Title:     Participate in Apache OpenOffice
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## Help Needed

OpenOffice is currently looking for people with the following:

  - Are you a software developer with C++ skills?
  - Do you have expertise with build systems for different platforms?
  - Are you proficient in English?
  - Do you like contributing to open source projects?

Come and join us in helping OpenOffice to thrive. Subscribe to the
[recruitment mailing list](http://openoffice.apache.org/mailing-lists.html#recruitment-mailing-list-public)
and introduce yourself. We'll help you get started.


## Why get involved with the OpenOffice project?

There are many motivations for why volunteers participate in an open source project
like OpenOffice. Some of the more common ones include:

Although many want to [make a small donation](http://www.openoffice.org/donations.html)
to support Apache OpenOffice and the Apache Software Foundation (we appreciate every
contribution), some users want to do more and volunteer their time and expertise with
the project. There are many motivations for why volunteers participate in an open source
project like OpenOffice. Some of the more common ones include:

  - To help reduce the "digital divide" by ensuring continued access to free
high-quality free productivity applications world-wide.
  - To help bring the benefits of OpenOffice to you country or region
  - To "give back" to open source
  - To learn or practice a new skill
  - To enhance a résumé or portfolio, showcasing the work you've done in this project
  - To support a customer or other commercial venture that relies on OpenOffice
  - To develop credentials for consulting work related to OpenOffice
  - To bring something to OpenOffice that you've always wanted to see done
  - To have fun, working with a close-knit international team of volunteers working on
one of the oldest and most famous open source projects around.


## A multidisciplinary open source project

You are not a programmer? Don't worry. Our project involves a large range of different
skills, levels of involvement and degrees of technical expertise. So, if you want to get
involved in OpenOffice, there is almost certainly a role for you.

We are looking for people to:

  - Work on bug reports and try to reproduce them
  - Write or existing documentation, also with technical topics
  - Help support new users
  - Test the program and report problems
  - Fix bugs
  - Code new features
  - Design artwork and other marketing materials
  - Translate the UI and help topics to different languages
  - Maintain the website and develop new materials
  - Promote OpenOffice and help explain its benefits
  - Anything you can see that needs doing

All of these contributions help to keep a project active and strengthen the community.
We welcome and encourage participation, and try to make it as easy as possible for
people to get involved.


## How to get started

OpenOffice is a large, complex open source project, with a culture developed over many
years as an independent project, combined with our experience at Apache.

If you are familiar with Apache-style open source development then you might just jump
in. Subscribe to the
[recruitment mailing list](http://openoffice.apache.org/mailing-lists.html#recruitment-mailing-list-public)
and introduce yourself. We'll help you get started.

If, however, you are new to Apache, or want a more methodical approach to getting started, 
then we have a set of graduated
[New Volunteer Orientation Modules](http://openoffice.apache.org/orientation/index.html) 
designed for new volunteers that takes you through a number of background topics related 
to OpenOffice and how we do things.

Which path you take is up to you and is a matter of personal preference. You can even do both.

We also maintain a list of specific areas where we need volunteers on our 
[Help Wanted](https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/OOOUSERS/Help+Wanted) 
page of the wiki.

If you are a student, looking to contribute to the project as part of your school work, 
please also see our [Advice for Students](http://openoffice.apache.org/students.html) 
page.