Description
Contribution is often perceived as something that requires deep technical knowledge or familiarity with the codebase. Many people use the GNOME tools every day through distributions and desktops, but never cross the line into contributing. This session explores a different entry point. Many of the insights in this talk come from real experiences of breaking my own system many times. The goal wasn’t to unveil everything immediately, but simply to make sense of what was happening step by step. When I got stuck, I didn’t solve everything alone. I asked others, learned from people with more experience, and started engaging with GNOME and open source communities. Over time, that turned into organizing and contributing back.
Drawing from experiences across open source communities, events such as Software Freedom Day and UbuCon Asia 2025, this talk highlights how documentation-driven contributions can lower barriers, strengthen community knowledge, and expand the GNOME contributor base.
Author(s) Bio
Kripa Khanal is a Computer Engineering student from Kathmandu, Nepal who actively engages in open source communities including GNOME Nepal and Nepal Open Source Klub (NOSK), and has contributed to initiatives such as Software Freedom Day and UbuCon Asia 2025.
She is involved in STEAM education, introducing beginners to programming through tools like Scratch, and is interested in making open source more accessible through documentation, shared learning, and community participation.
| Presentation Type | In Person |
|---|---|
| Pronouns | she/her |
| Photo usage consent | Yes |