Open-source development is an approach based on source code sharing and collaborative improvement.
There are thousands of open-source projects on the internet. Open-source projects can be social media applications, project management software, and technical documentation. So how do you pick the right one?
What to Look for in an Open-Source Project
One misconception about open-source projects is that you have to contribute code. While code is essential, other areas like documentation, project management, and community advocacy, can include significant open-source contributions.
Anyone who has worked on open-source projects will tell you about the power of such projects. The benefits include innovation, up-skilling, and productive relationships that impact your career.
Consider the following characteristics to determine whether an open-source is worth your time.
1. Does It Have a License?
Every open-source project has a license, typically either a permissive license or a copyleft one. A permissive license is common in open-source projects. It does not restrict anyone from using, distributing, or selling a modified version of the software.
Most open-source projects have a permissive license, such as MIT, BSD, or Apache 2.0. The MIT license shares and distributes software for free, and is warranty-free:
Copyleft licenses such as General Public License, Mozilla Public License, and Affero General Public License come with further restrictions.
A permissive license allows contributors to change and distribute open-source software. This means developers can modify the source code to produce new software and use or distribute it without restriction. The modified version will be under the same license as the original software.
However, the modified versions will not have the same name as the original version for easy identification between the two. The license should also include all persons and not discriminate against anyone.
Anyone who receives the redistributed software should have the same rights in the license as the original code owners.
A free license doesn’t restrict the software to a particular distribution channel or technology. Software and dependencies distributed alongside open-source software do not necessarily have to be open-source. Closed-source and other paid technologies use open-source software without restrictions.
2. Is the Source Code Shared?
All open-source projects have a license that allows the free sharing of the source code. The rights also extend to the code compiled from contributions. The project should make its source code available to all parties without restrictions.
When the source code is unavailable on public platforms, it should be available upon request. Any project that does not share its source code is not an open-source project.
But, the license can restrict the redistribution of the source code and only allow the redistribution of its modified form. The modified code can have a different name or version to differentiate it from the original project.
3. Does the Project Have Guidelines for Contributors?
Every open-source project should have a contributors guide. You will likely find it in the root folder of the project, often named CONTRIBUTORS or CONTRIBUTORS.md. A contributors guide contains simple instructions on how to contribute to the project.
The guide shows new contributors how to fork, raise an issue, and submit their contributions to the upstream repository. Contributor guides help to show contributors how the project works to reduce conflicts between branches during merging.
Here’s an example of contributor guidelines from the AsyncAPI open-source project on GitHub:
4. Does It Have an Active Community?
Innovation is one of the reasons why open-source projects have become so popular. Open-source brings together talented and enthusiastic communities to generate ideas that promote innovation.
A strong community ensures clear communication, collaboration, and marketing for the product. Active open-source communities produce better results and scale innovations quicker than individual projects.
To determine whether a community is active, look at its social channels. Start by monitoring their activities on social media, Discord, or Slack accounts. Working in an active community with a free flow of information and resources is better.
Active communities in open-source speed up innovation in three ways. The communities respond to current trends in technology, have frequent release cycles, and have vast redistribution of the software.
An example of an open-source project with a fantastic community is Facebook’s Javascript framework, React.
React has grown to version 18 in nine years, while a similar framework Vue.js is still at version 3. Both frameworks are less than ten years old. React’s vibrant community overshadows other popular JavaScript frameworks, such as Angular.
It’s fun working on open-source projects with active communities. Also, you will never fall behind on tech trends and updates. Finding the best Discord tech communities is an excellent addition to your open-source portfolio.
5. Are the Maintainers Active and Attentive?
In an open-source project, maintainers are contributors with permission to modify the files in a project’s repository. Maintainers are in charge of the project and ensure contributions made to the project align with its objectives.
In a good open-source project, maintainers are the most active. They will be in charge of community channels, lead discussions, and address the contributors’ questions. Maintainers give updates and encourage collaboration in the community.
To determine whether a project has active maintainers, look at its remote repositories, such as GitHub. Active maintainers communicate well. They respond to pull requests, set up issues, and address contributor questions.
Identify active maintainers by checking how often they respond to queries posted on social channels. Any repository with three months of communication gap is not a suitable project.
Characteristics of a Good Open-Source Project
While many other characteristics define a suitable open-source project, the important ones are the license type, nature of communities, source code, and active maintainers.
Open-source projects with the above characteristics inspire innovation, scaling, and marketing world-class projects. Also, great open-source communities keep up with technology trends and encourage collaboration and diversity.
Chances are, you have used at least one open-software product in your life. Why not start there? Use the characteristics mentioned in this article to ensure you get the best project that complements your skills and needs.
