Consider updating CONTRIBUTING to require forking regardless of privileges

[maneesha]

How could the content be improved?

The CONTRIBUTING document suggests contributing via a branch on your local copy of the repo, but does not say that it must be a fork. If we do want people to fork (regardless of GH privileges), as suggested in this comment, we should make that clear in the contributing guidelines -- along with reasons why forking is better than branching from the original source.

If this applies to all lesson repos across The Carpentries, we should move this to each organization's .github repo instead.

Whatever makes work easiest for contributors and maintainers alike is best!

[zkamvar]

@maneesha, having a global CONTRIBUTING would be good, but I don't think it's possible at the moment because while the contributing guide does apply generally to all of our lessons, they have repo-specific links in them and maintainers may have extra instructions that they wish to convey.

[maneesha]

Thanks @zkamvar
I thought that might be so. In that case, this issue is just about whether we want people to contribute by forks, or if branches are acceptable for people with access.

[martinosorb]

I think branches should be acceptable at least from maintainers, as it simplifies the work. If you have access for Carpentries admin reasons, but are not a maintainer, I would request you use your fork, but would not go as far as putting this niche case in CONTRIBUTING, imho.