Get Involved in PowerShell

I got a secret for you. The PowerShell community needs your voice. Your perspective on things. You might think that the community has enough talented people out there but you’d be wrong. It is time to get involved.

The truth is, PowerShell has gotten big. Really big. It now covers the console shell, desired state configuration, and nearly every Microsoft product. Heck, with Nano server you’ll be expected to configure it using PowerShell remoting. It doesn’t matter how talented the people in the community are, PowerShell just keeps growing and growing.

Have I convinced you? If I have, you may wonder, how do I get involved in the PowerShell community?

  • Twitter – Twitter has become, for me, the best place for near real-time interaction with those in the community. Follow some members of the PowerShell community (maybe me for example?) and check to see who they follow and retweet. Interact with them and you’ll see they will respond.
  • Slack – Slack is a chat application used for team collaboration and the PowerShell community has a Slack team. Head over to http://slack.poshcode.org/ to get an invite. Be ready to help others with their questions when you feel you can answer them. See how other people use PowerShell.
  • PowerShell.org Blog and Forums – You have what it takes to answer questions on the PowerShell.org forums. Help someone troubleshoot their environment. You’ll find that you might have to do a little research to be able to answer questions. That is good for you and the person you help.
  • GitHub – You need a GitHub account. Period. Microsoft is releasing more and more code as open-source and nearly all community code is shared through it. Star projects you like. Watch projects you’d like to keep up on. Submit a merge request when you find a bug.
  • Blog – Blogging helps the community as the reach of PowerShell grows. Help by filling in the spots where the documentation is lacking so people don’t have to go through the same pain you did. Chronicle a new project you’re doing at work. People are probably trying to accomplish a similar task where they work.
  • Local User Groups – PowerShell.org has User Groups that meet on a monthly basis and can get you networked with other PowerShell professionals. PowerShell didn’t click with me until I saw how OTHER people were using it. I got it then. Make sure to present at the user group. That will help you push your knowledge past what you think you know to what you really know.
  • TechSession Webinars – Not near a User Group? Watch a TechSession webinar. Ask questions during it. Thank the presenter when it’s all over on Twitter. Think you have what it takes to present? Email [TechSessions], I know a guy (me) who can schedule and promote the webinar.

This wasn’t meant to be a comprehensive list but a good starting point. If you have other ideas for getting involved in the PowerShell community leave a comment!