docs: incorporate suggestions from @YOU54F

Signed-off-by: JP-Ellis <josh@jpellis.me>

Author: JP-Ellis

.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug.yml

@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@ body:
 
         Before filing your issue, ask yourself:
 
+        - Has this bug already been reported?
         - Is this clearly a Pact Python bug?
         - Do I have basic ideas about where it goes wrong?
-        - Could it be because of my own mistakes?
+        - Could it be because of something on my end?
 
-        **The GitHub issue tracker is not a support forum**. If you are not sure whether it could be your mistakes, ask on [Slack](https://slack.pact.io).
+        **The GitHub issue tracker is not a support forum**. If you are not sure whether it could be on your end or within Pact Python, ask on [Slack](https://slack.pact.io).
 
         Make the bug obvious. Ideally, we should be able to understand it without running any code.
 
@@ -100,7 +101,9 @@ body:
       description: Include as many relevant details about the environment you experienced the bug in.
       value: |
         - Public source code:
+        - Is this a consumer or provider issue? Do you have information about the other side?
         - Pact Python version used: `pip list | grep pact`
+        - Information about your Pact broker (version, hosted where, pactflow, ...)
         - Operating system and version (e.g. Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS, macOS Ventura):
 
   - type: checkboxes

.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md

@@ -5,20 +5,33 @@ You can learn more about contributing to Pact-python here: https://github.com/pa
 Happy contributing!
 -->
 
-## Pre-flight checklist
+## :airplane: Pre-flight checklist
 
 -   [ ] I have read the [Contributing Guidelines on pull requests](https://github.com/pact-foundation/pact-python/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#pull-requests).
 -   [ ] **If this is a code change**: I have written unit tests and/or added dogfooding pages to fully verify the new behavior.
 -   [ ] **If this is a new API or substantial change**: the PR has an accompanying issue (closes #0000) and the maintainers have approved on my working plan.
 
-## Motivation
+## :memo: Summary
+
+<!-- Help us understand the PR at a high level. What changes is it proposing? -->
+
+## :rotating_light: Breaking Changes
+
+<!-- Does this PR include any breaking changes? If not, feel free to delete this section. If so, please detail:
+
+-  What is the breaking change?
+-  Why is the breaking change necessary?
+-  What steps should a user take in order to migrate from the old behavior to the new one?
+-->
+
+## :fire: Motivation
 
 <!-- Help us understand your motivation by explaining why you decided to make this change. Does this fix a bug? Does it close an issue? -->
 
-## Test Plan
+## :hammer: Test Plan
 
 <!-- Write your test plan here. If you changed any code, please provide us with clear instructions on how you verified your changes work. -->
 
-## Related issues/PRs
+## :link: Related issues/PRs
 
 <!-- If you haven't already, link to issues/PRs that are related to this change. This helps us develop the context and keep a rich repo history. If this PR is a continuation of a past PR's work, link to that PR. If the PR addresses part of the problem in a meta-issue, mention that issue. -->

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ The [Open Source Guides](https://opensource.guide/) website has a collection of
 
 -   [How to Contribute to Open Source](https://opensource.guide/how-to-contribute/)
 -   [Building Welcoming Communities](https://opensource.guide/building-community/)
+-   [Contributing to Pact](https://docs.pact.io/contributing)
 
 ## Get Involved
 
@@ -18,9 +19,11 @@ There are many ways to contribute to Pact Python and the broader Pact ecosystem.
 
 Contributions are very welcome. If you think you need help planning your contribution, please ping us on [Slack](https://slack.pact.io) and let us know you are looking for a bit of help.
 
-### Join our Slack
+### Join our Community
 
-We have a [Slack](https://slack.pact.io) to discuss all things about Pact and its development. Feel free to ask questions about Pact Python specifically in the [`#pact-python`](https://pact-foundation.slack.com/archives/C9VECUP6E) channel, or broader questions about the Pact ecosystem over in the [`#general`](https://pact-foundation.slack.com/archives/C5F4KFKR8) channel.
+We have a [Slack](https://slack.pact.io) to discuss all things about Pact and its development. Feel free to ask questions about Pact Python specifically in the [`#pact-python`](https://pact-foundation.slack.com/archives/C9VECUP6E) channel, or broader questions about the Pact ecosystem over in the [`#general`](https://pact-foundation.slack.com/archives/C5F4KFKR8) channel. We store a searchable archive of our Slack channels on [linen.dev](https://linen.dev/s/pact-foundation).
+
+Questions have also been asked over on StackOverflow, under the [`pact`](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/pact) tag. This is a great place to ask more general usage questions for pact, and discover existing answers.
 
