External Communities

The globally diverse nature of open source makes engaging with external communities increasingly vital. These communities are wide-ranging covering code, industry events, and open source foundations. Typically, it starts with getting involved in an open source project either as a consumer, contributor, or maintainer. The discussion starts online through using the code, filing issues, and contributing code and docs. The desire to meet other maintainers and users of the project grows stronger as you start working with them closely. If the project belongs to an open source foundation, then you may consider joining the foundation to participate in the strategic direction of the foundation. Engaging with different channels of vibrant and active communities within these projects ensures sustainability and maximizes the impact of an organization’s efforts.