source/contributor-ladder.md - comdev-site - Git at Google

 ---
 title: ASF Contributor Ladder
 tags: ["pmc","roles","committers","members","officers","board"]
 ---

 Projects at the ASF offer a way to grow in your responsibilities in the
 project, from being a user, all the way up to being a maintainer of the
 project. While the specific details may look different from one project
 to another, the rungs of the ladder look mostly the same.

 {{% toc %}}

 ## User

 Everything that we do in an ASF project is for the user. As a user of an
 Apache project, your responsibilities are just to enjoy the software.

 We encourage you to join the user mailing list to ask questions, and
 make suggestions. Members of the project are there to help out when you
 run into problems. You can find this list (or lists) by looking under the
 project name on [lists.apache.org](https://lists.apache.org).

 As a user, you're expected to abide by the project's [code of
 conduct](https://www.apache.org/foundation/policies/conduct), so that
 interactions are polite, friendly, and helpful.

 As you become a power user of the project, you may consider becoming a
 contributor.

 ## Contributor

 While most people think of open source contributors as being coders,
 there are a wider variety of ways that you can contribute to a project.

 Most users' first contribution will be to open a ticket on the project's
 issue tracker, or to answer a less experienced user's questions. These
 actions help shape the future direction of the project, and are
 important contributions.

 We encourage you to join the project's developer mailing list at this
 time, to engage with the discussions about the direction that the project
 is taking. You can find this list (or lists) by looking under the
 project name on [lists.apache.org](https://lists.apache.org).

 Other contributions may include design, promotion, documentation
 improvements, events, and many other things.

 [See more about being a contributor](/contributors/).

 As you become more involved with contributing to the project, you may
 want to work towards [becoming a
 committer](/contributors/becomingacommitter.html).

 ## Committer

 After making a number of contributions to a project, its PMC may invite you
 to become a committer. Note that the criteria for inviting a contributor
 to become a committer will vary greatly from one project to another.

 Once you have been invited to become a committer, and have accepted this
 invitation, you are authorized to commit changes directly to the
 project's source code repository. Note, however, that different projects
 may have different social norms around committing changes.

 Broadly referred to as CTR (Commit Then Review) and RTC (Review Then
 Commit), the exact mechanisms may vary. For example, you may be
 authorized to commit documentation changes without approval, while code
 changes may be submitted as a pull request, for other committers to
 review and approve before they are merged.

 [See more information about being a committer](/committers/).

 ## PMC Member

 After being a committer for some time, the project's PMC may invite you to become a member
 of the project's Project Management Committee. This group acts as the
 steering committee for the project, making decisions about the project's
 road map, what features will be added, and other decisions around the
 project.

 The PMC *should* be conducting all of these conversations on the public
 developer mailing list(s), in the view of the entire community. A PMC
 also has a private mailing list, which is for discussion of topics such
 as the addition of new committers and PMC members, and any other
 sensitive topics.
 [See more information about being a PMC member](/pmc/).

 ### Terminology: PMC and PMC Member

 Note that the term _PMC_ refers to the _group_ that steers a project.

 The _people_ who are members of the group are called _PMC Members_.

 Referring to those people as _PMCs_ is incorrect and can be confusing;
 please avoid doing that.

 ## Foundation Member

 When someone has been involved at the ASF for a while, they may be
 invited, by the membership, to become a member of the Foundation. This entitles them to vote
 for the Board of Directors, to participate in the members' mailing list,
 and to invite others to become Foundation members.

 [See more about being a Foundation
 member](https://apache.org/foundation/governance/members.html)

 ## Officers of the Foundation

 Officers of the Foundation are responsible for various aspects of the
 day-to-day operation of the Foundation. You can see how these roles are
 broken down in the [Foundation organization
 chart](https://whimsy.apache.org/foundation/orgchart/board).

 ## Board of Directors

 The members of the ASF elect the members of the Board annually for
 one-year terms.

 The Board of Directors is responsible for the governance of the
 Foundation. This includes overseeing projects, to ensure they are
 behaving in accordance with ASF policies and norms.

 The Board also delegates much of the day-to-day operation of the
 Foundation to the President, and various officers and committees.

