As am improving my coding skills in every way possible, and after making a research of it's benefits. I have found that one should contribute to open source projects.
How ever; i didn't know what's really happening in that world! Or how should i enter it.
Do you have some practical tips or recommendations for a beginner to start dive in the open source world? a side from learning Git.
And if you know some beginners friendly projects kindly share the link in the comments section below.
Top comments (4)
Documentation is probably the easiest area, as most projects have totally neglected it. I see a lot of projects that don't even have screenshots of their application. Not the most exciting areas, but definitely areas where a lot of projects need help desperately.
Thank you Scott,
As a new Dev one think that he/she should start with code right away, and that's is intimidating. So documentation definitely will help to gain confidence to start and continue.
A good place to start is to look at firsttimersonly.com/ - they show you how how to contribute and find projects looking for novice contributors.
Although the deadline for this year has passed, I recommend students check out google summer of code (summerofcode.withgoogle.com/). Each year google fund student projects on a number of open source projects... it’s a way to earn, learn and develop your resume with practical contribution. Even outside of application dates, it’s a good place to look for possible OSS projects receptive to novice contribution.
Look for a community with a presence in your area... it’s so much easier if you can meet people face to face and ask questions. Also, try to find a project that you’re interested in and will enjoy.
Remember that early contributions don’t need to be huge or technically complicated, start small to build confidence and develop relationships. Little things like fixing typos and reviewing documentation are valuable contributions... especially in small projects where the core team may not be native speakers of your language.
Personally, I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with the Drupal community (drupal.org/getting-involved). Their slogan is “come for the code, stay for the community” and that’s certainly how it has been for me.
Thank you Keith for the very comprehensive answer,
It's like a great entry for open source would.