Docs are key to open source success
Survey after survey show the importance of good documentation in how developers choose and use open source:- 72% of surveyed developers say “Established policies and documentation” is a key decision factor when choosing open source
- 93% of surveyed developers say “Incomplete or outdated documentation is a pervasive problem” in open source
- “Lack of documentation” was the top reason developers gave for deciding against using an open source project
There are people who know how to do docs well. Technical writers know how to structure a documentation site so that people can find and understand the content. They know how to write docs that fit the needs of their audience. Technical writers can also help optimize a community’s processes for open source contribution and onboarding new contributors.
Season of Docs brings open source projects and technical writers together with the shared goal of creating great documentation. The writers bring their expertise to the projects, and the project mentors help the technical writers learn more about open source and new technologies. Communities gain new docs contributors and technical writers gain valuable open source skills.
Together the technical writers and mentors build a new doc set, improve the structure of the existing docs, develop a much-needed tutorial, or improve contribution processes and guides. See more ideas for technical writing projects.
By working together in Season of Docs we raise awareness of open source, docs, and technical writing.
How does it work?
| April 13 – May 4 | Open source organizations apply to take part in Season of Docs |
| May 11 | Google publishes the list of accepted mentoring organizations, along with their ideas for documentation projects |
| May 11 – July 9 | Technical writers choose the project they’d like to work on and submit their proposals to Season of Docs |
| August 10 | Google announces the accepted technical writer projects |
| August 11 – September 11 | Community bonding: Technical writers get to know mentors and the open source community, and refine their projects in collaboration with their mentors |
| September 11 – December 6 | Technical writers work with open source mentors on the accepted projects, and submit their work at the end of the period |
| January 7, 2021 | Google publishes the list of successfully-completed projects. |
Join us
Explore the Season of Docs website at g.co/seasonofdocs to learn more about participating in the program. Use our logo and other promotional resources to spread the word. Check out the timeline and FAQ, and get ready to apply!By Erin McKean, Google Open Source
