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#1 2012-09-26 04:21:31

amckee
Member
From: Cruise Ship Earth
Registered: 2012-02-13
Posts: 25
Website

How may I best serve this community?

Howdy!

First off, if this is the wrong location, my apologies. This seemed like the best choice at the time of writing.

To keep things as short as possible, I just wanted to help this community but have been contemplating how I would best do that. So, I figured I will detail a bit about my background and simply ask where I should spend time lurking around and helping out.

I'm a long time geek and have been in Linux for about a decade now. I've been working at a (hopefully respectable) web host company as a Linux administrator for over a year now which has been enlightening and quite fun, and has also recently brought to my attention that I could be considered a Linux professional. I also love to use Linux at home for all things possible, and specifically the Arch side of Linux. Before all this I was chasing my passion of software development, so I also have background in code, API documentation, debugging and all else that comes with.

So, where may I fit best to help out?

- These forums (which topic?)
- Bug Squashing (where do I start?)
- Code documenting
- something else?

To be fair I do realize I can help wherever/whenever I can, though I do that anyways. I was hoping for an answer with more inside information on anything that may be lacking that could use more focus.

If you scoff at this post for any reason, I would love a private message letting me know what I did wrong, no worries. I won't even respond if you'd prefer. I just don't mind criticism and don't want to step on any toes. I like it in Archlandia, and figured it can't hurt to ask.

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#2 2012-09-26 04:29:20

karol
Archivist
Registered: 2009-05-06
Posts: 25,440

Re: How may I best serve this community?

The wiki could use some help.
You can go through https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ArchWiki:Requests and see if you're knowledgeable enough to fix these issues. Sometimes it's just some simple but repetitive editing needed.
Please read https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ArchWiki:About , https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Help:Editing and https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Help:Style first.

If you have any questions, fire away.

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#3 2012-09-26 04:35:17

jasonwryan
Anarchist
From: .nz
Registered: 2009-05-09
Posts: 30,424
Website

Re: How may I best serve this community?

More generally, there is also the Getting Involved page.

Just start contributing; if you do something wrong, it is unlikely to break anything and there will be no shortage of people to let you know smile


Arch + dwm   •   Mercurial repos  •   Surfraw

Registered Linux User #482438

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#4 2012-09-26 04:35:25

WonderWoofy
Member
From: Los Gatos, CA
Registered: 2012-05-19
Posts: 8,414

Re: How may I best serve this community?

amckee wrote:

If you scoff at this post for any reason, I would love a private message letting me know what I did wrong, no worries. I won't even respond if you'd prefer. I just don't mind criticism and don't want to step on any toes. I like it in Archlandia, and figured it can't hurt to ask.

Honestly, I think this is a very respectable post.  It exemplifies a true desire to want to better our community, and I don't know how one can scoff at that.

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#5 2012-09-26 04:55:55

Allan
Pacman
From: Brisbane, AU
Registered: 2007-06-09
Posts: 11,357
Website

Re: How may I best serve this community?

amckee wrote:

- Bug Squashing (where do I start?)

This is my favorite way for people to get involved.   Go to the bug tracker, find a bug in a piece of software you use.  Try to replicate it, look for a fix or an open bug report upstream, post details in the tracker of whether the fix works or link to bug, etc...

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#6 2012-09-26 06:08:23

tomk
Forum Fellow
From: Ireland
Registered: 2004-07-21
Posts: 9,839

Re: How may I best serve this community?

More generally, there's a phrase that comes up in situations like this: "Scratch your own Itch". Notwithstanding the good advice above, people who are working for nothing in their precious spare time are more likely to do good work if they work on something that will benefit them personally, as well as those around them. So to answer your question with questions: what bothers you about Arch? What would you like to improve/add/change/etc?

While you're thinking about that, the dev team's laundry needs doing, and they need their shoes polished. tongue

Last edited by tomk (2012-09-26 06:09:49)

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#7 2012-09-26 06:26:01

Allan
Pacman
From: Brisbane, AU
Registered: 2007-06-09
Posts: 11,357
Website

Re: How may I best serve this community?

tomk wrote:

While you're thinking about that, the dev team's laundry needs doing, and they need their shoes polished. tongue


I'd also like a beer.

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#8 2012-09-26 07:13:23

ngoonee
Forum Fellow
From: Between Thailand and Singapore
Registered: 2009-03-17
Posts: 7,354

Re: How may I best serve this community?

Allan wrote:
tomk wrote:

While you're thinking about that, the dev team's laundry needs doing, and they need their shoes polished. tongue


I'd also like a beer.

Hey, respect the sanctity of the Arch forums sanctuary, no alcohol here. Off-topic is that way.

OP - there's no shortage of work (netcfg comes to mind) if you're into coding.


Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.

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#9 2012-09-26 08:01:50

jouke
Member
Registered: 2009-10-14
Posts: 72

Re: How may I best serve this community?

From my point of view the main thing that needs to be done for netcfg is a complete rewrite of the wiki. The code is in relatively good shape. Sure, coding style has never been so inconsistent between files, but overall I'm happy with the functionality.

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#10 2012-09-26 09:34:44

litemotiv
Forum Fellow
Registered: 2008-08-01
Posts: 5,026

Re: How may I best serve this community?

ngoonee wrote:
Allan wrote:

I'd also like a beer.

Hey, respect the sanctity of the Arch forums sanctuary

Would it be better if he said sacramental wine? wink


ᶘ ᵒᴥᵒᶅ

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#11 2012-09-26 09:37:05

ngoonee
Forum Fellow
From: Between Thailand and Singapore
Registered: 2009-03-17
Posts: 7,354

Re: How may I best serve this community?

litemotiv wrote:
ngoonee wrote:
Allan wrote:

I'd also like a beer.

Hey, respect the sanctity of the Arch forums sanctuary

Would it be better if he said sacramental wine? wink

Only if the mods got the first glasses =p


Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.

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