If you don't have coding skills, why don't you help foss software by making it more user friendly instead? - eviltoast

Disclaimer

Not trying to blame anyone here. I‘m just taking an idea I‘ve read and spinning it further:

Intro

A lot of people use free open source software (foss), Linux being one of them. But a lot less actually help make this software. If I ask them why, they always say „I don’t have the coding skills!“.

Maybe its worth pointing out that you don‘t need them. In a lot of cases it’s better to not have any so you can see stuff with a „consumer view“.

In that situation you can file issues on github and similar places. You can write descriptions that non technical people can understand. You can help translate and so on, all depending on your skills.

Other reasons?

I‘d really like to know so the foss community can talk about making it worthwile for non coders to participate.

  • haui@lemmy.giftedmc.comOP
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    11 months ago

    So you‘re saying they’re unfriendly/impatient with non experts? That is a real problem imo and needs to be addressed. Thanks for the feedback.

    • amio@kbin.social
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      11 months ago

      I’m a coder myself, but… yeah, it’s a definite problem. Of course the feedback can sometimes have its own issues.

      • haui@lemmy.giftedmc.comOP
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        11 months ago

        Absolutely. I have made mistakes myself and I know its hard to understand that others think differently than oneself.