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Open Source Contributions |
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Contributions to open source projects can be of widely varying content, complexity and motivation. Therefore, contributions can be categorized into different classes and types to allow for providing concrete guidance for each. In general, there are two separate classes of contributions:
- contributions to existing open source projects, and
- the creation of new projects, including open sourcing entire proprietary code bases.
These two classes differ significantly in terms of motivations, (business) reasons as well as legal considerations and practical execution. Therefore, module 3 will cover each class separately.
Within the class of contributions to existing projects, contributions can be of very different nature, both in terms of technical complexity as well as in terms of what is being contributed. Regarding technical complexity, contributions can range from simple bug fixes (e.g., typos) to the addition of complex new features. Moreover, contributions are not limited to source code, but generally include any form of content (e.g., documentation), information (e.g., bug reports and feature requests) or support (e.g., infrastructure, marketing, release management). Each type of contribution may require a different approach, both regarding engaging with an open source project as well as company-internal processes. Therefore, this material differentiates five types of contributions to existing open source projects:
- Bug reports and feature requests,
- Bug fixes and corrections,
- Supporting contributions,
- Individual features, and
- Strategic industry leading engagements.