Making the ideal contribution to the suggestion category #2
The previous post talked about the general and category guidelines. It provides more information on how to improve in the race to make the ultimate contribution to the Suggestions category. Understanding the general and category guidelines is not enough to say Yes, I can now contribute and get maximum points.
We have the category template that should be followed. This template is concise and properly formatted in a way that anyone can understand what you are trying to contribute. The template serves as a guideline on what is expected from your contribution. The Suggestion category guidelines can be gotten here. The template has many sections that will be fully discussed below.
Repository
For many first-timers, this is a foreign term that they may not know what it means. Repository or repo is a storage space where the application code files are stored. You can liken it to an online backup of your computer files. The repository contains all the application files and subsequent updates. It makes it easy for other users to collaborate on the repository.
Since Utopian aims to reward open source contributors, the application repository must be open source, meaning the application files, source codes should be publicly accessible and free to use. In order to know if an application is open-source.
- Find the Github repository associated with the application
- Check the license file to know if it’s a public one or private one
MIT license, General Public License, and Apache License are examples of open source licenses.
https://github.com/utopian-io/utopian.io is a typical example of a Github repository. It is the repository for the Utopian platform.
Components
The components section should start with a little introduction to the application you are contributing to. This should be an easy task since you already have in-depth knowledge of the application. It is believed that you are already utilizing the application, thus, the introduction should be in your words. You are expected to specify the components/features/interfaces of the application that you want to be enhanced. This section should answer the question What.
- What features do you want to be added?
- What components should be enhanced?
Proposal description
Telling us that I want the steemit wallet section to be re-organized is not enough. We want to know how it should be done. This section answers the question How. You need to explain in details how you want the above-mentioned components should be enhanced. This will make it easier for the developer, project owner to implement the idea you suggested. You can describe your proposal verbally or usage of codes. Your proposal can also be described graphically which will be explained in the Mockup section.
Mockups
A picture is worth a thousand words. That is why the mockups is a key section in the category template. Flow-charts, visuals should be included in this section to give a better understanding of how your suggestion can be implemented. This will help the project owner, other interested users, and the moderators to understand what your suggestion is all about at a glance. Therefore, your mockups should be well detailed and simple. You can use picture editing tools to make a good mockup.
Benefits
This is where the bulk of your suggestion should be concentrated. You already answered the question What and How in the components and proposal section respectively. This section should answer the question Why, What, How. This is your main selling point.
- Why do you want the developer/project owner to implement your suggestion?
- What effect will your suggestion have on the application?
- How will the user base respond to your suggestion if implemented?
These are the questions that need to be answered in order to convince the project owner that your suggestion is worth implementing. Take it like pitching an investment idea to a group of investors. This section should be well detailed and informative to win the heart of the project owner/developer, moderators, and other users.
Github account
Your Github account should be posted here. Getting a Github account is simple. Visit Github.com to set up a new account. The Github account is needed to create an issue on repositories and also collaborate too. Example of a GitHub account is https://github.com/zoneboy
Contribution review
Your contribution is reviewed by our team of moderators within 72 hours. The moderators will not only review your contribution, but they will also leave insightful feedback that will help improve your work. You can also reply to the moderator feedback and ask for more detailed information. The moderators are your friends.
While the guidelines are there to show contributors what is expected from them and can be modified in different ways, I will advise that all modifications should be in the confines of the existing template. This is not only for higher incentives, but to improve you as an open-source contributor.
You can find some examples of suggestions made below
https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@tykee/ability-to-synchronize-activities-dairy-with-gps
https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@ckole/enhancement-of-libot-adventure
https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@jga/steem-proposal-to-reduce-voting-rings-and-self-voting
The next part will focus on steps to follow in making that unique suggestion.
Another very good post in this series. If I could make one suggestion to possibly improve to it, it would be that positive examples would be useful in places such as the proposal description.
The post had minor issues of style and grammar. I will happily give examples of those in a follow-up comment if wanted.
Thank you for the contribution.
Your contribution has been evaluated according to Utopian policies and guidelines, as well as a predefined set of questions pertaining to the category.
To view those questions and the relevant answers related to your post, click here.
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[utopian-moderator]
Thanks for the feedback. You can give the style and grammar feedback too. It's all about improving and learning.
Awesome. Here are some examples:
"The previous post talked about the general and category guidelines. It provides..." It is entirely unclear what "it" refers to, here. Grammatical logic would dictate that you're talking about the previous post, but "provides" is in present tense. Kinda feels like you lost a sentence.
"Understanding the general and category guidelines is not enough to say Yes, I can now contribute and get maximum points." Bolding the latter part isn't enough. It should be in quotation marks.
"This template is concise and properly formatted in a way that anyone can understand what you are trying to contribute." When you use "in a way" right after "properly formatted," the expectation is that you will discuss the way it is properly formatted. Replacing "in a way" with "so that" would make this sentence clearer.
"a guideline on" should be "a guideline to."
"For many first-timers, this is a foreign term that they may not know what it means." This one has a redundancy, and is needlessly convoluted. Something like "Many first-timers may not know what the term means" would be clearer.
Thank you for your review, @didic!
So far this week you've reviewed 13 contributions. Keep up the good work!
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