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Aditya More
Aditya More

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My Hacktoberfest 2024 Journey

This is a submission for the 2024 Hacktoberfest Writing challenge: Contributor Experience

Hello, Dev community! šŸ‘‹ Iā€™m Aditya More, and this year I participated in Hacktoberfest for the first time. I want to share my journeyā€”from figuring out GitHub basics to contributing to real-world projects. Hacktoberfest was a roller-coaster ride of learning, connecting with the open-source community, and growing my skills.

Why I Joined Hacktoberfest 2024?

Iā€™d heard about open-source contributions before but never had the courage to start. Hacktoberfest seemed like the perfect entry point, with the excitement of a global event and the support from thousands of contributors. My goal was simple: to learn something new and make my first contribution to open source.

The First Steps: Setting Up My Environment

My first task was setting up Git and GitHub. I went through a few tutorials and practiced basic Git commands, such as clone, add, commit, and push. This foundational knowledge helped me feel more comfortable when interacting with repositories.

Pro tip: If you're new, try using GitHub Desktop or VS Codeā€™s built-in Git tools for a friendlier start.

Finding the Right Projects

I didnā€™t want to get overwhelmed, so I started by filtering issues labeled "good first issue" and "Hacktoberfest." I also looked for projects in technologies Iā€™m familiar with, like Python and Android. Some helpful platforms I used to find these projects included GitHub, the official Hacktoberfest site, and communities on Discord.

Advice: Donā€™t just pick projects for the sake of contributionsā€”choose ones that genuinely interest you. This makes the experience much more rewarding!

My Contributions: What I Worked On

I contributed to a important project this year:

Kestra-docs : I was able to successfully make one merge this Hacktoberfest, which was a big milestone for me. Although it was only a single contribution, the process of working through issues, making changes, and finally getting merged was incredibly rewarding. It gave me real insight into the workflows of open-source projects.

Challenges I Faced and How I Overcame Them

Like any beginner, I hit a few roadblocks along the way:

Understanding the Codebase: Some projects had complex codebases, making it tough to know where to start. Reading the README and documentation carefully helped a lot.

Making the First PR: My first pull request took longer than I expected, but I learned to make smaller, incremental changes to make it manageable.

Handling Feedback: Some maintainers suggested changes, which was initially nerve-wracking but became a learning experience. It showed me how important it is to write clean, readable code.

Lessons Learned

Hacktoberfest taught me that open source is not just about codingā€”itā€™s about collaboration, learning, and giving back to the community. Hereā€™s what I took away from the experience:

  • Never Underestimate Documentation: Writing clear documentation is as valuable as coding.

  • Communication is Key: Donā€™t hesitate to ask questions or clarify things. The open-source community is super welcoming and supportive.

  • Be Consistent: Small contributions are just as impactful as big ones, especially when starting.

Advice for First-Time Contributors

For anyone considering joining Hacktoberfest in the future, hereā€™s what Iā€™d suggest:

  • Start small with documentation or minor bug fixes.
  • Engage with project maintainers and other contributors. It builds your network and helps you understand the project's needs.
  • Celebrate each contribution, no matter how small. Every PR builds confidence and skill.

Wrapping Up: The Hacktoberfest Impact

Hacktoberfest 2024 was a stepping stone into open source for me. The experience made me feel part of something bigger, and itā€™s just the beginning. Now, I feel more confident in my skills and more motivated to contribute regularly to open-source projects.

Thank you, Hacktoberfest, and the open-source community, for this incredible journey! My Github

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