Title: Apache Community Development - Welcome
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<h2>Apache Community Development!</h2>
<br>

<p>This website is designed to <em><a href="/newcomers/">help newcomers</a></em> to The Apache Software Foundation (ASF)
and to our many Apache projects take their first steps towards being a <em>part of our community</em>.</p>

<p>We provide signposts to information about
the ASF as an organization, as well as about the over <a href="https://projects.apache.org/">200 different Apache software project
communities</a> that provide free software for the public benefit.</p>

<p>We do not focus on
specific projects here, but rather on the common processes and policies
called The Apache Way found in most Apache projects. Our goal is to help you
<em>understand how the ASF works</em> and give you the confidence to participate
more directly in the specific Apache projects that interest you.</p>
</div>

<a name="Index-Startingpoints"></a>


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  <div class="span4">
    <h3>New to Apache</h3>
  </div>
  <div class="span4">
    <h3>Events & Mentoring</h3>
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  <div class="span4">
    <h3>The Apache Way</h3>
  </div>
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    <div class="span4">
        <h4>Newcomers to Apache</h4>
        <p>If you are new to open source, our <a href="newcomers/index.html"><b>newcomers section</b></a> explains basic concepts, first steps to get started, and places to ask for help.</p>
        <p>To get our software, see our <a href="https://projects.apache.org/projects.html?category">categorized listing of all Apache projects</a>, which are <a href="http://www.apache.org/free/"><b>always free</b> to download and use</a>.</p>
        <p>The ASF is a large organization made up of many separate projects: each community may have different ways of working, while still following the basic Apache Way process.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="span4">
        <h4>Event Organizers and Speakers</h4>
        <p>We have a <a href="speakers/index.html">list of speaker resources</a> for conference organizers and speakers, including some useful Apache slides.</p>
        <p>Producers should read our <a href="http://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/events">Event Branding Policy</a> for ticketed events, and we have some <a href="events/small-events.html">tips for organizing small, community events</a> about Apache projects.</p>
        <p>The <a href="calendars/index.html">event calendar</a> contains an aggregation of many different Apache-related events, including ApacheCon, BarCamps, and more.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="span4">
        <h4>The Foundation</h4>
        <p>The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) is a <a href="http://www.apache.org/foundation/">US 501(c)3 non-profit public charity</a>.  The Foundation is <a href="http://www.apache.org/foundation/governance/">governed by a Board of Directors</a>, elected by our Membership, and we publish our <a href="http://www.apache.org/foundation/board/calendar.html">monthly board meeting minutes</a>.</p>
        <p>Our mission is to create software for the public good that we <a href="http://www.apache.org/free/">give away for free</a>.  You can read how <a href="http://www.apache.org/foundation/governance/">ASF and Apache projects are governed</a>; we <a href="http://www.apache.org/foundation/contributing.html">welcome your support to Apache in other ways</a>.</p>
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        <h4>Open Source Contributors</h4>
        <p>If you know a little about open source and want to understand how the ASF works our <a href="contributors/index.html">contributors section</a> is for you.</p>
        <p>We also have a collection of <a href="links.html">links</a> to relevant information.</p>
        <p>Apache Committers should read our <a href="committers/index.html">committers section</a> and see the <a href="http://www.apache.org/dev/">Developer Information site</a>.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="span4">
          <h4>Pilot Mentoring Programme with India ICFOSS</h4>
          <p>The Apache Software Foundation is now participating in a pilot project with India ICFOSS to provide mentoring for undergraduate and graduate students that have interest in learning how to participate in open source communities at ASF.
          <br/><br/>
          More information available at the <a href="mentoringprogramme-icfoss-pilot.html">Pilot Mentoring Programme</a> page.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="span4">
        <h4>How Apache works</h4>
        <p>Our <a href="apache-way/apache-project-maturity-model.html">Apache Project Maturity Model</a> defines a structure for evaluating our projects (communities & technology), that can serve as an example for other communities as well.</p>
        <p>Interested in learning how the ASF works as a Foundation? Our <a href="http://www.apache.org/foundation/how-it-works.html">how Apache works guide</a>
        talks about the difference between ASF Members and project committers, who decides things (voting), how elections take place, how our infrastructure is setup, what is the board, what is a PMC, what's the philosophy behind the incubator.</p>
    </div>
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        <h4>How To Ask Questions</h4>
        <p>All Apache projects use <a href="https://lists.apache.org/">publicly archived mailing lists</a> that anyone may subscribe
           to and/or ask questions related to that Apache project.  Most projects have a
           dev@project.apache.org mailing list for technical discussions about the code, and a
           user@ or users@ mailing list for questions about the product or features.
           <br/><br/>
           We have a <a href="http://community.apache.org/contributors/etiquette">Code of Conduct and Etiquette guidelines</a> to help you write good emails.
           <br/><br/>
           The ComDev project has our own mailing list where you can ask general questions
           about Apache at <a href="https://lists.apache.org/list.html?dev@community.apache.org:lte=3M:">dev@community.apache.org</a>.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="span4">
          <h4>Google Summer of Code program (GSoC)</h4>
          <p>The Community Development project also manages the <a href="gsoc.html">ASF's participation in the Google Summer of Code program</a>. Each year, since 2005, we've taken on between 30 and 45 students. Many of these have gone on to be long term committers and even members of the foundation.
          <br/><br/>
          Read about a few of our <a href="mentoring/experiences.html">GSoC successes</a>. </p>
        <!--
        <h4>Project Ideas</h4>
        <p>If you are looking for specific areas to get started contributing to open source, see our <a href="https://helpwanted.apache.org">Help Wanted site</a>, or the collection of <a href="http://s.apache.org/gsoc2013ideas">project ideas</a> created by GSoC mentors.</p>
        -->
    </div>
    <div class="span4">
          <h4>FAQ & Code of Conduct</h4>
          <p>Please be nice!  The ASF has a <a href="https://www.apache.org/foundation/policies/conduct">Code of Conduct</a> that we expect participants in our mailing lists and projects to abide by.</p>
          <p>If you still haven't found what you are looking for, try our <a href="newbiefaq.html">FAQ</a>, send us an e-mail at dev@community.apache.org, or read the <a href="https://lists.apache.org/list.html?dev@community.apache.org:lte=3M:">Community mail archives</a>.</p>
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