Revise README for NI LabVIEW Open-Source Initiative

profile/README.md

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-## Hi there! 👋
+# NI LabVIEW Open-Source Initiative
 
-For guidance on policies and workflows in this organization, refer to the [CONTRIBUTING](CONTRIBUTING.md) document.
+**NI provides the platform. The community provides the real-world expertise. Together we build better tools.**
+
+---
+
+## You're Invited to Shape the Future of LabVIEW
+
+NI is opening up **real product source code** for open-source contribution. Your contributions are reviewed by NI R&D, aligned to the product roadmap, and ship directly in LabVIEW — giving you **visibility**, **real impact**, and **direct collaboration with NI engineers**.
+
+### Our Goals
+
+| Goal | What It Means |
+|---|---|
+| **Accelerate Innovation** | Deliver new capabilities faster by combining NI and community expertise |
+| **Improve Quality** | Find and resolve bugs faster with more eyes on the code |
+| **Increase Collaboration** | Leverage the real-world experience of the LabVIEW community |
+| **Renew Trust** | Provide transparency and more options for the tools you depend on |
+| **Team-Based Workflows** | Improve tooling for modern, collaborative development |
+
+---
+
+## Open-Source Repositories
+
+| Repository | Description |
+|---|---|
+| [Actor Framework](https://github.com/ni/actor-framework) | NI's reference implementation of the Actor Model in LabVIEW — enabling scalable, message-based architectures for complex applications |
+| [Icon Editor](https://github.com/ni/labview-icon-editor) | The LabVIEW Icon Editor — create and customize VI icons across every LabVIEW project |
+
+> **Community contributions from both repositories are shipping in LabVIEW 2026Q3.** Thank you to all contributors who made this possible.
+
+We are actively evaluating additional repositories to open for community contribution:
+
+| Repository | Status |
+|---|---|
+| Quick Drop Plugins | Under evaluation |
+| LabVIEW gRPC | Under evaluation |
+
+---
+
+## How You Can Contribute
+
+**Apart from writing code, you can do a lot more.** There are no commitment traps — participate at your comfort level.
+
+> Repo-specific contribution guidelines, coding standards, and setup instructions can be found in the `CONTRIBUTING.md` file within each repository.
+
+### Submit an Idea or Report a Bug
+
+Found something that doesn't work right? Have an idea for an improvement? Open an issue.
+
+- Go to the repository's **Issues** tab
+- Click **New Issue** and select the appropriate template
+- Provide a clear title, description, and steps to reproduce (for bugs)
+
+*"I don't know how to write code — can I still contribute?"* **Absolutely.** Submitting a well-described issue or idea is one of the most valuable things you can do.
+
+### Join Discussions
+
+Share your real-world expertise. Participate in **GitHub Discussions** to help shape design decisions and feature direction.
+
+- Browse open discussions or start a new one
+- Share use cases, feedback, or questions
+- Vote on ideas you'd like to see implemented
+
+### Provide Feedback and Test Changes
+
+Help validate pre-release packages and pull requests. Install a build, try it in your environment, and report your findings. Testing is one of the most impactful contributions.
+
+### Contribute Code
+
+*"I have a fix for an issue — tell me what's next?"*
+
+1. **Find an issue** — Look for issues labeled `Workflow: Open to Contribution`
+2. **Comment on the issue** — Let repo owners know you'd like to work on it
+3. **Fork the repository** and create a feature branch
+4. **Implement your changes** following the coding guidelines
+5. **Submit a Pull Request** targeting the appropriate branch
+6. **Respond to review feedback** — repo owners will review and may request changes
+7. **Merge** — once approved, your changes are merged and queued for release
+
+### The Process at a Glance
+
+#### Ideation & Scoping
+
+![Ideation and Scoping Flow](assets/flow-part1.png)
+
+#### Integration & Release
+
+![Integration and Release Flow](assets/flow-part2.png)
+
+---
+
+## Contribution Guidelines
+
+### Before You Start
+
+- **Sign the Contributor License Agreement (CLA)** — required once per GitHub account, only for code contributions. Not needed for reporting issues, joining discussions, or testing.
+- **Check existing issues and discussions** — your idea may already be in progress.
+- **Start small** — a bug fix or documentation improvement is a great first contribution.
+
+### What We Expect
+
+- Follow NI LabVIEW style guidelines and the design patterns established in each repository.
+- Maintain backward compatibility unless a breaking change has been explicitly approved.
+- Include a linked Issue ID, design rationale, and testing evidence with every Pull Request.
+- Keep changes focused — one PR per issue or feature.
+
+### Code Quality
+
+- Write unit tests for new functionality.
+- Ensure all existing CI checks pass before requesting review.
+- Use clear, descriptive VI/class naming conventions.
+- Update documentation and examples when adding or changing features.
+
+### Review Timeline
+
+Pull Requests are reviewed by repo owners. Expect:
+
+- **Initial review** within 5–10 business days
+- **Follow-up reviews** within 3–5 business days after revisions
+- Once approved, PRs are merged promptly and queued for the next release cycle
+
+---
+
+## Governance
+
+These repositories are maintained under a **Steering Committee** model:
+
+- **Technical Steering Committee (SteerCo)** — defines the roadmap, reviews architectural changes, and approves feature directions. Composed of NI staff and selected community architects.
+- **Repo Owners** — handle code review, CI validation, merge approvals, and release tagging.
+- **NI** retains final decision authority on major roadmap and architecture changes.
+
+### Our Goals Moving Forward
+
+| Direction | What We're Doing |
+|---|---|
+| **Expand** | More LabVIEW functionality, more NI software |
+| **Simplify** | Fewer barriers, lower intimidation |
+| **Build Confidence** | Safe participation, clear expectations |
+
+---
+
+## Get Connected
+
+| Channel | Purpose |
+|---|---|
+| [NI GitHub](https://github.com/ni) | Browse all NI open-source repositories (use the `ni-open-source` topic to find projects) |
+| [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/ni/actor-framework/issues) | Report bugs and request features |
+| [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/ni/actor-framework/discussions) | Design proposals, Q&A, and community conversation |
+| [NI Open-Source Discord](https://discord.gg/WRT7wXu9ZY) | Real-time community collaboration |
+
+---
+
+## Get Started Now
+
+1. Visit the [NI GitHub](https://github.com/ni) and explore the repositories
+2. Browse open issues or start a discussion
+3. Join the conversation on [Discord](https://discord.gg/WRT7wXu9ZY)
+4. Take one action — even a small one — to join the engagement
+
+You don't need anything but your curiosity.
+
+**Small Steps = Big Changes.**