procedure (less forms to fill, less 
> groups to join, just a take-me-to-where-I-do-stuff) or would you 
> rather ask for a guided approach where someone tells you the stuff 
> (ok, go to this page and fill out these points, next fill out this 
> form introducing yourself)?
>
> It's probably a difficult question to answer, but what was the first 
> thing you tried to do when you decided you want to contribute to 
> Fedora? What were your first hurdles? How did you reach here?
>
> I'm hoping to devote some time this summer trying to work out an 
> easier way for folk to involve with Fedora, I think your answers will 
> come handy!
>
> Thanks, hope to hear from you and help you onboard!
>
> Sarup
> (banas)
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> fedora-join mailing list
> fedora-join at lists.fedoraproject.org
> https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/fedora-join

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