Hacktoberfest 2023, a recap

Intro

I've been taking part in Hacktoberfest for five years now. It initially began as a fantastic opportunity to enhance my coding skills, and over time, it has evolved into an event that I cherish and eagerly anticipate each year.

I mainly focus on Go projects because it's a language that I find thrilling to work with. Contributing to other repositories helps me learn and understand how various teams and companies address issues used by hundreds, if not thousands, of developers daily. Open source, for me, is an excellent learning experience.

Growth

During Hacktoberfest, I've found that I've been continuously developing skills, and surprisingly, they lean more towards the soft skills side. Interacting with maintainers and PR reviewers has helped me improve my communication, develop a direct yet friendly tone, and has proven to be an excellent source of feedback.

Final thoughts

I'm a bit sad that the t-shirts won't be given out this year, but I completely understand the logistical and environmental reasons behind this decision. Although it wasn't the main reason for me to join this amazing event, I must admit that I'll miss the t-shirts and the wonderful sticker bundles a lot.