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Yongjun Hong
Yongjun Hong

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How to Improve the Onboarding Experience for New Contributors in an Open-Source Project

I am currently working on improving the overall experience for newcomers joining our open-source project. I would like to gather some best practices and suggestions on how to make the onboarding process smoother and more welcoming. Here are some specific areas I am focusing on:

  1. Documentation

    • What are the essential components to include in a README file?
    • How detailed should the contribution guide be, and what should it cover?
    • Are there any examples of well-documented projects that I can refer to?
  2. Codebase Organization

    • How can I ensure that the codebase is clean and easy to navigate for new contributors?
    • Any tips on maintaining consistent code style and structure?
  3. Onboarding Materials

    • What are some effective ways to create onboarding guides and tutorials?
    • Would video tutorials be helpful, and if so, how detailed should they be?
  4. Community Engagement

    • How can we create a welcoming and supportive community for new contributors?
    • What communication channels (Slack, Discord, etc.) are most effective for engaging with new contributors?
  5. Recognition and Encouragement

    • How do you recognize and encourage contributions from new members?
    • Any strategies for keeping new contributors motivated and engaged?

I appreciate any insights, examples, or resources you can share on these topics. Thank you!

Best regards,
YongGoose

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