CiviCRM has a unique and diverse and community centered around developing, using, and documenting the software. Our community includes the CiviCRM core team, people at the non-profits that use CiviCRM; consultants working with a number of non-profit organisations; programmers and developers, power users, volunteers and community organisers! We are also closely related to many other open source projects.
Each member of the community interacts with CiviCRM in their own way, working to improve the software and how we organise ourselves. The strength of community comes from this diversity and the ease with which someone can join us, and means that we are constantly changing and improving, often in unexpected ways.
Like all communities your membership is characterised by your interactions. If you treat others well, have some fun, and help others, then you can expect to enjoy being a member of the CiviCRM community. But if you are prone to complaining or don't use a respectful tone in communications, or if you see the community just as a resource and not as a collection of very kind, generous and clever people, then you are probably not going to get much of a response. Treat people well and you can find the CiviCRM community fun and rewarding.
CiviCRM is an open and learning community, and people are ready to hear your ideas. If you have a good idea, there's nothing to stop you carrying it out - but the best way to start, is to start talking about it.
If you're not sure where to start, the best place is probably the community forum (http://forum.civicrm.org/). Ask people what they think about your idea. There's a wealth of experience on the forum, and with a bit of luck, someone will have tried something similar before. CiviCRM people are a friendly bunch and their guiding philosophy is collaboration.
Depending on your idea, you'll be directed to the next best place - maybe an article on the blog, a page on the wiki, a teleconference or a meeting up with another community member in real life, yes that's right, REAL LIFE!
So you have a great idea. Now you need an equally great action plan to accompany this idea and then you'll need implement it. Although the CiviCRM community is friendly and supportive and will like to be involved and updated about your project, you'll need to be the driver. How will you get the resources together for your project? How can you fit it in with your day job? Finding a way to simultaneously achieve your own objectives and benefiting the CiviCRM community is the best way of getting things done.
If you're a CiviCRM user who has an ongoing relationship with a consultant, there's nothing to stop you from also being an active member of the community. The community really benefits from direct feedback from end users - your consultant is only one person or organisation - by asking on the forums you're opening yourself up to help and input from the entire community.
There has been error in communication with booki server. Not sure right now where is the problem.
You should refresh this page.