How to do Open Source Contribution?
Tags: opensource, softwaredevelopment, softwareengineering
Published: 2024-01-25 03:38:45



If you're new to tech or just getting started, you'll often hear the advice to contribute to open source. It's great advice advice that everyone should consider. There are many reasons why this advice is commonly given and many people ask me how should i start contributing to open source, so this is my answer.

Firstly, we all build upon each other's work in the tech industry. We stand on the [shoulders of giants]("https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_on_the_shoulders_of_giants") and without this collective knowledge-sharing, we wouldn't be able to dream of the possibility of developing AGI. Sharing knowledge is the force that moves the world and humanity forward.

This "pay it forward" mentality is needed more than ever to make more world a better place That's why people suggest contributing to open source. Many companies appreciate this ethos, and some even have a strong open-source culture. You can stand out among other people by highlighting your open-source contribution.

However, I recently had an interesting conversation with a friend who asked how to contribute to open source, I told him, to pick an interesting project to which you want to contribute, which you like, find an issue, create PR, be polite, and don't hesitate to ask for help. But I wanted to know where he learned about this because he doesn't even have any kind of IDE installed on his PC, for beginners I usually recommend focusing on skills because without them you can't to any meaningful contribution.

I found out, that many YouTubers and DevRel on the internet are promoting open source, but the issue is they are doing it in the wrong way. They make it sound like a silver bullet: "Contribute to open source and get a job.". This is sometimes misleading because if you just make PR and mention it on your resume, recruiters aren't easily fooled. Sometimes they check what you contributed, and if it's just a small readme change and you mention that 3 times in your resume, that creates a negative impression.

Open source is a philosophy in itself. There's nothing wrong with using open-source tools and libraries without actively contributing. there's no pressure or obligation to participate, it's about what you believe in, there are many reasons why one thinks to contribute to open source,

- learning new skills, facing new challenges
- helping/supporting other people/project
- building a personal portfolio, resume...
- personal satisfaction

Many people want to contribute to open source but don't know the starting point. I suggest going about doing your normal work, and opportunities will naturally arise, If you encounter a bug in some library that you are using for your project, check if there is an open issue, If not, create one and create PR to fix it, This way, your contribution will be more meaningful and relevant to your experiences.

Rather than actively seeking out open source projects to contribute to, let it happen organically, Trying to find projects to contribute to can feel like having a hammer and seeing every problem as a nail. This isn't always the case.

Start with meaningful open-source contributions that you can relate to, especially if you're just starting. Don't chase after opportunities, they will come to you naturally. As you gain a deeper understanding of fundamentals, you'll be better equipped to contribute to more advanced projects and contribute to more impactful ideas.

PS: this blog was originally published [here]("https://kmj-007.github.io/blog/opensource/")