Introduction

In the open source community, documentation is the bridge that connects your project to users and contributors. However, keeping documentation up-to-date as your project evolves can be a daunting task, especially as the product grows. As features change, new use cases emerge, and issues are resolved, your documentation needs to evolve with it. This is where a docathon comes in—a focused, collaborative event where contributors come together to improve and refine documentation. Whether you’re trying to clear a backlog of content, restructure large guides, or encourage cross-functional collaboration, a docathon can be the catalyst for creating high-quality, up-to-date documentation that benefits both your team and your user base.

In this article, we’ll discuss three key reasons why hosting a docathon can help keep your open source project’s documentation in top shape. Plus, we’ll offer some practical tips for making your docathon successful.

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What is a Docathon?

A docathon is similar to a hackathon, but instead of coding, the focus is entirely on documentation. During a hackathon, developers gather to build new features or fix bugs in a project’s codebase. In a docathon, a similar level of collaboration is applied to improve and update project documentation. This can involve everything from fixing typos and broken links to rewriting entire sections of guides or adding new content that’s been missed.

The key to a successful docathon is creating an event that encourages collaboration and brings together both technical and non-technical contributors. The energy of a hackathon-style event combined with the specific goal of improving documentation can lead to significant results in a short amount of time. Docathons can be organized as in-person or remote events, often spanning a day or a weekend.

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1. Eliminate Backlogs and Keep Documentation Up-to-Date

Documentation, just like software, needs to evolve continuously. However, as projects grow and new features are added, it’s easy for documentation to fall behind. In fast-paced open source projects, documentation is often an afterthought—developers are focused on shipping new features, while documentation teams struggle to keep pace. This leads to a backlog of content that is either incomplete, outdated, or simply missing.

A docathon is the perfect event to address this backlog and ensure that your documentation remains relevant to users. Participants can spend time reviewing and updating old content, rewriting outdated sections, and triaging the tasks that have accumulated over time. In a docathon, the primary focus is on catching up with the documentation—fixing bugs in the documentation just like you would fix bugs in the codebase.

For example, if a new version of your open source project has been released, the corresponding documentation might need a thorough update. New features could require adding new sections, while old features may need to be reworded or clarified. A docathon offers a structured, efficient way to address these tasks, bringing documentation to the forefront.

Docathon Tip: Have a dedicated backlog manager or team that prioritizes tasks ahead of time. Identify which sections are most critical for the user experience, and let those tasks guide your priorities.

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2. Revamp Large-Scale Documentation Guides

As your open source project expands, some of your documentation may grow large and unwieldy. Large documentation guides—like installation manuals, API references, and developer tutorials—can quickly become difficult to navigate. These documents often end up being hundreds of pages long, with outdated information and redundant sections. Revamping these guides can feel like an overwhelming task.

A docathon provides the momentum and manpower needed to overhaul large documents in a relatively short period. For example, if you have a 100-page installation guide or a multi-chapter user manual, a team of contributors can work in parallel to rewrite and restructure sections. The goal would be to make the content more user-friendly, ensuring that readers can easily find the information they need.

During a docathon, you can:

• Break up long sections into smaller, more manageable parts
• Remove outdated or redundant content
• Streamline language for clarity and ease of understanding
• Ensure the guide follows a logical flow from beginning to end

Such a structured event can allow your team to achieve in a weekend what might otherwise take months of sporadic effort.

Docathon Tip: Divide large guides into smaller chunks and assign them to different teams or participants. This allows everyone to work simultaneously, speeding up the process.

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3. Foster Collaboration Between Cross-Functional Teams

In any open source project, documentation often gets siloed—written primarily by technical writers or a specific team with little input from others. But documentation is valuable to a wide range of stakeholders, including developers, product managers, customer support, and marketing teams. Hosting a docathon brings together individuals with different expertise and allows them to collaborate on improving the content.

For instance, engineers can provide the technical accuracy needed for API documentation or feature descriptions, while product managers can help ensure that the documentation aligns with the customer journey. Customer support can highlight frequent user questions and pain points that should be addressed in the documentation. Marketing teams can contribute by ensuring the content is clear, concise, and accessible to a wider audience.

In a docathon, these cross-functional teams can collaborate in real-time, working together to refine and improve documentation from multiple angles. Not only does this improve the quality of the content, but it also encourages a sense of shared responsibility for the documentation and the project as a whole.

Docathon Tip: Have dedicated facilitators or moderators to keep the conversation on track and make sure everyone’s voice is heard. This helps avoid duplication of effort and ensures that all perspectives are considered.

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Additional Benefits of Hosting a Docathon

While the primary focus of a docathon is to improve documentation, there are several secondary benefits that can result from hosting such an event:

1. Community Engagement:

A docathon is an excellent way to engage your community. It provides a clear and tangible way for contributors to participate in your project, even if they don’t have coding experience. By participating in a docathon, individuals feel like they are directly contributing to the success of the project, which increases overall community involvement and morale.

2. Increased Documentation Quality:

A docathon focuses all attention on documentation for a set period, leading to an increase in overall documentation quality. With contributions from a variety of people, content will be more comprehensive, accurate, and clear, resulting in a better user experience.

3. Building a Collaborative Culture:

Regularly hosting docathons can foster a collaborative culture within your open source project. When teams regularly come together to work on common goals, they build stronger relationships and communication channels that can lead to more efficient problem-solving in the future.

Conclusion: Why You Should Consider a Docathon for Your Open Source Project

Documentation is an essential but often neglected part of open source projects. As your project grows, so does the need for well-maintained, comprehensive documentation. Hosting a docathon is an effective way to tackle the backlog of documentation tasks, revamp large guides, and foster collaboration between cross-functional teams. By dedicating time and resources to improving your documentation, you’re not only enhancing the user experience but also strengthening your project’s community and supporting future growth.

Whether you’re working on API documentation, user manuals, installation guides, or troubleshooting tips, a docathon can be the key to ensuring your documentation is clear, up-to-date, and easy to navigate. Plus, the collaborative nature of docathons will help build connections within your team and encourage diverse contributions.

So, the next time you face a daunting documentation backlog or need to overhaul a large guide, consider organizing a docathon. It’s a fun, collaborative, and highly productive way to get the job done—and your project will reap the rewards for years to come.