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[Docs] Adding table lead guide documentation #2708

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74 changes: 74 additions & 0 deletions packages/docs/site/docs/main/contributing/contributor-day-table-lead.md
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---
slug: /contributing/table-lead-guide
title: Table Lead Guide for Contributor Day
description: How to lead a WordPress Playground table at Contributor Day of a WordCamp.
---

# Table Lead Guide for Contributor Day

This guide helps table leads prepare for and manage a WordPress Playground contributor table at WordCamp events.

## Before Contributor Day

### Pre-Work Checklist

- **Curate "Good First Issues"**: Review and update the [good first issues list](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-playground/labels/good%20first%20issue) on GitHub. These should be straightforward tasks that new contributors can complete independently.
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It could be helpful to suggest how they would curate the list. It says "update the list" but do they have the permission to change labels? I could see us suggesting to create a spreadsheet that they could share with contributors

- **Coordinate with the Team**: Confirm if team members are available online to provide remote support during the event, especially for flagship WordCamps.
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Let's be more precise who we mean with "Team"

- **Connect with Local Contributors**: Identify regular contributors in the region attending the event. This is an opportunity to gather feedback and strengthen community connections.
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Is this advice to contact them before or to recognize them when they are there?


## Starting the Day

### Setup and Onboarding

1. **Create Your Agenda**: Prepare a flexible checklist of key activities while allowing for organic collaboration. Share it in the project documentation if helpful.
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I would appreciate an example here.


2. **Guide Contributors to Slack**: Direct everyone to the [`#playground` channel on WordPress Slack](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C04EWKGDJ0K). This centralizes communication and enables asynchronous collaboration with late arrivals.

3. **Post a Welcome Message**: Share an initial message in the Slack channel announcing your presence (in-person or online) and welcoming contributions from everyone.

4. **Share Essential Links**: Post these resources in the `#playground` channel:

- [WordPress Playground Web Instance](https://playground.wordpress.net/)
- [Playground Documentation](https://wordpress.github.io/wordpress-playground/)
- [Playground Step Library](https://akirk.github.io/playground-step-library/)
- [GitHub Repository](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-playground)
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We should also link https://wordpress.github.io/wordpress-playground/contributing/contributor-day


5. **Introduce the GitHub Repository**: Provide a brief walkthrough of the repository structure, highlighting different packages and their purposes for first-time contributors.
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In this section I miss that the lead should discuss the potential issues to work on with the contributors.

They should also be able to give context, so it's not the first time they read the issue. If they don't know enoug about it, they should rather have not added it to the list. I wonder if we should add this guidance already to the section above.


## During the Day

### Managing Contributions

**Encourage Different Contribution Types**:
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This should go in the previous section, no?

During the day I would suggest them to visit each contributor regularly, ask them if they need help, help connect them with docs and the playground team (maybe on Slack), and help them find a new issue if the one they picked didn't work out.


- Documentation improvements and translations
- Carefully crafted issues describing problems with actionable solutions
- Blueprint creation and plugin demos
- Testing and product feedback

**Foster Collaboration**: Look for cross-table opportunities. For example, contributors at the [Polyglots/Translation table](https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/) might translate Playground documentation, or the [Core Test team](https://make.wordpress.org/test/) could provide valuable Playground feedback.

**Collect Feedback**: Ask contributors about their experience and note improvement suggestions. Document this feedback in a P2 post when possible.

## After the Event

### Follow-Up and Support

1. **Review Pull Requests**: List PRs created during the day and assess their completion likelihood. Most contributions have a short momentum window—engagement within the first two weeks is critical.

2. **Set Clear Expectations**: For incomplete PRs, follow this approach:

- After one month of inactivity, leave a comment asking if the author plans to complete the work
- If no response after two more weeks, inform them that the PR may be taken over by another contributor or closed

3. **Stay Active on Slack**: Continue supporting new contributors through the `#playground` channel, answering questions and helping them become regular contributors.

4. **Reflect and Improve**: Review collected feedback and your experience to refine this guide for future events. Feel free to submit a Pull Request to this guide!

## Getting Help

- **During the Event**: Connect with contributors at the Playground table
- **Ongoing Support**: Use the [`#playground` Slack channel](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C04EWKGDJ0K)
- **Report Issues**: Submit to the [WordPress Playground GitHub repository](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-playground/issues/new)

For more information on contributing to WordPress Playground, see the [Contributor Day guide](/contributing/contributor-day).