Contributor

Definitions

Anyone who contributes to an open-source project — code, documentation, bug reports, translations, design, or community management. Not just coders; the person who writes the README that prevents 1,000 support questions is a hero.
In plain English: Anyone who helps an open-source project — writing code, filing bug reports, improving documentation, or helping other users.
Open-source projects increasingly recognize that contributions go far beyond code. The All Contributors specification (allcontributors.org) defines contribution types including design, documentation, translation, bug reporting, mentoring, and financial support.
Example: 'She's never submitted a line of code, but she's our most valuable contributor — she triages every issue, answers every question, and wrote the entire getting-started guide.'
Source: inclusive definition

1990s: Open-source projects distinguish 'contributors' (anyone who submits code) from 'committers' (those with merge rights)
2010s: GitHub's contribution graph gamifies participation; 'green squares' become a status symbol and hiring signal
2017: The concept broadens — documentation, design, community management, and triage are recognized as valid contributions, not just code