Chapter 2. The Fedora Docs Community
The variety of tools and topics covered by Fedora Docs can make joining an intimidating process. Don't get discouraged! Experienced conributors might be doing in-depth work, but participation doesn't have to be detailed.
We welcome as much time as you would like to contribute, but you don't need to invest a large amount of time to help. Producing quality documention is more than just writing. The work needs to be proofread, periodically checked to see if updates are required, reviewed for technical accuracy, and marked up. Once the documentation is written, it is translated, converted to other formats, and published.
Ways to contribute
Requesting Documentation
Requesting documentation on a subject might be the simplest way to contribute. If you are looking for instructions for something and can't find it, speak up!
Proofreading
Proofreading is a task that can be be done by almost anyone. We strongly encourage feedback from readers, as this helps the authors identify confusing or inaccurate content. Reporting content that you have trouble understanding or instructions that don't work as expected helps writers improve their work.
Reporting Changes
Volunteers testing new software or prerelease versions of Fedora can report new features or changed behaviors. Just knowing what needs to be updated can help writers keep their work up to date.
Writing
Writing content can be involved, like maintaining a formal guide, or you can share short tutorials. Writing can be the most difficult part of the process, don't worry about doing everything at once. Other volunteers can help with reviewing and publishing.
Markup
Fedora Documentation is eventually saved in the DocBook format. Using DocBook provides structure and context, enables effective translation, and allows publishing in a variety of formats. You can learn more about DocBook in
Chapter 4, Brief Introduction to DocBook.
Translating
The
Fedora Localization Project translates Fedora's documentation and some software. Localization (often abbreviated as
L10N, where the
10 represents the number of letters between
L and
N in the word in English) is a separate group within Fedora that often works closely with the Docs Project.
Publishing
A document is ready to be published when the relevant change has been identified and the documentation written or updated. More publishing is done as the content is translated to various languages. Volunteers publish work to make it available to the Fedora community.
Mentoring
More experienced members of the Docs community act as mentors for others. Don't ever be afraid to ask for help from your mentor, or from anyone on the Docs team. Friendship is one of Fedora's
Foundations, and many have found valuable friendships in the Fedora community.
