Trust Signals in Open Source Projects

Re the author - Examples of signals ---

Direct signals:

Highly visual cues that are quick and easy to consume (usually built-in to a user interface). Number of downloads Popularity (stars) Use of labels Number of open issues, open PRs Release history Code quality and coverage, and other information represented by badges License Number of commits, contributors, forks, issues, pull requests, star gazers, and watchers

Indirect signals:

Knowledge inferred from additional information available about the project. Written content associated with the project, including: README Release notes Documentation Code of conduct Contributor’s guide Onboarding process Conversations in issues and pull requests. Events involvement (hosting, attending, presenting). Community channels - Slack and Discord, activity on Stack Overflow, project hashtag use on social media. Community tone - language used through the project can indicate attitude to inclusion, diversity, and accessibility.

Conclusion --- Focus on your indirect signals