All parts of remoteStorage are completely free and open-source, and developed collaboratively in the open. In order for it to be useful to as many people as possible, we need the help of not only developers, but also everyone using it, or even newcomers who’ve stumbled upon it and like the concept!
So, how can you help, if you’re not a software developer? Here’s a list I blatantly copied and adapted from a great article on opensource.com:
1. Use remoteStorage-enabled apps
Write your notes with Litewrite, manage your bookmarks with Webmarks, share your files with Sharesome, organise your group expenses with Grouptabs, read RSS feeds in Dogfeed… you get the idea.
2. Bug-test
Because you are now using the product, occasionally it’ll crash when you try and do something. Or it will do something different than expected. Get in touch with the developers and tell them. Developers thrive on this feedback from their users. It helps them perfect their product and because they’re open source projects the bug fixes are usually pretty quick.
3. Write documentation
Help write the documentation for the project so it is clearer and easier to understand.
Most of the time the developers are too busy developing and so the documentation needs some TLC. You could format it better, clarify some of the language, add images or tutorials. If bits of the project are unclear, ask here on the forums. When you get the response add it to the documentation. For new documentation, just open a topic here on the forums and add your draft, so we can get it to the right place together.
4. Evangelise
Raising awareness for remoteStorage and its ideas is a great thing to do. Don’t get in everybody’s face about it, just let people know what you’ve been using. Write a blog post about it, mention it in your social media channels of choice, recommend apps to people, etc.
5. Donate
If the software developers are accepting donations, give them some money. Money buys them the time to improve remoteStorage-enabled apps faster and fix bugs quicker. Better apps (and other remoteStorage software) will result in more users, will result in more apps and services.
Some developers offer one-off payment methods like PayPal or Bitcoin, while others also use services like Flattr or Gittip, where you can send them a tiny amount every month or so. If available, use the regular donations, because it helps the developers plan better, when they know how much money is definitely coming in.
6. Be professional
One of the discriminations against open source software is its lack of professionalism and so no matter how you help with open source projects make sure you are professional about it. Raising the quality of the project starts with its users. Make sure that you act in a professional manner when discussing projects with others and create quality output when you use open source software.
Now you know all of this, go forth and help make remoteStorage and its ecosystem amazing!
Suggested starting places
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These forums! Get an account and post any and all feedback, questions, and problem reports, no matter what. (Hint: there’s no stupid question whatsoever, only bad user experience that we can improve.)
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GitHub is the code hosting platform, where most remoteStorage projects, including the core libraries and specification, are being developed. You can ask questions or report bugs by opening GitHub issues:
- remoteStorage.js issues – Use these for bug reports regarding the remoteStorage widget (the one with the login field you use to connect)
- Litewrite issues
- Sharesome issues
- If you can’t find a place for bug reports or to contact the developer, just ask here on the forums!