 You can see the current composition of the Board on the [Board
 website](https://apache.org/foundation/board/).
	---
	title: ASF Contributor Ladder
	tags: ["pmc","roles","committers","members","officers","board"]
	---

	Projects at the ASF offer a way to grow in your responsibilities in the
	project, from being a user, all the way up to being a maintainer of the
	project. While the specific details may look different from one project
	to another, the rungs of the ladder look mostly the same.

	{{% toc %}}

	## User

	Everything that we do in an ASF project is for the user. As a user of an
	Apache project, your responsibilities are just to enjoy the software.

	We encourage you to join the user mailing list to ask questions, and
	make suggestions. Members of the project are there to help out when you
	run into problems. You can find this list (or lists) by looking under the
	project name on [lists.apache.org](https://lists.apache.org).

	As a user, you're expected to abide by the project's [code of
	conduct](https://www.apache.org/foundation/policies/conduct), so that
	interactions are polite, friendly, and helpful.

	As you become a power user of the project, you may consider becoming a
	contributor.

	## Contributor

	While most people think of open source contributors as being coders,
	there are a wider variety of ways that you can contribute to a project.

	Most users' first contribution will be to open a ticket on the project's
	issue tracker, or to answer a less experienced user's questions. These
	actions help shape the future direction of the project, and are
	important contributions.

	We encourage you to join the project's developer mailing list at this
	time, to engage with the discussions about the direction that the project
	is taking. You can find this list (or lists) by looking under the
	project name on [lists.apache.org](https://lists.apache.org).

	Other contributions may include design, promotion, documentation
	improvements, events, and many other things.

	[See more about being a contributor](/contributors/).

	As you become more involved with contributing to the project, you may
	want to work towards [becoming a
	committer](/contributors/becomingacommitter.html).

	## Committer

	After making a number of contributions to a project, its PMC may invite you
	to become a committer. Note that the criteria for inviting a contributor
	to become a committer will vary greatly from one project to another.

	Once you have been invited to become a committer, and have accepted this
	invitation, you are authorized to commit changes directly to the
	project's source code repository. Note, however, that different projects
	may have different social norms around committing changes.

	Broadly referred to as CTR (Commit Then Review) and RTC (Review Then
	Commit), the exact mechanisms may vary. For example, you may be
	authorized to commit documentation changes without approval, while code
	changes may be submitted as a pull request, for other committers to
	review and approve before they are merged.

	[See more information about being a committer](/committers/).

	## PMC Member

	After being a committer for some time, the project's PMC may invite you to become a member
	of the project's Project Management Committee. This group acts as the
	steering committee for the project, making decisions about the project's
	road map, what features will be added, and other decisions around the
	project.

	The PMC should be conducting all of these conversations on the public
	developer mailing list(s), in the view of the entire community. A PMC
	also has a private mailing list, which is for discussion of topics such
	as the addition of new committers and PMC members, and any other
	sensitive topics.
	[See more information about being a PMC member](/pmc/).

	### Terminology: PMC and PMC Member

	Note that the term _PMC_ refers to the _group_ that steers a project.

	The _people_ who are members of the group are called _PMC Members_.

	Referring to those people as _PMCs_ is incorrect and can be confusing;
	please avoid doing that.

	## Foundation Member

	When someone has been involved at the ASF for a while, they may be
	invited, by the membership, to become a member of the Foundation. This entitles them to vote
	for the Board of Directors, to participate in the members' mailing list,
	and to invite others to become Foundation members.

	[See more about being a Foundation
	member](https://apache.org/foundation/governance/members.html)

	## Officers of the Foundation

	Officers of the Foundation are responsible for various aspects of the
	day-to-day operation of the Foundation. You can see how these roles are
	broken down in the [Foundation organization
	chart](https://whimsy.apache.org/foundation/orgchart/board).

	## Board of Directors

	The members of the ASF elect the members of the Board annually for
	one-year terms.

	The Board of Directors is responsible for the governance of the
	Foundation. This includes overseeing projects, to ensure they are
	behaving in accordance with ASF policies and norms.

	The Board also delegates much of the day-to-day operation of the
	Foundation to the President, and various officers and committees.

	You can see the current composition of the Board on the [Board
	website](https://apache.org/foundation/board/).