October is creeping closer... That means it's almost time for Hacktoberfest! Last year it was a great opportunity for me to get to know the open source community and to spend time coding something different for a change. As I enjoyed the event so much, I'd love to help others out getting a head start for this awesome month-long event!
No idea what Hacktoberfest is? Check the official website for information about the event and how to participate.
1. 📚 Read the FAQ
To understand how you can participate. Definitely read up on the official website for information about the event and participation. They also have a great FAQ with tips and tricks that might help you out getting started in October.
2. 💪 Suppress that imposter syndrome
Contributing to projects you are not familiar with can be quite daunting. But: Hacktoberfest is a stage for anyone that wants to try out contributing to open source. Your contribution doesn't have to be perfect and it doesn't have to be big.
This month is all about getting to know the open source community and becoming familiar with the process. Any valuable contribution counts. Improving documentation, picking up big or small issues, fixing bugs or adding new features are all an option. Even if you feel like you might not be able to do it, you are probably more than able. Still feeling insecure? Then maybe...
3. 🍕 Get a group of enthusiasts together
Why start join the event alone if you can get together for fun code evenings with friends or colleagues?
Check if people around you might be interested to participate in the event and organise evenings or weekends where you chill out together and try your best at working on some PR's. It helps keep you motivated and provides a great excuse for pizza's and drinks!
4. 🔍 Find projects you like
Finding issues to work on can be tough during Hacktoberfest because loads of people jump on the chance to pick up an issue. That is why I recommend planning ahead a little bit. Maybe there is a project you use regularly in your daily job that you think could use some help? Documentation that can be improved for readability or a bug that needs fixing. Maybe you know someone who has a small open source project that they want more contributors for.
Ask around with friends and check if there is anything that makes you motivated. Write down a list for yourself so you know where to start looking once the event starts.
There is even a special Hacktoberfest label people can add to their project's issues to let others know they are open to new contributors. This can help you find something to work on.
5. 📅 Block time in your calendar
If you really want to contribute something valuable or fun, create time in your busy schedule to start coding. This will make it easier to find the time to work on something fun.
These are my tips to get ready for Hacktoberfest! Got tips or tricks? Share them in the comments!
🍴 Extra beginner tip: learn how to fork a project
Hacktoberfest is an awesome event for any beginner to start looking into open source contribution. Something I really needed to look into myself when I first started out is forking a project, and seeing how to keep your fork updated with the original one. So if you have no experience with that yet, maybe read this awesome guide.
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