User to Contributor

I saw this article via the GNU planet and I think it brings up some interesting points that are relevant to our community. How do we better fill that gap and encourage people to take the leap from using to contributing?

When I first came to GNU/Linux I had no idea what I was doing and used primarily relied on forums for support. Some communities were very welcoming and helpful while others were hostile and exclusive.

As time went on I stopped asking questions and began to answer them. It felt good to know that even that small amount of contribution was making a difference.

Every distro has a "How can you help" section on their website, but from my own experience it can be difficult to really get involved. Especially when you are new and don't necessarily know what to do.

There are countless ways that someone can make a difference, but maybe we can do a better job showing them how.