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Harshil Patel
Harshil Patel

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Hacktoberfest 2024: My Journey and Key Learnings

Final Recap Blog Post: My Hacktoberfest 2024 Journey

October has been a month full of learning and challenges! Hacktoberfest 2024 was my first time contributing to open-source, and it was a great experience. In this blog, I’ll reflect on everything I did this month, how I improved, and what I learned from it all.

Summary of Contributions

I started this month by contributing to four different projects as part of Hacktoberfest. Each one came with its own set of challenges, but in the end, I was able to complete all four PRs successfully.

Hacktoberfest

Hacktoberfest

My first PR was for Chatcraft, where I worked on adding new logos for different LLM models. This task taught me how important it is to communicate with maintainers and be open to feedback. Even small changes, like updating logos, can make a big impact.

The second PR I did was for WrenAI, and this one was the most challenging. I had to deal with multiple services running on Docker, install dependencies, and even run into OpenAI token errors. It was frustrating at times, but I learned so much about how big projects work and how to debug them.

For my third PR, I contributed to ZTM-Quest, a fun game project where I adjusted the player's speed based on their energy level. This PR was exciting because it combined coding with something I enjoy—games. It also taught me about game mechanics and handling dynamic properties.

My fourth PR was for Libplanet, and I wanted to switch things up by working with C#. I had experience with C# from my ASP.NET projects, so it felt like the right move. I worked on removing redundant code from a utility class used for unit testing. This task helped me brush up on unit testing and gave me a chance to work with a decentralized .NET library.

How I Improved

Throughout Hacktoberfest, I’ve definitely grown as a developer. At the beginning of the month, I felt a bit lost when navigating large repos, but by the end, I was much more confident. I’ve gotten better at source control, debugging, managing dependencies, and reading through codebases. My problem-solving skills have also improved since I had to tackle a lot of unexpected issues, especially with WrenAI.

Patience and persistence were key lessons for me. Not everything went smoothly, and some tasks took longer than expected. But I learned how to stay calm and work through the problems one step at a time.

Lessons Learned

One of the biggest things I learned during Hacktoberfest was that open-source isn’t just about coding. It’s about teamwork, following guidelines, and understanding the community’s goals. The feedback I got from maintainers was super helpful, and it taught me how to write cleaner, more efficient code.

I also learned not to be afraid of contributing to bigger projects, even if they seem overwhelming. Some of my best learning moments came from working on WrenAI and Libplanet, which pushed me to step out of my comfort zone.

What’s Next

Even though Hacktoberfest 2024 is over, I’m excited to keep contributing to open-source. This month has shown me how rewarding it can be to be part of these projects, and I want to keep going. I’m looking forward to exploring new repos and continuing to grow as a developer.

To wrap it up, Hacktoberfest 2024 was an amazing experience. I’ve learned a lot, made valuable contributions, and grown both in my skills and confidence. I’m excited to see where this open-source journey takes me next!

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