1. Encouraging Community Development
Pippin Williamson
http://pippinsplugins.com
@pippinsplugins
facebook.com/pippinsplugins

2. What is community development?

3. • Other people do “work” on your project
What is community development?

4. • Other people do “work” on your project
• Code contributions
What is community development?

5. • Other people do “work” on your project
• Code contributions
• Written documentation
What is community development?

6. • Other people do “work” on your project
• Code contributions
• Written documentation
• Tutorials
What is community development?

7. • Other people do “work” on your project
• Code contributions
• Written documentation
• Tutorials
• Bug reports
What is community development?

8. • Other people do “work” on your project
• Code contributions
• Written documentation
• Tutorials
• Bug reports
• Testing
What is community development?

9. What kind of projects?

10. What kind of projects?
• Themes –– _s, StartBox, Genesis

11. What kind of projects?
• Themes –– _s, StartBox, Genesis
• Plugins –– bbPress, Easy Digital Downloads, WP e-Commerce

12. What kind of projects?
• Themes –– _s, StartBox, Genesis
• Plugins –– bbPress, Easy Digital Downloads, WP e-Commerce
• Libraries –– WP_Logging, Custom Meta Boxes and Fields, WP_Session

13. What kind of projects?
• Themes –– _s, StartBox, Genesis
• Plugins –– bbPress, Easy Digital Downloads, WP e-Commerce
• Libraries –– WP_Logging, Custom Meta Boxes and Fields, WP_Session
• Tools –– WP-CLI, WP Stack

14. How to encourage contributions

15. • Ask for it
How to encourage contributions

16. • Ask for it
• Make it easy
How to encourage contributions

17. • Ask for it
• Make it easy
• Give contributors credit
How to encourage contributions

18. • Ask for it
• Make it easy
• Give contributors credit
How to encourage contributions
• Be nice

19. • Ask for it
• Make it easy
• Give contributors credit
How to encourage contributions
• Be nice
• Help out the first timers

20. • Ask for it
• Make it easy
• Give contributors credit
How to encourage contributions
• Be nice
• Help out the first timers
• Give solid, polite feedback

21. How to continue getting contributions

22. • Respond in a timely manner
How to continue getting contributions

23. • Respond in a timely manner
• Maintain quality
How to continue getting contributions

24. • Respond in a timely manner
• Maintain quality
• Accept criticism
How to continue getting contributions

25. • Respond in a timely manner
• Maintain quality
• Accept criticism
How to continue getting contributions
• Be constructive

26. • Respond in a timely manner
• Maintain quality
• Accept criticism
How to continue getting contributions
• Be constructive
• Ask others for their opinions

27. • Respond in a timely manner
• Maintain quality
• Accept criticism
How to continue getting contributions
• Be constructive
• Ask others for their opinions
• Admit you are wrong

28. How to respond to bad patches?

29. How to respond to bad patches?
“Thank you for taking the time to
submit a patch, though there are a
couple of things that need updated
before I can approve it.”

30. How to respond to bad patches?
“Thank you for taking the time to
submit a patch, though there are a
couple of things that need updated
before I can approve it.”
• List the issues clearly

31. How to respond to bad patches?
“Thank you for taking the time to
submit a patch, though there are a
couple of things that need updated
before I can approve it.”
• List the issues clearly
• Be polite

32. How to respond to bad patches?
“Thank you for taking the time to
submit a patch, though there are a
couple of things that need updated
before I can approve it.”
• List the issues clearly
• Be polite
• Thank them for their contribution

33. BUT

34. Maintain standards
Do not let crappy code in

35. Maintain standards
There will always be sub-par contributions.

36. Maintain standards
There will always be sub-par contributions.
Do not allow them in just because they are
contributions.

37. EVER

38. Educate instead

39. Educate instead
Identify the sub par contributions

40. Educate instead
Identify the sub par contributions
Your standards make or break the project.

41. Educate instead
Identify the sub par contributions
Your standards make or break the project.
Help the submitter make it better.

42. Educate instead
Identify the sub par contributions
Your standards make or break the project.
Help the submitter make it better.
Developers get better the more they contribute.

43. Educate instead
Identify the sub par contributions
Your standards make or break the project.
Help the submitter make it better.
Developers get better the more they contribute
–– encourage them.

44. Never be rude or throw insults
Some people are douches “special”.

45. Never be rude or throw insults
Some people are douches “special”.
Take them down with kindness.

46. Never be rude or throw insults
Some people are douches “special”.
Take them down with kindness.
Do not EVER be rude back.

47. Never be rude or throw insults
Some people are douches “special”.
Take them down with kindness.
Do not EVER be rude back.
–– stern is fine, not rude

48. EVER

49. Tools to encourage community
development

50. Tools to encourage community
development
github

51. Tools to encourage community
development

52. Tools to encourage community
development
trac

53. Tools to encourage community
development

54. Tools to encourage community
development
forums

55. Tools to encourage community
development

56. Tools to encourage community
development
giving
credit

57. Tools to encourage community
development

58. Tools to encourage community
development
extensible
code

59. Tools to encourage community
development
you

60. thanks

61. P.S.
I really, really like plugins.
Ask me about them.