Merge pull request #20660 from zacharysarah/3rd-party-content

How K8s docs handle third party and dual sourced content

content/en/blog/_posts/2020-05-06-third-party-dual-sourced-content.md

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+---
+title: "How Docs Handle Third Party and Dual Sourced Content"
+date: 2020-05-06
+slug: third-party-dual-sourced
+url: /blog/2020/05/third-party-dual-sourced-content
+---
+
+**Author:** Zach Corleissen, Cloud Native Computing Foundation
+
+*Editor's note: Zach is one of the chairs for the Kubernetes documentation special interest group (SIG Docs).*
+
+Late last summer, SIG Docs started a community conversation about third party content in Kubernetes docs. This conversation became a [Kubernetes Enhancement Proposal](https://github.com/kubernetes/enhancements/pull/1327) (KEP) and, after five months for review and comment, SIG Architecture approved the KEP as a [content guide](/docs/contribute/style/content-guide/) for Kubernetes docs.
+
+Here's how Kubernetes docs handle third party content now:
+
+> Links to active content in the Kubernetes project (projects in the kubernetes and kubernetes-sigs GitHub orgs) are always allowed.
+>
+> Kubernetes requires some third party content to function. Examples include container runtimes (containerd, CRI-O, Docker), networking policy (CNI plugins), Ingress controllers, and logging.
+>
+> Docs can link to third party open source software (OSS) outside the Kubernetes project if it’s necessary for Kubernetes to function.
+
+These common sense guidelines make sure that Kubernetes docs document Kubernetes.
+
+## Keeping the docs focused
+
+Our goal is for Kubernetes docs to be a trustworthy guide to Kubernetes features. To achieve this goal, SIG Docs is [tracking third party content](https://github.com/kubernetes/website/issues/20232) and removing any third party content that isn't both in the Kubernetes project _and_ required for Kubernetes to function.
+
+### Re-homing content
+
+Some content will be removed that readers may find helpful. To make sure readers have continous access to information, we're giving stakeholders until the [1.19 release deadline for docs](https://github.com/kubernetes/sig-release/tree/master/releases/release-1.19), **July 9th, 2020** to re-home any content slated for removal.
+
+Over the next few months you'll see less third party content in the docs as contributors open PRs to remove content.
+
+## Background
+
+Over time, SIG Docs observed increasing vendor content in the docs. Some content took the form of vendor-specific implementations that aren't required for Kubernetes to function in-project. Other content was thinly-disguised advertising with minimal to no feature content. Some vendor content was new; other content had been in the docs for years. It became clear that the docs needed clear, well-bounded guidelines for what kind of third party content is and isn't allowed. The [content guide](https://kubernetes.io/docs/contribute/content-guide/) emerged from an extensive period for review and comment from the community.
+
+Docs work best when they're accurate, helpful, trustworthy, and remain focused on features. In our experience, vendor content dilutes trust and accuracy. 
+
+Put simply: feature docs aren't a place for vendors to advertise their products. Our content policy keeps the docs focused on helping developers and cluster admins, not on marketing.
+
+## Ways to contribute
+
+We're tracking third party content in an [issue in the Kubernetes website repository](https://github.com/kubernetes/website/issues/20232). If you see third party content that's out of project and isn't required for Kubernetes to function, please comment on the tracking issue. 
+
+Feel free to open a PR that removes non-conforming content once you've identified it!
+
+## Dual sourced content
+
+Less impactful but also important is how Kubernetes docs handle _dual-sourced content_. Dual-sourced content is content published in more than one location, or from a non-canonical source.
+
+From the [Kubernetes content guide](https://kubernetes.io/docs/contribute/style/content-guide/#dual-sourced-content):
+
+> Wherever possible, Kubernetes docs link to canonical sources instead of hosting dual-sourced content.
+
+Minimizing dual-sourced content streamlines the docs and makes content across the Web more searchable. We're working to consolidate and redirect dual-sourced content in the Kubernetes docs as well.
+
+## Ways to contribute
+
+We're tracking third-party content in an [issue in the Kubernetes website repository](https://github.com/kubernetes/website/issues/20232). If you see third party content that's out of project and isn't required for Kubernetes to function, please comment on the tracking issue. 
+
+Feel free to open a PR that removes non-conforming content once you've identified it!
+
+## Want to know more?
+
+For more information, read the issue description for [tracking third party content](https://github.com/kubernetes/website/issues/20232).