Exploring the world of Open-Source: Hacktoberfest 2023
Published: 2023-08-30 18:23:24

Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey into the world of open source? Well, get ready as Hacktoberfest is back for its annual extravaganza and as this year marks the 10th year for this Festival lets get right into the festivities!

This is an event held throughout the month of October, its not just a celebration but rather is an open invitation to all the coders out there to contribute to the world of open source software while also helping the development of the same.

**So what is Hacktoberfest you ask?**

Hacktoberfest is a festival that celebrates the spirit of open-source where software is collectively built by a global community of developers.

This is an event organized by the minds at DigitalOcean and DEV. This is an event that invites developers of all skill levels to participate.

Now you may ask, What exactly is open-source? 
Open-source refers to programs where the software's inner workings are laid bare for all to see and as such anyone can add and provide feedback to these workings.

![A dev's guide to Open-source software](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/002o0hlp45g8kz2ubbr4.png)

Hacktoberfest shines a spotlight on this enchanting world, giving participants a golden opportunity to dip their toes into the open-source ocean.

**Rewards Beyond Measure!**

Ah, but what's a journey without a treasure at the end? Hacktoberfest showers its contributors with a delightful array of rewards. Picture this: a cozy Hacktoberfest t-shirt that proudly displays your participation, a sleek sticker pack to adorn your laptop, and even quirky keychains to show off your coding prowess.

An example of this coveted shirt and other goodies (rewarded to participants of Hacktoberfest 2022)

![Hacktoberfest 2022 Shirt](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xo0sxwnxl19uqkudxb2u.png)

Finally, depending on the company one can also win cash prices that can go up all way to $1,500 for first place!

**How to join the Festivities?**

While there is no prior knowledge required to take part in the festivities, basic knowledge about Git and GitHub will help in making the process faster.

Participating in Hacktoberfest is as east. All you need to do is follow these simple steps:

1. **Sign Up:** Head over to the official Hacktoberfest website and sign up for the event. It's free and takes just a few clicks.

2. **Choose a Project:** Explore the list of participating open-source projects and find one that resonates with you. It could be a project you're already passionate about or something entirely new.

![Git and GitHub logos](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/csesc450rvd7zwbgd8gm.png)

 Open source projects are usually found in GitHub where 
 the DEV may have a readMe file where bugs and future 
 features which can be contributed to may be present 
 in.

3. **Contribute:** Once you've chosen a project, dive into the code and start contributing. Whether it's fixing a pesky bug or adding a shiny new feature, your efforts are bound to make a difference.

4. **Submit Pull Requests:** As you make your contributions, submit pull requests to the project's repository. This is how you showcase your changes and improvements to the project maintainers.

![Push-Pull commands](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/g50ew7vvkata73tt01pe.png)

 Simplified Description of Git Push-Pull commands

5. **Celebrate:** After your pull requests are accepted, you're well on your way to earning those awesome Hacktoberfest rewards. But remember, it's not just about the goodies – it's about the experience and the impact you've made.

**In Conclusion: Let the Open Source Adventure Begin!**

Why don't you get a jumpstart over the competition by taking part in the Preptember event, where participants go through various GitHub repositories and mark which all repos to work on during the festival.

Various resources to help with this event can be found at https://hacktoberfest.com/participation

The awesome people at Hacktoberfest have also provided us with a checklist that can act as a launchpad to help both beginners with a passion and experts that have been doing this for the past 10 years with this celebration, this can be found at https://github.com/OtacilioN/awesome-hacktoberfest

Finally to fully embrace the culture of Hacktoberfest one can take part in virtual and in person meetups or webinars

![The India Meetup Cover Page](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6dnok589rp6tuhnyte87.png)

So there you have it, the exhilarating journey that awaits you in the world of Hacktoberfest. It's a chance to learn, grow, and contribute to the greater good of the software landscape. Whether you're a coding maestro or a curious novice, Hacktoberfest welcomes you with open arms!