This is a submission for the 2024 Hacktoberfest Writing challenge: Contributor Experience
This year, I participated in Hacktoberfest for the first time, and I canโt describe how excited I was. After already contributing as a maintainer for my project, CampX, I wanted to dive into the other side of open source: being a contributor. The enthusiasm I had was sky-high! I was constantly looking forward to discovering new projects, contributing to them, and immersing myself in the vibrant world of open-source development.
The Highs ๐
Hacktoberfest turned out to be an incredible way to learn about various open-source communities.I encountered numerous projects that used different technologies, many of which I hadnโt even heard of before. I took the time to thoroughly read about each project, and even when I didnโt have the specific knowledge to contribute, I still learned a lot. It was eye-opening to realize how many technologies, tools, and ideas are out there in the open-source world.
I also managed to complete my four PR merges successfully, which felt like a real accomplishment. Claiming all my Holopin badges was a proud moment, and I made sure to embed my Holopin dashboard on my GitHub profile to show off what I had achieved.
The Lows ๐ก
However, it wasnโt without its challenges. One of the biggest frustrations I encountered was when I created issues in a project, but before they were even assigned to me, someone else would mention the same issue and submit a PR. It was a bit disheartening at times, but I realized that this is just part of the open-source experience, and I learned to be quicker and more proactive in claiming issues.
Balancing the Highs and Lows โ๏ธ
As Iโve said before, everything has its highs and lows. If there were no ups and downs in your ECG, it would mean you're not alive. Open source is a living, breathing world, and these experiences only helped me grow as a developer and contributor.
Conclusion
I am genuinely happy with my first Hacktoberfest experience as a contributor. I learned a lot, connected with amazing projects, and even though there were a few bumps along the way, the overall experience was incredibly rewarding. I can't wait until next October for the next edition of Hacktoberfest!
Letโs keep going, Open Source!
Feel free to connect with me and check out my other work:
LinkedIn: Vignesh J
GitHub (Personal): Vignesh025
GitHub Organization (VigneshDevHub): VigneshDevHub
Join our Open-Source Community on Discord: VigneshDevHub
Looking forward to your support!
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