How to Report a Bug or Make a Feature Request
=============================================

ThinkUp is an open source project mostly built by volunteers, who troubleshoot and discuss features
in public community spaces. If you've found a ThinkUp bug or have an idea for a new feature, here's what you can do
to get help or feedback most efficiently.

Step 1: Search
--------------

To avoid duplicate work, search `ThinkUp's documentation <http://thinkupapp.com/docs/>`_, 
`mailing list archive <https://groups.google.com/forum/?pli=1#!forum/thinkupapp>`_ and
`issue tracker <https://github.com/ginatrapani/ThinkUp/issues>`_ to make sure your
problem or idea hasn't already been documented, discussed or reported. If it has, follow up on the existing mailing
list thread thread or issue tracker comment thread to discuss further.

If your problem or idea hasn't been addressed before, continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Don't File An Issue
---------------------------

`ThinkUp's issue tracker <https://github.com/ginatrapani/ThinkUp/issues>`_ is public, but you shouldn't file a new
issue unless the problem or feature request has been
confirmed by the ThinkUp community. If you file a new issue without discussing it with the community, no one but Gina
will receive the new issue notification. If she cannot reproduce the bug or isn't sold on the feature pitch, she
will close the issue. There's a better chance someone in the community at large will be able to reproduce your problem
or get excited about your feature.

Instead of filing a new issue, discuss the problem/idea with the community first to confirm it is indeed a new issue
and not a known bug, a rejected feature idea or an environmental problem versus an application code bug.

Step 3: Contact the Community
-----------------------------

Send an email to the `ThinkUp mailing list <http://groups.google.com/group/thinkupapp>`_ describing your problem or
feature idea. Be specific.

Write a Great Bug Report
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Help us help you! The  more information about your problem you share, the more likely it is that the community
can help you.

In your bug report, include the following information:

* Your ThinkUp hosting provider
* The version of ThinkUp you are running
* Whether or not you have any special setup details (i.e., a subdomain, desktop installation, modified code, etc)
* What you did before the bug occurred
* What the application message or log contents were when the bug occurred
* What the expected behavior was
* What version of PHP and MySQL your ThinkUp host is running

While the core development team can't respond to every bug report on the mailing list, volunteer community members
help each other troubleshoot problems.

Propose a New Feature
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If you've got an idea for a new ThinkUp feature, we invite you to  :doc:`pull the source code and start
building </contribute/developers/index>`! If you're not a coder, the better you pitch your feature idea to the
community, the more likely an interested developer will work on it. 

To pitch your feature idea, describe exactly how you think the new functionality should work, and include wireframes and 
screenshots. Sell your idea to the community by clearly explaining its benefits and use cases, and how you plan to 
help make the feature. We only build features which align with :doc:`ThinkUp's purpose </intro>`.

Thanks for helping us make ThinkUp a great application, and for respecting the community's time and public spaces.