The Casual Contributor

Syndicator

This entire series of articles assumes you are already using Firefox Sync in some capacity.  If not, please check out our support team’s excellent introduction to Firefox Sync and give Sync a go.

So you’re using Firefox Sync and decided you’d like help out the project.  But beyond being simply a user, you’re not sure how to contribute.  Well, the easiest and fastest way to make an impact is to take part in Casual Contributor activities for Sync QA.

I’ve recently updated our Sync QA Community Action Plan with some information about how to become a Casual Contributor.   These action items are easy to do and take very little of your time.  By taking a moment out of your browsing session, these actions can be very helpful for the Sync team.  They give us understanding how Sync is working for our users,  how they feel about the service and help us determine how to make that experience even better.

Always submit your Firefox crash reports.  Yes, most pieces of software do crash from time to time.  Firefox is no different. However, if you do experience a crash with Firefox, particularly when you’re using Sync, please, always submit that little crash report.  There is nothing personal in there, just information about what Firefox was doing at the code level when it crashed. Filing these reports helps our crash analysts determine that something serious is going on so they can get a bug on file for the developers to create a fix.

Tells us what you think about Firefox Sync at input.mozilla.org. Happy and Sad reports alike encourage us to keep doing the right things right and correct those  that aren’t so right.

Then there is our excellent support forum.  As a Sync user, now and then something may happen that you just need a little guidance to help get Sync back on track.  SUMO is the place to go if you’re looking for answers.  Search for your issue or file a new report if you can’t find what you’re looking for.  The SUMO team regularly reports to the Sync team about the most common issues with Sync. As such, just by using SUMO, you’ll be letting the Sync team know there may be something amiss.

By taking a moment to do one or more of the Casual Contributor activities, you can make a difference.  It’s that easy.

Next time:  I’ll begin to delve into some of the more complex tasks of an Active Contributor.