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diff --git a/content/learn/participate/contribute.md b/content/learn/participate/contribute.md index 210ba9d..c337fae 100644 --- a/content/learn/participate/contribute.md +++ b/content/learn/participate/contribute.md @@ -2,3 +2,49 @@ title: Contribute to free software weight: 1 --- + +Scores of free software projects are looking for help. No matter your area of +expertise -- competence in any programming language, writing documentation, +community management, marketing skills, design and art skills -- there's a +project out there which could use your help. Look at the tools you use every day +-- chances are that many of them are already free software. + +Their communities are waiting to meet you! Find their chat rooms, internet +forums, and other hang-outs and introduce yourself. + +## Things to know + +When you submit improvements to free software, you will generally be expected to +provide them under the terms of the software license the project is already +distributed with. Review the license and ensure that you can agree to its terms +when licensing your own contributions. + +If you don't own the work you are contributing (for example, you're contributing +on your employer's time or equipment), you need to secure the authorization of +the copyright holder. This also applies if you incorporate code from another +free software project -- see <nobr>[re-using free software][0]</nobr> for +more details. + +[0]: /learn/participate/derived-works/ + +## Regarding "Contributor License Agreements" + +Some projects will ask you to sign a "Contributor License Agreement", or a +similar document, when providing your contribution. It is important that you +read it carefully. This document may be used to simply verify that you own the +copyright over your change and have the right to contribute it. However, many of +these agreements may also ask you to waive some of your rights, for example to +permit the publisher to incorporate your changes into non-free versions of the +software. + +You are not obligated to waive your rights. Such agreements may be required for +the original publisher to agree to incorporate your changes into their version +of the software, and to distribute those changes on your behalf. However, you +are always entitled to the right to distribute an improved version of the +software yourself, independently of the original publisher. + +Publishers of free software are strongly discouraged from using Contributor +License Agreements to manage their community contributions. For more details, +see [managing copyright ownership][1]. + +[1]: /learn/participate/copyright-ownership/ |