 ### Triaging Issues and Pull Requests
 
@@ -39,15 +42,13 @@ All pull requests will be checked by the continuous integration system, GitHub a
 
 ### Branch Organization
 
-Pact Python has one primary branch `master` and we use feature branches to deliver new features with pull requests. We use the following naming convention for branches:
+Pact Python has one primary branch `master` and we use feature branches to deliver new features with pull requests. Typically, we scope the branch according to the [conventional commit](#conventional-commit-messages) categories. The more common ones are:
 
 -   `feature/<name>` or `feat/<name>` for new features
 -   `fix/<name>` for bug fixes
 -   `chore/<name>` for chores
 -   `docs/<name>` for documentation changes
 
-These generally follow the [Conventional Commit](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/) categories.
-
 ## Issues
 
 When [opening a new issue](https://github.com/pact-foundation/pact-python/issues/new/choose), always make sure to fill out the issue template. **This step is very important!** Not doing so may slow down the response. Don't take this personally if this happens, and feel free to open a new issue once you've gathered all the information required by the template.
@@ -77,11 +78,15 @@ If you want to work on any of these issues, just drop a message saying "I'd like
 
 Alternatively, when opening an issue, you can also click the "self service" checkbox to indicate that you'd like to work on the issue yourself, which will also make us see the issue as "claimed".
 
+Once an issue is claimed, we hope to see a pull request; however we understand that life happens and you may not be able to complete the issue. If you are unable to complete the issue, please let us know so we can unassign the issue and make it available for others to work on.
+
+The claiming process is there to help ensure effort is wasted. Even if you are not sure whether you can complete the issue, claiming it will help us know that someone is working on it. If you are not sure how to proceed, feel free to ask for help.
+
 ## Development
 
 ### Online one-click setup for contributing
 
-You can also try using the new [github.dev](https://github.dev/pact-foundation/pact-python) feature. While you are browsing any file, changing the domain name from `github.com` to `github.dev` will turn your browser into an online editor. You can start making changes and send pull requests right away.
+You can also try using the new [github.dev](https://github.dev/pact-foundation/pact-python) feature. While you are browsing any file, changing the domain name from `github.com` to `github.dev` will turn your browser into an online editor. You can start making changes and send pull requests right away. This is a great way to get started quickly, but it does not offer the full development environment and you won't be able to run tests.
 
 ### Installation
 
@@ -116,7 +121,9 @@ pre-commit install
 
 ## Pull Requests
 
-So you have decided to contribute code back to upstream by opening a pull request. You've invested a good chunk of time, and we appreciate it. We will do our best to work with you and get the PR looked at.
+So you are considering contributing to Pact Python's code? Great! We'd love to have you. First off, please make sure it is related to an existing issue. If not, please open a new issue to discuss the problem you are trying to solve before investing a lot of time into a pull request. While we do accept PRs that are not related to an issue (especially if the PR is very simple), it is best to discuss it first to avoid wasting your time.
+
+Once you have opened a PR, we will do our best to work with you and get the PR looked at.
 
 Working on your first Pull Request? You can learn how from this free video series:
 
@@ -130,7 +137,7 @@ Please make sure the following is done when submitting a pull request:
 
 All pull requests should be opened against the `master` branch.
 
-We have a lot of integration systems that run automated tests to guard against mistakes. The maintainers will also review your code and fix obvious issues for you. These systems' duty is to make you worry as little about the chores as possible. Your code contributions are more important than sticking to any procedures, although completing the checklist will surely save everyone's time.
+We have a lot of integration systems that run automated tests to guard against mistakes. The maintainers will also review your code and may fix obvious issues for you. These systems' duty is to make you worry as little about the chores as possible. Your code contributions are more important than sticking to any procedures, although completing the checklist will surely save everyone's time.
 
 ### Conventional Commit Messages