What is “Top Badgers”?

“Top Badgers” is a special series on the Community Blog. In this series, Luis Roca interviewed the top badge earners of 2017 in the Fedora Project. Not familiar with Fedora Badges? No worries, you can read more about them on the Badges website.

This article features Alessio Ciregia (alciregi), who clocked in at the #5 spot of badges earned in 2017, with 32 badges! As of the writing of this article, Alessio is the #513 all-time badge earner in Fedora.

“You earned a lot of badges this year. For you, what was the most memorable badge and why?”

Well, I joined the Fedora community just in 2017, so it was pretty simple to earn a lot of badges simply doing the basic things. In fact I was not aware that I was in the top 5 until now.

The most memorable, and at the same time unexpected, it was the one named “Clickbait (Fedora Magazine I)“, earned because of an article written on the Fedora Magazine reached 1k views, followed by “Clickbait (Fedora Magazine II)” due to having reached 5k views.

“Of the badges you earned this year, which one did you think was easiest?”

As said before, since I was a newcomer, I earned a lot of badges by simply filling all the information in the FAS account.

In addition, since I participate to the QA working group by testing updates and giving karma to packages, running kernel regression testing tool and performing test cases on nightly composes, it was pretty simple to earn Quality badges.

“Hardest?”

I simply do my job in the community in my spare time and I think that my contributions are very limited. In fact I know that there are many people in the community doing hard work and there is no badge that can reward them.

“What is your advice to either new or recent contributors who want to earn more badges?”

Again, most badges I have earned are for just doing my job. However, for a new contributor there are simple tasks, like setting the time zone in FAS or following good practice like changing your password.

Taking a step forward, some badges are related to community tasks, like test days, action days, translation sprint days, voting on desktop background or chairing an IRC meeting.

Badges can be also earned by helping other people on Ask Fedora, or by simply voting tags on packages.

“Any tips to success?”

Badges are related to the so called “gamification”. It is funny to earn badges, but the involvement in the community should not be driven by them: do your job, contribute where do you feel comfortable and do what you can, there is no badge more important than what you can learn being part of the community or than a thank you from or to another person.

“What are you currently working on in the Fedora Project?”

I became an Ambassador just some weeks ago. As said before I’m involved in Quality Assurance, doing simple tasks that anyone can perform with a little technical background.

“What can the community look forward to from you in 2018?”

Well, nothing more than what I am able to do at the moment. For sure I will be more active spreading the word in my local community.

In addition I will follow with interest some raising novelties in the Fedora Project, like Mindshare Committee, Fedora IoT Edition and the new documentation project.