An open source UX writing example from Mastodon

Unlike Twitter, Mastodon developers use an open-source model. Open-source means, if you take the effort to, you can see the source of the messages you see on screen.

Because Mastodon is an open-source app developed on GitHub, you can create an issue when you see something wrong.

1. Start by learning how the app works.
2. Then identify an issue that needs to be fixed.
3. Finally, submit a fix to the issue!

The following screenshot highlights some text I see on my Mastodon home page, “Pinned post”, followed by a screenshot of the same string, in code.

The next screenshot shows the same message “Pinned post”, in the file defaultMessages.json, in the Mastodon open-source project on GitHub.

If I wanted to, I could edit defaultMessages.json. Editing is safe because GitHub creates a working version of the code for me, called a fork.

Editing 101

After I edit the text in the file, I can submit it to the Mastodon maintainers for their consideration. On GitHub, we call this type of change request a pull request. I’m making a request from the maintainers. I want someone in that group to “pull” my change into the current version of the code. We call this “committing” the change, or a “commit” to the project.

If you feel intimidated by the language, take a breath. You can take your time digesting this new world of open-source – it’s worth understanding. Open-source software puts the power in your hands. And that power requires responsibility. It won’t happen overnight. However, if you try to understand the language of open-source and experiment with creating forks and submitting pull requests, you can gain the power to improve the experience in applications that millions of people use every day.

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