It's my pleasure to announce that we're launching a new community program to recognize our most active open source advocates. We call it the Opensource.com Correspondent program. Keep reading to learn more about it and see if it's right for you.
What is the Correspondent program?
The Correspondent program is a community recognition for our most trusted and reliable Opensource.com contributors. Authors who participate in this program receive additional benefits, the opportunity to connect with an incredible group of their peers, and to be recognized for their impact as advocates of open source.
Some of the benefits include:
- Priority access to a global publishing platform with over 1 million unique readers a month
- Invitation to an international community of open source advocates including sysadmins, developers, authors, and keynote presenters
- Exclusive editorial support from the staff including additional content research and regular coaching to become the best author you can be
- A special invitation to join All Things Open for a Correspondent's Summit hosted by the team
The full list of benefits is available on the Correspondent program overview page.
Participation is an ongoing partnership and commitment to our community mission of spreading open source. Members share their expertise, enthusiasm, and mentorship with the broader community of readers, authors, and aspiring Correspondents. It's a place where excitement for technology grows into so much more: personal growth, refined expertise, and meaningful friendships.
Who are the current Correspondents?
Program participants for the 2019 Correspondents are listed in the credits below and on our overview page.
These first members were participants in our previous recognition program known as Community Moderators.
Why the name change from Moderators to Correspondents?
We have previously recognized top contributors by inviting them to be Community Moderators on the site. The Moderator program has a rich history of being the heart of the community and the editorial strength of Opensource.com. The team behind Opensource.com wants to see the program continue to blossom, and we believe the best strategy to do so is to evolve it based on feedback.
“[a Correspondent] informs the public about current affairs on a certain subject or from a specific place through the media.”
The program name was a source of common confusion based on feedback from past members and current authors. With the shift to Correspondent, it's—by definition—a recognition of authors who are leading our community through written contribution.
What makes a good Correspondent?
When the current members of the Correspondent program met in person, we worked to collect our shared values. Some powerful themes arose.
- Kindness
- Humility
- Curiosity
For Correspondents, it's about sharing through writing, encouraging others, learning together, and remaining kind to one another. The greatest feature of the program is the ongoing relationship build between all members, and Correspondents value that most of all.
Your path to becoming a Correspondent
All writers are welcome, and everyone who has the time to invest is on their way to becoming a Correspondent. Here's how.
- If you haven't contributed yet, we'd love to have you write your first article.
- If you're a new author, hit the next milestone of 3 articles and we'll send a thank you package.
- If you've written more than 3 articles, reach out to us directly and we can talk about whether the Correspondent program is a place you'd like to grow.
Whether it's your first article or 100th, the team here on Opensource.com is thankful for your kindness, humility, and curiosity. Really dig in to the Correspondent program, and let us know if it's something you would like advice on pursuing.
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