This is a submission for the 2024 Hacktoberfest Writing challenge: Contributor Experience
October has always been a month filled with spooky thrills, but this year, it added a different kind of excitement for me: My first-ever step into the world of open-source contributions through Hacktoberfest 2024. As a passionate Computer Science undergrad and Web Development enthusiast, I decided to participate to improve my skills by contributing to real-world projects while giving back to the community that has enriched my learning journey. Much like the eerie yet exciting vibe of Halloween, my journey into open source was full of challenges and delightful surprises. Here's a look at my spooky month of coding.
Technology is best when it brings people together, and open source is the ultimate connector.
— Matt Mullenweg
The Projects I Worked On
As I dove into Hacktoberfest, I was enveloped by a thrilling blend of excitement and nervous anticipation at the prospect of contributing to public repositories for the first time. I explored several projects, ranging from beginner-friendly repositories to more intricate ones, which challenged my skills, and ignited my curiosity.
I have always been a person who pays attention to proper organization and orientation. I started by refining documentation within README.md files to improve the overall structure of the repositories. This initial focus soon expanded as I worked on enhancing the user interface of various projects. Whether it involved reworking footer sections, adding favicons to websites, improving navigation bars, or troubleshooting issues in existing features, I embraced every opportunity to elevate the quality and usability of the projects I contributed to.
One standout experience was contributing to a Project that involved adding missing social icons and I was overwhelmed to receive words of appreciation from the Project Maintainer. It's always a great feeling to see your efforts acknowledged and to know that the quality of your work is valued.
The Challenge of Four PRs
One of the primary goals for Hacktoberfest is to submit four pull requests (PRs), and I’m happy to say that I successfully reached this milestone! Each PR helped me gain confidence and a deeper understanding of version control systems like Git and GitHub. As someone new to open source, this challenge wasn’t just about hitting a number; it was about learning how to collaborate, understanding other's codebases, and receiving valuable feedback from experienced maintainers. The feeling of successfully merging a PR felt as rewarding as getting the best candy in your trick-or-treat bag! I made contributions ranging from fixing minor bugs to implementing new features.
Completing the four pull requests (PRs) was the ultimate Trick-or-Treat and I’m happy to say that I successfully reached this milestone! I have not stopped at just four PRs and am trying to contribute to more repositories.
I successfully received the Holopin badges for completing the Program by submitting 4 pull requests.
Learning Throughout the Process
Patience and Persistence: Open-source contributions are not just about code. It’s about communication, connecting with people, understanding existing codebases, and finding ways to improve them. Along the way, I encountered moments of frustration, particularly with the notorious villain of the open-source world: Merge Conflicts. However, I quickly learned the value of asking questions and seeking guidance from maintainers and the community, transforming these challenges into valuable learning experiences.
Collaboration: I gained insights into the collaborative side of software development. Being able to work on projects with contributors worldwide was an inspiring and overwhelming experience. The community spirit and helpful nature of the open-source contributors are unmatched.
Improving Code Quality and Documentation: One of my key takeaways from this journey was learning to write better, more maintainable code and documentation(README files). Having my code reviewed by seasoned developers gave me practical feedback that will improve my future work.
Why I Decided to Participate
Hacktoberfest presented the perfect platform to hone my skills and meet like-minded individuals while stepping into the world of Open-source contribution. I had always been curious but never quite knew how to start. Although I learned about Hacktoberfest last year, personal circumstances prevented me from participating. However, I believe it’s never too late to start! The thrill of contributing to real-world projects and an opportunity to help and connect with others were significant motivating factors for me.
What’s Next?
Now that I’ve had my first taste of open-source contributions, I’m captivated by the process! I’m eager to continue contributing to the open-source community. This experience fostered a sense of belonging to something bigger and part of a community. If you’ve ever hesitated to contribute to open source, I highly recommend Hacktoberfest as a great starting point. I anticipate the opportunity to contribute to Hacktoberfest again next year!
Thanks for joining me on my Hacktoberfest 2024 journey, where the tricks were challenges and the treats were skills gained! Hope you all start contributing and enter the world of open-source!
Happy coding!
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
— Wayne Gretzky
Top comments (0)