Our Open 3D community culture is key to the project’s success. The following values are to help provide an overall understanding of how to push our peers and project forward with continual improvement.
Any interaction, feature ideas, or discussions should be done transparently in a public manner. If someone starts a private discussion about a feature or support politely direct them to a public means of communication, such as Discord, GitHub Issue tracker, or mailing list.
Being patient and open with your expectations can help foster a more productive environment. Do not to assume how things operate or what the environment is like as most people are volunteering their time to a project. Setting written clear expectations on how to contribute, follow up, and understand the time commitments can help reduce frustration.
When you see a bug, or the potential for a reoccurring problem, or an ideal fix, report it and propose a solution then act upon it with others. Encourage others to solve problems helping deter process or technical debt which may slow the project’s growth down.
Thank people for their work contributions and ideas. If they do not align, explain why and provide relevant information to avoid repeating issues. Disagreements are bound to happen as they are a key part of innovation. When this happens, people can ignore a problem, feel guilty, or become aggressive. Being respectful can encourage clear and open communication.
Helping others is an essential part of any healthy community. When you’re a new contributor dealing with rejections or places where they could apply more polish, be patient with them. Consider mentoring them through their first few contributions, or help them find someone else who might be willing to mentor them.
Automation tools for testing is key to help reduce human error and set the minimum standard of quality. Bots and support applications can help increase velocity, reduce the overhead, and prevent errors that happen from mundane tasks. Ensure that automation can be run locally by contributors.
Gaining contributors is a key to bringing a project to life and reducing the workload. Recognizing contributors that collaborate with others, make numerous contributions, and offer more responsibility can create a greater sense of accomplishment and belonging. Provide the tools that can allow others to grow into leadership roles if they desire.
Life commitments and burnout are real and it can be hard to take a break when everybody needs you. Communicate when you are and are not available to set communication expectations and avoid any confusion caused by unresponsiveness. Try to find support for your community when you are away from a project.
Many turn to open source as a creative outlet, even if it doesn’t align to your project. Encourage them to work on their own fork to avoid conflicts with the project’s vision. Many tools, APIs and customization built from these forks can help others meet their needs and in many cases enhance the original project beyond its original limits.
Discovery and innovation is the fuel that creates excitement and participation from the community. Encourage creative discussions and demos that drive the project forward. Challenge each idea and contribute to new ways of enhancing the project beyond its original limits.