Hacktoberfest 101: Everything You Need To Know About It
Tags: hacktoberfest, webdev, javascript, beginners
Published: 2021-10-18 06:02:44

Hacktoberfest is no stranger to you. Every October, DigitalOcean hosts Hacktoberfest. It is a month-long, community-wide event celebrating open source projects. Participants receive prizes and shout-outs. There might still be some questions you have about Hacktoberfest. In this post, I've compiled some resources for getting started with Hacktoberfest

## What is Hacktoberfest

Open-source software is the focus of Hacktoberfest, a community-wide month-long celebration. It is operated by DigitalOcean alongside partners like GitHub and Twilio.
The requirements to participate are four valid pull requests submitted to public GitHub repositories. As a bonus, participants receive prize packages like stickers, T-shirts, or a new alternative to planting trees.

## Why You Should Contribute To Open-Source

### 1) Encourages writing clean code:

To begin with, there are many enthusiasts who simply believe that code should be open source. They contribute code because they are idealists who want to make the world a better place. The wish to share can be motivating.

You can help developers write readable or maintainable code even by fixing minor issues like a bug in a library or writing documentation. Generally, they are able to suggest ideas independently and adhere to the rules of writing easy-to-understand code. Due to the fact that the code will be exposed to the public, developers are driven to write readable code. 

### 2) Be recognized:

The open nature of the code appeals to some people as they want to sincerely make the community better by contributing to it. Additionally, it allows coders to gain recognition among the community, and it allows them to sharpen their programming skills. Contributing to open source is also a way to gain recognition. That recognition can also lead to opportunities from potential employers.

### 3) Developing a deeper understanding of technology:

Participating in an open-source project allows companies and individuals to gain a deeper understanding of the technology. It strengthens their understanding of the project. It also encourages the internal use of technology within the organization.

### 4) Assists in preparation for the project:

Through participation in open-source projects relevant to the company's domain, the company can better understand its customers. Because of this, they have a better understanding of what their customers expect. This can be achieved through participation in the open-source community and participation in its code. By doing so, the company will be able to see into the future and plan accordingly.

## How To Register For Hacktoberfest

It's possible to sign up anytime between October 1 and October 31. By signing up sooner, you will have more time to make pull requests!

It's quick and easy to participate. All you have to do is sign up with [DigitalOcean](https://hacktoberfest.digitalocean.com/). To sign up, you'll need a GitHub account. By the deadline, you must submit at least four valid pull requests to open source projects.

## How to Create a Pull Request:

1) On GitHub.com, navigate to the repository's main page.

2) The "Branch" menu lets you select the branch that contains your commits.

![branch-dropdown.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1634530794148/KxMSp7Uu_.png)
  
3) Click on the Pull request above the list of files.

![pull-request-start-review-button.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1634530829239/aAlFTj3Wx.png)

4) In the base branch dropdown menu, select the branch into which you wish to merge your changes, then choose the topic branch in the compare branch dropdown menu.

![choose-base-and-compare-branches.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1634530849748/Vcx7dckky.png)

5) Type your pull request's title and description.  

![pullrequest-description.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1634530867681/NyQ03evzw.png)

6) Create a pull request that is ready for review by clicking Create Pull Request. To create a draft pull request, select Create Draft Pull Request from the drop-down menu, and click Draft Pull Request

![pullrequest-send.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1634530915116/6FBEtl2uw.png)

##  Don'ts of Hactoberfest:

- Don't create spam PRs as participants. It's great that you're eager to reach your Hacktoberfest goals, but what you truly see is a real person doing their best to maintain a project.

-	Be nice to the maintainer and don't force them to merge your PR. A gentle reminder is better than dozens of comments and emails.

-	Please do not fix grammatical and spelling errors unless the contribution guide explicitly requests it.

-	Don't burn yourself out trying to answer every PR and interaction as a maintainer.

-	Do not admonish people for bad PRs. Assume that they are doing so out of goodwill. Several of these developers might be participating in open source for the first time, so you are their open-source ambassador.

-	Sign in to DigitalOcean's Hacktoberfest page with your GitHub account to check your progress or the status of your pull requests.

-	Every pull request has a one-week review period. During that time, a PR that is not marked invalid will contribute to your goal. When a pull request is marked as invalid, you will have to submit another eligible PR or fix the issue in the current PR.  

## How To Check Your Progress

Sign in to DigitalOcean's Hacktoberfest page with your GitHub account to check your progress or the status of your pull requests.


Every pull request has a one-week review period. During that time, a PR that is not marked invalid will contribute to your goal. When a pull request is marked as invalid, you will have to submit another eligible PR or fix the issue in the current PR.  

## Resources

To get started with your Hacktoberfest project, there are a variety of resources available. For your preparation, I've put together a short list of official resources

- [Hacktoberfest FAQs](https://hacktoberfest.digitalocean.com/faq)

- [Github Hacktoberfest Topic](https://github.com/topics/hacktoberfest)

- [Top 10 Git Commands Every Developer Should Know](https://muthuannamalai.tech/top-10-git-commands-that-everyone-should-know)

- [How To Contribute To Open-Source Projects As A Beginner](https://muthuannamalai.tech/how-to-contribute-to-open-source-projects-as-a-beginner)

Last but not least, have fun with it. It's probably the biggest developer festival of the year. Yes, it has caused us problems, but I still think it is primarily a force for good.

Happy learning, and happy Hacktoberfest!

> You can now extend your support by buying me a Coffee.😊👇

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**If you want to contact me you can do it here:**

Thanks for Reading 😊