Gamification for Open Source (G4OS)
The Initiative aims to demonstrate that game elements can empower open-source projects, enhancing contributor participation and engagement.
Initiative Objective
Validate and assess the beneficial effects of gamification on various facets of the Open Source Contributors community:
- Boosting community engagement, measured by number of active contributors, monthly contributions, and contribution frequency (days with contributions)
- Reactivating number of inactive contributors through gamification.
- Ensuring more efficient onboarding, seen in the percentage of first-time contributors who return.
- Acquiring new talent, gauged by the number of first-time contributors.
Targeted Contributor Segments:
- Active Contributors
Those who have made at least one contribution in the last 45 days. - Inactive Contributors
Those whose last contribution was 60 days ago or more. - First-time Contributors
Newcomers making their initial contributions. - Repository Consumers
Individuals who interact with the repository without contributing
How It Works
The concept entails granting Experience Points (XP) as rewards for contributions to open source projects, which include actions like:
- Code Commit
- Pull Request
- Code Review
- Issue Resolution
Contributors can earn achievements and extra XP by completing challenges, and their accumulated XP decides their level, which can range from 1 to 120+.
Engagement (and retention)
We seek to boost community engagement, and our key performance indicators (KPIs) include tracking the number of active contributors, measuring the total XP (contribution score), and assessing contribution frequency (measured as the number of days with contributions in a month). This facet emphasizes continuous and meaningful participation within the open source community.
- Monthly challenges aim to boost both the overall number of contributions and contributions of specific types. Additionally, we may introduce challenges focused on improving work quality metrics to enhance development iterations.
- Accumulative challenges primarily target contributor retention, rewarding milestones based on years and total contribution count.
- Custom challenges allow to establish tailored challenges linked to specific issue resolutions, come with customized achievements (badges and titles) and XP rewards, designed to incentivize the completion of significant tasks.
Reactivation
We aim to reignite the involvement of previously inactive contributors. Our primary KPI for reactivation is the number of inactive contributors who are successfully reengaged. We believe that by infusing gamification elements, we can revitalize and rekindle the enthusiasm of valuable contributors who may have temporarily stepped back.
Onboarding
A seamless onboarding process is crucial. We intend to measure onboarding success by assessing the percentage of first-time contributors who contribute more than once. This metric reflects the effectiveness of our gamification strategy in creating an environment where new contributors feel welcomed and motivated to continue their journey within the open source realm.
Acquisition
The open source community thrives when it attracts fresh talent. We will monitor the number of first-time contributors as a key KPI for acquisition. By tracking this metric, we can gauge the appeal of our gamified approach in attracting and retaining new blood within the community. The core idea revolves around offering a range of widgets that can be seamlessly integrated into the repository description. This enhances the repository's visual appeal for potential contributors by showcasing elements like Top Contributors and Latest Achievements, linked to a Public Dashboard containing more comprehensive statistics.
Who can participate
Public Repo Maintainers
Join us today. Ensure you have the necessary permissions to install the app from GitHub Marketplace
Writers covering Open Source
Assist in spreading the word about the G4OS Initiative and reaching as many contributors as we can
Scientists / Researchers
Propose fresh methods and experiments to enhance the enjoyment of contributors in the process.
Summary
Octoverse 2022 Report: 90% of companies use open source
It's truly exciting to realize that a mere 10% increase in engagement can have a profound effect on the vast open-source community, benefiting millions of users and fostering accelerated growth for projects. This positive impact extends from individual users to large corporations relying on open source solutions. Join us in gamifying Open Source and making this vision a reality!
Ready to join?
Let's gamify Open Source!
Frequently asked questions
If you're unable to locate what you need, don't hesitate to contact us with your enquiry.
- Is this Initiative available on GitLab or BitBucket?
- Currently, our gamification features are exclusively available for the GitHub ecosystem. GitLab and BitBucket integrations are not supported at this time. Expanding to other platforms is indeed on our roadmap. We recognize the importance of inclusivity and plan to make our gamification initiative available on GitLab, BitBucket, and potentially other platforms in the future.
- Can I participate with Private Repo?
- Only Public repos may participate so we can evaluate the results transparently. If you wish to implement gamification features in private repositories, you can explore the devActivity app for this purpose.
Resources
If you can't find what you're looking for, you can always contact us with your enquiry.