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=Introduction= | =Introduction= | ||
These notes and resources, used as part of a two-day introduction to Mozilla for professors, are made available to others who want to get a quick introduction to the Mozilla project. The focus is on getting connected into Mozilla's community, learning how to navigate Mozilla technologies and tools, and understanding how to connect educational and Mozilla project goals. | These notes and resources, used as part of a two-day introduction to Mozilla for professors, are made available to others who want to get a quick introduction to the Mozilla project. The focus is on getting connected into Mozilla's community, learning how to navigate Mozilla technologies and tools, and understanding how to connect educational and Mozilla project goals. | ||
=Mozilla Community= | |||
Any significant and sincere attempt to work with Mozilla must begin with an understanding of the Mozilla community. Where some technologies are the product and property of a business created by employees and overseen by managers, Mozilla is developed and used in the open as a collaborative public good. Decisions are discussed and finalized in the open, with the opportunity for public engagement. Contributions to the project come from around the world, from volunteers, from employees of large companies, from employees of small companies, and also from the Mozilla Corporation itself. | |||
This open, public, collaborative structure makes it possible for students to become engaged in the process of fixing, improving, and advancing Mozilla. To do so effectively, they must learn how to participate in the community and have their voice and work noticed. One doesn't need permission to do any of this, but simply the knowledge of how to do it. | |||
==Communication== | |||
Because the community is so large (one of the largest open source communities in the world), and so globally distributed, different communication channels and media are used. Depending on the type of work you and your students are doing, one or more of these will be most effective. | |||
===IRC=== | |||
[[Education/Learning/Irc|IRC]] is a real-time chat protocol used extensively by Mozilla's most active developers to co-ordinate activities. You can learn more about how IRC works, and get instructions on using it in the Mozilla context [[Education/Learning/Irc|here]]. | |||
Almost all open source projects have IRC channels, but Mozilla is large enough that it has its own server, with hundreds of channels. Learning IRC is one thing, and then figuring out which channel(s) are the most appropriate for certain types of work/questions is another. The best starting place is the [irc://irc.mozilla.org/education #education] channel. This channel is filled with students and professors from many schools, and also some knowledgable (and sympathetic) Mozilla community members. Not every channel is going to be friendly to beginners, but the [irc://irc.mozilla.org/education #education] channel will be. You can ask anything about Mozilla, IRC, getting students connected to people within Mozilla, etc. | |||
Here are some other points about IRC for professors: | |||
* IRC can seem somewhat childish, with its use of short forms, nicknames, etc. However, don't dismiss it because of this. Being able to combine you, your students, and Mozilla developers in a real-time chat environment is invaluable | |||
* Students may need some hand-holding to use irc effectively. For example, it is wise to have them start using one channel you create (e.g., /join ''channel name'' will create a new channel) and/or the [irc://irc.mozilla.org/education #education] channel. This allows them to learn the tool and how to communicate effectively online before jumping into the main developer channels. | |||
* Getting developers to stop what they are doing and help you (and your students) on irc is a two-way thing: if all you ever do is ask questions, you're not likely to have your questions answered over the long term. The best long term strategy is to look for ways to contribute to the channels. For example, a developer may need help testing a patch, or need some info about an OS they don't have. Watching for ways to contribute helps build your credibility and place within the community. | |||
* Similar to the previous point, IRC is not email. Joining irc, asking a question, then leaving right away is not how you should use it. Many people leave it running all the time so they can read what has happened while they were away. Maybe you'll know the answer to a question asked a few hours ago--it's fine to answer it now | |||
* Don't overlook the value of having your students (and you!) sit idle in the main developer channels. What an amazing learning opportunity to have the chance to be able to go and "sit" in the "office" of a world-class developer project and listen to how they work. | |||
=Resources= | =Resources= | ||
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* [http://mxr.mozilla.org MXR]: The Mozilla Cross-Reference, for searching and consulting Mozilla source code | * [http://mxr.mozilla.org MXR]: The Mozilla Cross-Reference, for searching and consulting Mozilla source code | ||
* [http://hg.mozilla.org Mozilla HG Repositories]: Source code repositories for Firefox (mozilla-central), Thunderbird (comm-central), etc. | * [http://hg.mozilla.org Mozilla HG Repositories]: Source code repositories for Firefox (mozilla-central), Thunderbird (comm-central), etc. | ||
* [http://www.mozilla.org/owners.html Mozilla Module Owners]: List of Mozilla modules, module owners, and peers. | |||