BuddyPress Release Leads and Deputies
The release lead works with all contributors to ensure the success of the release. The role blends aspects of being a product manager, project manager, engineering manager, release manager, and community manager. Release leads do not need to be developers, but having experience contributing to open source projects is required.
Release leads are supported by the lead developers, the project team, and deputies of their choosing. Volunteering as a release deputy is a great way to give it a try and learn about the process, but with a smaller time commitment.
For the sake of clarity, BuddyPress release leads and their deputies, between them, can expect to:
- Run our weekly project meeting, and write and publish meeting notes on our development blog.
- Coordinate blog posts and announcements on social media.
- Make final decisions about whether a proposed feature is able to be put into the release.
- Help new contributors make their contributions seen and heard in project meetings.
While BuddyPress is built by people volunteering their own time, contributing whatever they want, however they want, the release lead should take advantage of their position and use it to shape BuddyPress. For example, if the release lead feels that the next release should have a focus on specific aspects, we expect them to declare this, and try to encourage regular contributors to make that a reality.
