docs: add COMMUNITY.md and un-ignore tracked documentation paths

Author: Tuntii

.gitignore

@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@ docs/PRODUCTION_CHECKLIST.md
 /.github/prompts
 /.github/skills
 *.md
+!docs/COMMUNITY.md
+!docs/README.md
+!docs/GETTING_STARTED.md
+!docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
+!docs/FEATURES.md
+!docs/PHILOSOPHY.md
+!docs/PERFORMANCE_BENCHMARKS.md
+!docs/native_openapi.md
+!docs/cookbook/src/**/*.md
 tasks.md
 /mcps
 /agent-tools

docs/COMMUNITY.md

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+# Community & Open Source
+
+RustAPI is an independent open-source project. Contributions, questions, and feedback are welcome.
+
+## Get help
+
+| Channel | Best for |
+|---------|----------|
+| [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/Tuntii/RustAPI/discussions) | Questions, ideas, show-and-tell |
+| [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/Tuntii/RustAPI/issues) | Bugs and feature requests |
+| [Cookbook](cookbook/src/SUMMARY.md) | Guides, recipes, architecture |
+| [docs.rs](https://docs.rs/rustapi-rs) | API reference |
+
+Before opening an issue, search existing issues and discussions. For bugs, include Rust version, feature flags, and a minimal reproduction when possible.
+
+## Contribute
+
+We accept contributions of all sizes:
+
+- **Code** — bug fixes, features, tests, benchmarks
+- **Documentation** — README, cookbook, examples, typo fixes
+- **Examples** — in-repo samples or the [examples repository](https://github.com/Tuntii/rustapi-rs-examples)
+- **Community** — issue triage, discussion answers, release testing
+
+Start here:
+
+1. Read [CONTRIBUTING.md](../CONTRIBUTING.md) for setup, testing, and PR workflow
+2. Read [CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md](../CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md)
+3. Pick an issue labeled [`good first issue`](https://github.com/Tuntii/RustAPI/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22) or [`help wanted`](https://github.com/Tuntii/RustAPI/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22help+wanted%22) when available
+4. Fork → branch → PR (squash merge to `main`)
+
+### Documentation contributions
+
+Documentation lives in several places:
+
+| Location | Contents |
+|----------|----------|
+| `README.md` | Project overview and quick start |
+| `docs/` | Standalone guides (getting started, architecture, production) |
+| `docs/cookbook/src/` | mdBook cookbook source |
+| `crates/*/README.md` | Per-crate overviews |
+| `CHANGELOG.md` / `RELEASES.md` | Release history |
+
+When you change public behavior, update the cookbook recipe or reference page that matches the feature. When you only fix internals, a CHANGELOG entry under **Changed** or **Fixed** is enough.
+
+### Public API changes
+
+User-facing API surface is defined by the `rustapi-rs` facade. Changes that affect public types or feature flags may require:
+
+- Updates to `api/public/` snapshots (CI enforces labels on PRs)
+- A [CHANGELOG.md](../CHANGELOG.md) entry
+- Migration notes in the cookbook when behavior changes
+
+See [CONTRACT.md](../CONTRACT.md) for stability rules.
+
+## Project values
+
+- **Stable facade** — application code imports `rustapi-rs`, not internal crates
+- **Evidence over claims** — benchmarks and behavior changes should be test-backed
+- **Small, reviewable PRs** — easier to merge and safer for contributors
+- **Respectful collaboration** — see the Code of Conduct
+
+## Releases
+
+Releases are tagged `v0.1.<commit-count>` and published to [crates.io](https://crates.io/crates/rustapi-rs). See [CHANGELOG.md](../CHANGELOG.md) and [RELEASES.md](../RELEASES.md) for notes.
+
+## Security
+
+Report vulnerabilities privately per [SECURITY.md](../SECURITY.md). Do not open public issues for undisclosed security problems.
+
+## License
+
+MIT OR Apache-2.0, at your option. See [LICENSE-MIT](../LICENSE-MIT) and [LICENSE-APACHE](../LICENSE-APACHE).