[documentation] Hitchhikers guide to Drupal

[Dries Buytaert]

+1 for Jeremy's version!  Totally rocks.  :)

On 06 Jan 2006, at 07:04, Jeremy Epstein wrote:
> So you've decided to jump in and hitch a ride with Drupal? That's
> great! Drupal hitchhikers are regular users: that is, people who use
> Drupal for their own needs, whether they be personal, corporate,
> community-based, or otherwise.
>
> Hitchhikers don't contribute back to Drupal, in the way that
> developers and documentation writers do, but that doesn't mean you're
> not welcome here. The crew enjoys having your company: after all, it
> is a very long journey. They also know that many of you do your bit by
> recommending Drupal to others.
>
> All of you count, because you all contribute to the size of the Drupal
> community - and the more people there are, the bigger Drupal is, and
> the better it becomes.
>
> What's more, it is understood that you have to be a user before you
> can become a contributor, and that many of you have the potential to
> contribute your own valuable skills to Drupal, once you've learnt a
> bit more about how it all works.
>
> However, as a hitchhiker, you're taking advantage of the generosity of
> hundreds of other people who have made Drupal the great platform that
> it is, and you're doing it at no cost. As such, there is one basic
> rule of etiquette that you should abide by, in order to avoid getting
> your legs bitten off by the lions at the back of the van:
>
> Don't start making demands!
>
> Drupal is a volunteer effort. You're welcome to suggest features.
> You're welcome to point out bugs or usability problems. You're welcome
> to politely ask for help. But DO NOT angrily rant about the features
> that Drupal lacks and that you require of it, and then demand that
> "the developers" address said shortcomings as soon as possible. This
> is a good way to annoy the top brass in Drupal, who do not deserve to
> have their countless unpaid hours of service rewarded in this manner.
>
> In the Drupal world - unlike in the world of commercial software -
> there are no 'customers' and 'vendors'. You do not have to choose
> between 'giving' or 'taking'. Everyone is part of the same big group:
> the community. Everyone is free to give, and to take, as little or as
> much as they want. This may at first be a difficult concept for you to
> accept, but as a hitchhiker, it is vital that you recognise it.
>
> Hitchhikers have no obligations, but as they say in the world of
> taxi-driving, gratuities are appreciated. Here's some handy hints for
> how to be a generous hitchhiker, and for how to start being more than
> someone who's just getting a free ride:
>
> [insert list of links here - perhaps sepeck's list?]

--
Dries Buytaert  ::  http://www.buytaert.net/