Contributing to open source

This is a summary of how we approach contributing to open source at Microsoft.

We encourage our employees to contribute to open source communities. Contributing improvements to projects we use enhances the value everyone derives from the project and can drive a project forward.

Microsoft's contribution policy varies depending on the size and purpose of contribution.

• Small changes: If your contribution meets the "Small Contribution Exception", just create a fork, make the fix, and submit a pull request. If making the pull request on GitHub, you can create the fork in your personal GitHub account, rather than an official corporate organization account.
• Larger changes: If the contribution is larger, your contribution should be reviewed and approved. There is a contribution request form that will kick of a business and legal review process, how to scope the request. The process will include reviewing the contributor guide and the CLA for the project.
• Meet Community On Its Own Terms: Note that different open source communities take contributions in different ways. Before firing off a pull request, investigate how best to engage the community you will be contributing back to.
• Fork Nicely: Always try to contribute to a community instead of hard forking. Review internal guidelines and training before forking into an official GitHub org.