NetBeans 6.5, your IDE, your community
Several months ago, I submitted a bug against NetBeans 6.1. Sure, I expected someone to see the bug, but I didn’t expect the real and substantial interactions that followed.
After logging the bug, I received an email thanking me for my submission. A couple days later, when a NetBeans engineer was able to evaluate the problem, I received another email…this time with comments and even questions just for me. I responded. The NetBeans team responded and made comments on the bug report. The team engaged me, asked questions, and took my feedback seriously.
What an amazing experience! I was impressed by the team’s commitment to engage with its community, to interact directly with an individual.
Just yesterday, I received another email…this time to let me know that the bug fix is in NetBeans 6.5. The NetBeans community didn’t forget about me. I guess someone figured that I’d want to know the status of a bug…especially since I took the time to report it in the first place. They were right; I was interested.
I’ve always known that I’m a NetBeans user, but I would never have gone so far as to call myself a community member. I feel differently after this experience though. I’m glad to be part of the NetBeans community. If you use NetBeans, you’re part of the community too!
As a community member, exercise your rights to be influential in shaping NetBeans. You use NetBeans. Now do something to shape it and to improve it.
How can you get more involved in the NetBeans community? Here are some ideas:
- Write about your NetBeans experiences and share with others. Post your NetBeans knowledge in a blog!
- Create a plugin. I can’t think of a better way to learn how NetBeans is organized and designed.
- Help write documentation
- Join a mailing list or forum. Ask a question. Answer a question
- Attend a NetBeans community event
- or…submit a bug report!
Getting involved is easy, and there are dozens of ways to participate in this thing we call the NetBeans Community. Pick one of these suggestions, or find your own way to contribute. It’s really pretty simple to get involved.
Hello,
Glad to read your comments on the NetBeans Community. Feels great to hear about your involvement.
Best!
-Amit
Nice post
Its great to see, that you had a wonderful time!
Thanks,
Varun
For Ukrainian developers, short overview of Netbeans 6.5 in Ukrainian – http://www.rozrobka.com/blog/java/9.html