Contribute to Open-Source: A Guide for Newcomers

Introduction

Open source refers to all types of software whose source code is available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. This means that anyone can contribute to the development and improvement of the software.

🔎Find a project

There are thousands of open-source projects available on platforms like GitHub. You have to look for the projects that interest you and align with your skill set. I'll prefer to contribute to a project that you use this will make you feel satisfied if your code gets merged.

Use the search🔎 feature on GitHub to find projects related to your interest. Additionally, you can also look for projects that are labeled as "beginner friendly" or "good first issue". These projects are usually easier to tackle for new contributors.

Most open-source projects have a document that says how to contribute. Make sure to read and understand the contribution guidelines before starting to work on the project.

The communication guidelines often include information about:

• Project's development process

• Project's coding standards

• communication channel

If you follow these guidelines it will ensure that your contribution get's accepted and that you don't waste your time working on something that won't be accepted.

💁‍♂️Each contribution counts

As a beginner, it's best to start with small contributions such as fixing typos, adding comments, or refactoring code.🧑‍💻

This will help you get familiar with the codebase and the development process. You will also learn how GitHub works and what are its features. Starting with a small contribution will help you build confidence and gain experience in open-source development.

🗣️Communicate

Open-source projects are built and maintained by a community of contributors. Make sure to communicate with other contributors and ask for help when needed. Communicating with others makes you feel alive. It feels great when a developer praises you for your contribution and you make good connections via communication.

Open source is a great way to learn new skills and technologies. Keep learning and expanding your knowledge to make bigger contributions to the project. You can also participate in the community by attending meetups and conferences.

Give back

Remember the most important point, Open source is all about sharing and collaboration.🫂

Once you have made a few contributions and learned a lot, consider mentoring new contributors or starting your open-source project.

Open source is a community-driven effort, so be respectful, patient, and helpful to other contributors. Also, be open to feedback and be willing to learn from others.

Now, what are you waiting for🤔, create your GitHub account now and start contributing it's not that difficult😄. Do mention in the comment which was the first project you contributed to and how was your experience

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