Introduction

Hacktober is the most awaited event during the month of October for open-source enthusiasts! It’s an annual event by Digital Ocean that encourages people to contribute to open source. It isn't about just contributing to different projects, but also about collaborating and meeting different kinds of people who you can share interests with and learn from.

I first heard about it last year (2021) but wasn’t able to contribute on time. This time around though, I had an entire year’s time to get hyped and ready for it. Additionally, my friends had taken part in it last year and having witnessed their experience (and the swags they received), I was determined to contribute this year.

I took part as both a contributor and a maintainer.

Contributor

My main focus was non-code contribution. So I have helped to improve the documentation of many repos. Fixing broken links was one of my first contributions. I have raised a lot of issues and made PRs while contributing to various projects, here are three things I learnt:

Maintainers are not present 24/7 to check the issues and merge PRs. So be patient, expect a long delay and don’t be disappointed if they tell you that your issue isn’t valid. 3-4 of my issues are still unattended and some of them are rejected, but you have to move on. The maintainers are really helpful when in need, you can either comment under your issue or any communication channel they have. Discord for example. There are chances of duplicate issues, so be on the lookout.

Another thing about HacktoberFest was that I got to network with a lot of fellow contributors and maintainers. I got some valuable insights from them on how to raise good issues, making great PRs and lots more. By the 15th of October, I had completed my 4 PRs and got them accepted by HacktoberFest. But I just couldn’t stop contributing to open-source projects for the rest of the month; I felt it was important to keep up the habit.

Maintainer:

Initially, I wasn’t planning to participate as a maintainer, but when my friend Aniz approached me, I replied with an impulsive and resounding “yes.” Looking back at our repo though, it’s safe to say that it was a great decision. It was a really fun time merging PRs, attending issues, commenting and suggesting improvements to the contributors.

By no means am I trying to convey that the job of a maintainer is easy: It was quite hectic and at times frustrating (with constant pings and emails whenever an issue was raised or a PR has been made). But overall, it has been an amazing experience. While being a maintainer of the repo, I learned a few things:

• Saved replies are a lifesaver.
• Constantly tagging maintainers to merge PR is kind of annoying but wasn’t something to be bothered about that much.
• It’s good to have a proper ‘readme’ file for newbies to contribute without any hassle.
• Not necessary for people to get it right the first time, but give them time.

As of writing this blog, 170+ PRs have been closed. A huge thanks to Aniz for putting the repo together.

And that’s it about my Hacktoberfest experience. I had a grand time and await next year’s event with anticipation.

Edited by @MartinJames_111