Misconception 2: Project owners just merge

Misconception: Open source project owners just merge code without broader considerations about the code quality or the direction of the project over time.

Merging code (adding new code to an existing project) is certainly part of contributing to open source software development. However, diligent project owners don’t just merge any code into a project’s code base. Each project defines the responsibilities of contributors, including:

• Reviewing pull requests

• Addressing issues raised by users

• Writing feature proposals

• Documenting their new or modified code

Look for a project’s notes on how it handles code contributions.