Contribute/Coding/Pathways

This document describes the contribution pathways towards becoming a core Firefox contributor, including goals, metrics, and followup, to help Mozilla meaningfully and measurably grow and maintain our contributor base.

It is broadly based on the Pathways model adopted by the Communiy Building Team. Engagement points that feed into to the Coding pathway are listed on the Engagement page.

As of early 2014, Mozilla's biggest challenges around community growth revolve around accessibility and retention; the two biggest dials we can turn to

Contribution Tiers

The Foot In The Door

These are the starting points, perhaps obviously. While they are not a particularly high bar to achieve, they are the first place that Mozilla can put a (proverbial) name to a face.

• Installing Nightly
  • Metrics: mzl.la, download count
  • Rewards/recognition: Thanks on Nightly page.
  • Related initiatives: Proposed for
  • Followup: The Nightly first-run page includes invitations to join Mozillians, file bugs and hack on Firefox.
  • Next steps: Linked off

• Creating Bugzilla account
  • Metrics: Bugzilla (feeds Baloo)
  • Rewards/recognition: A badge (automatic)
  • Related initiatives:
  • Followup:
  • Next steps:

Tier 1

These are

• Filing a bug
  • Metrics: Bugzilla
  • Rewards/recognition: Thanks. I
  • Related initiatives: Automated badge-awarding and metrics integrated into Baloo gives us lots of
  • Followup: Contributor is invited to create a Mozillians acc't. When a bug or its dupe is resolved fixed, first-time contributors should be receive a note thanking them for their contribution.
  • Next steps:

• Creating a test case
  • Metrics: HG (?)
  • Rewards/recognition: A badge (manual)
  • Related initiatives:
  • Followup: This may count as a contribution - up to the discretion of the filer - towards adding that contributor to ** Mozilla’s list of contributors.
  • Next steps:

• Creating a Mozillians Account
  • Metrics: Mozillians.org

Rewards/recognition: No Related initiatives: Followup: The signup process should present users with engineering-relevant groups to sign up for. Next steps:

Tier 2

• Submitting a patch / Filing a pull request
  • Metrics: Bugzilla / Github
  • Rewards/recognition: Message of thanks.
  • Related initiatives:
  • Followup: Prompt. As per here we know that prompt review of a patch is strongly correlated to contributor retention. Invite contributor to sign up for Mozillians.
  • Next steps:

• Having (1,3,5,10) patche(s) r+’ed and merged
  • Metrics: Mercurial (script something for Github?)
  • Rewards/recognition: Name in about:credits, callout in release notes for first patch.
  • Related initiatives: Eventual ReviewBoard integration
  • Followup: When a patch is r+’ed, a first-time contributor should be guided towards their next bug.
  • Next steps:

• Try server access
  • Metrics: Bugzilla
  • Rewards/recognition: Badge on Mozillians (For access? For first all-green push?)
  • Related initiatives: Eventual ReviewBoard integration.
  • Followup:
  • Next steps:

Tier 3

• Gaining Level 1 commit access
  • Metrics: HG
  • Rewards/recognition: Badge?
  • Related initiatives:
  • Followup:
  • Next steps:

• Mentoring a new contributor through the contribution process.
  • Metrics: Unclear
  • Rewards/recognition: Badge on Mozillians, mention in “mentors” section in release notes.
  • Related initiatives:
  • Followup:
  • Next steps:

• Reviewing patches / pull requests
  • Metrics: Bugzilla / Github
  • Rewards/recognition:
  • Related initiatives:
  • Followup:
  • Next steps:

High-level contributors

At this point typical rewards for contributions become a disincentive, and more meaningful

• Gaining Level 3 commit access
  • Metrics: LDAP

• Checking in your own code to repo
  • Metrics: Mercurial / Github

• Pushing someone else's code to repo
  • Metrics: Mercurial / Github

• Becoming a module owner or peer
  • Metrics: Despot (LDAP?)