How to write your first article with Both.org

Open source is our passion at Both.org, and we are excited to read more about how others love open source software. As an open community of volunteers, we welcome everyone to share your open source story.

You’re welcome to join the community by writing an article for Both.org. If you want to write with us, but aren’t sure what to write about, consider these jumping-off points for your next article about open source:

Try out a new open source application and write about it

Everyone has their own “first time” experience with open source, whether it’s your first time with any kind of open source software, or just your first time with an open source application that’s new to you. You could download an open source application, experiment with it for a weekend, and write an article like “5 things I taught myself how to do in LibreOffice Writer” or “4 things I learned about using Krita for the first time.” 

Experiment with a “Live” image and share what it was like

Modern open source operating system distributions like Linux are pretty easy to use – and made even easier with “Live” images. With a Live image, you don’t have to install the operating system to your computer in order to use it; you can write the image to a USB flash drive, boot it on your computer, and explore it without damaging the operating system you already have. Try a Live image distribution like Fedora Linux or Ubuntu Linux and write an article like “What it was like using Linux as a first-time user” or “5 things I liked about using Linux for the first time.”

Explain how to use the command line

Linux, BSD, and other open source Unix-like operating systems offer a rich command line experience, full of useful tools that can do all kinds of things. If you are comfortable with the command line, share an article about how to use it. Our readers love articles like how to use the base64 command or how to use ssh. Pick a command that you use all the time and write about it.

Share what you know about creating open source applications

Open source thrives because users are also encouraged (and empowered) to become developers. Open source means you have access to the source code, you can study it, you can modify it to add features and fix bugs, and you can share what you do with it. Help the next generation of developers by writing an article about how to write your first program, such as common programming bugs (and how to avoid them) or how to read files.

Tell us about your first open source contribution

Open source projects can only grow if people use it and add to it, so most open source projects welcome new users and new contributors. There are many ways to contribute to open source; it’s not just about source code: For example, you might write documentation, or test programs and report bugs, or help maintain the website, or translate messages to other languages, or any number of other ways to help out with an open source project. Write about what it was like for you when you made your first contribution to an open source project.

We want to highlight your open source experience by sharing your articles on Both.org. If you’d like to share an article about open source software, contact us at open@both.org.