Hacktoberfest 2020 — Contribute to Open Source & get an awesome T-shirt
Tags: hacktoberfest, opensource
Published: 2020-09-25 18:05:45

You might be new to programming or you might have several years of experience under your belt but when it comes to open source contribution everyone is equally intimidated and scared at the beginning. There is a combination of impostor syndrome and the lack of organization and guidance in open source projects that drives many people away. This is why Hacktoberfest was created.

### What is Hacktoberfest

[Hacktoberfest](https://hacktoberfest.digitalocean.com/) is an initiative from the open source community that aims to enable people to contribute while also making open source projects discoverable and more friendly to newcomers.

All you have to do is 4 pull requests to open source projects during the month of October.

### Signing up

I’m in! How to get started?

1. Sign up for a [github](http://github.com/) account (Or use your existing one)

1. Sign up for the [Hacktoberfest](https://hacktoberfest.digitalocean.com/) using your github account

1. Make 4 pull requests to open source projects. You can [track your progress here](https://hacktoberfest.digitalocean.com/profile)

1. Receive swag including an awesome T-shirt

The *hard* part is making 4 pull requests. You can optionally create or contribute to a project that will change the world but there are also many easier ways to get it done.

### Ways to contribute

* Discover issues using github [hacktoberfest ](https://github.com/iterative/dvc/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3Ahacktoberfest)and [good-first-issue](https://github.com/iterative/dvc/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22) labels

* Create documentation for software you use

* Translate existing documentation to your language

* Report and fix bugs

* Refactor code following [clean code](https://github.com/ryanmcdermott/clean-code-javascript) best practices

* Increase test coverage

* Create your own repo

Pull request to your own repo count but making quality contributions to a third party is highly encouraged.

### Your first pull request

You are probably already familiar with git and the only change in the workflow is that the final merge is done by the maintainer through a pull request

1. Clone repository

1. Create a branch

1. 🧙‍♂️️️️ Make changes 🧙‍♂️

1. Commit and push changes

1. Create a pull request

Read more about your  [first pull request](https://github.com/firstcontributions/first-contributions)

### Conclusion

Contributing to open source is scary but retrospectively not that hard. In addition, the feeling of accomplishment is extremely rewarding. Hacktoberfest initiative is a great opportunity to get you started and get an awesome T-shirt to proudly wear throughout the year. I have seen that it’s always an excuse to open a discussion with someone in meetups and conferences.

Let’s get the hacking started!

### Additional resources:
[**Hacktoberfest beginners guide**](https://hacktoberfest.digitalocean.com/details#beginners)
[**First Timers Only**](https://www.firsttimersonly.com/)
[**Get Started Contributing to Open Source Projects**](https://www.codetriage.com/)
[**An Introduction to Open Source**](https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorial_series/an-introduction-to-open-source)