The Apache Software Foundation

Community > Code




The ASF and our many projects welcome all participants. Before you begin, it is important to review and respect our community guidelines. We have a few ASF-specific tips below.

Code of Conduct

The ASF has adopted a Code of Conduct which covers interactions in all the online spaces that ASF projects use - email, issue trackers, wikis, websites, IRC, and the like. ASF projects are made up of volunteers, and we work to ensure that all productive contributions are welcomed. Every PMC is expected to ensure their project’s lists show proper behavior.

Guidelines for Conduct and Etiquette

The ASF as a corporation is run by several hundred members, who have deep and lasting experience in helping to build and run long-term, successful open source projects. Below are some guidelines to help you communicate with other volunteers, and get the most out of your communication experience.

General Communication Guidelines

Face-to-Face is excellent way to eliminate disagreements, but that is often not practical. Consider a conversation via Skype, Google Hangouts or a Slack channel, just for the social aspect of being part of this community. It does not need to be a formal meeting. Once we have a face to add to the words, and a general idea how that person is socially, we are much more capable to interact via text.

Project decisions must always be made on mailing lists.
It’s great to have a synchronous online chat to work through some questions, but be sure to bring the results of the chat (and any proposals for the project community to consider) back to the mailing list. People who weren’t able to attend the chat or call might also have ideas on the topic. Be sure to allow at least 72 hours for others to read the proposals and comment before closing out the issue.

Other Etiquette Guidelines