Getting Started With SourceCred
This guide draft outlines the steps any beginner would need to take to dip their toes into the SourceCred Community. Below we’ll discuss both technical ways of getting connected, and the social norms of starting out.
This guide is meant to reflect where our community and infrastructure is at now, though we do intend to make these systems more polished and add more features/capabilities as time goes on and more tools are built to enable our community.
1. Joining the SourceCred Discord
The very first step for getting involved with our community is to join our community discussions. Discord is the platform we use to be social and talk not only about our projects and goals, but also to get to know one another and build a sense of connection in real time.
Step 1: Create a Discord Account
If you have never used Discord before, you’ll want to download the application (or access it via web browser) and create your own account with their service. You can find step by step instructions for doing so [here] (insert link when guide is ready) (see "Join a Community Call link below).
Step 2: Join SourceCred’s Community Discord Server
Discord is a service, and SourceCred has it’s own little section of it where you can join the conversation. So once you’ve got Discord downloaded and your account set up, you’ll need to find us and join our community. For a step by step guide on how to do so, click [here] (insert link when guide is ready) (see "Join a Community Call link below).
2. Poke Through Our Resources
Eventually there will be dedicated channel in the Discord called “#signpost” or “#read.me” which will list all of the best beginner resources. For now, we’ve compiled a small list below of different types of documentation made by our community which may be useful to you. Not all of these documents are polished, or even finished, but it’s what we have available for now. Check out these resources (which are limited currently, but will be more polished and comprehensive by summer 2020) and get an idea for what SourceCred is all about, how we work, and what our values are.
Beginner Resources:
- The “Concepts” Section of the SourceCred Website - this series of guides lays a foundation of the key terms and concepts that SourceCred is built upon like “Cred” and “Initiatives”.
- The Code of Conduct - a rough outlining of some of our community norms and values.
- The Join a Community Call rough draft - a protodocument that is still in the works but gives some basic information on how to join our weekly Community Call and how to join our Discord.
- The Onboarding Machine Discourse Topic - Not so much a guide, but an explanation for the community of our thoughts on how to bring newcomers into our community effectively.
- The How to Get an Ambassador How-To - a quick explanation of how to get person to person support as you enter the community and start contributing.
3. Introduce Yourself
We want to get to know you! Go to the SourceCred Discord and find the channel #intros. Post there letting us know that you’re poking into SourceCred and tell us a bit about yourself.
You may want to share things like:
- Your preferred name
- What brought you to SourceCred
- Other projects or activities you’re passionate about
- Why you may want to work on SourceCred
- Anything else you want to share!
4. Come to a Community Call
The SourceCred Community Call is a weekly voice call which we encourage anyone in the community to attend, but especially those folks who are new to SourceCred and want to know more about it.
We encourage you to attend one and see how you like our community. We also would love it if you brought a question or two with you about things you’d like to understand better within SourceCred. That way, not only do you get a chance to learn but others on the call will have the chance as well!
The Community Call is every Tuesday at 11am PT (double check your time zone) in the “General” voice channel on our Discord. For more step by step instructions on how to join the Discord voice channels for the Community Call, check out this [guide] (insert link once guide is finished, for now, see “Join a Community Call” linked above).
5. Get an Ambassador
Once you’ve decided that you like the SourceCred community, and that you’d really like to get involved bringing your own unique perspective and skills to the benefit of the project, you’re ready for an Ambassador. Ambassadors help to guide newcomers on their path to becoming full contributors in the project and will provide you with support and resources on your journey.
If you’re not quite ready to dig your hands in and start contributing, that’s okay. Feel free to keep chatting on the Discord, reading the documentation, and coming to the Community Calls. Once you feel like you want to get more involved and start contributing, our Ambassadors will be here for you.
You can find more step by step info for requesting your own Ambassador here.