Open Source : Not Just For Developers

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear about open source? Let me guess, code?
If I guessed correctly, are you someone who wants to get started but is intimidated by a large code-base, and alien terms like git ?

If that's a yes, then you have come to the correct place.
In this article, I will go over:

• Areas where you can contribute other than the codebase
• List of projects / repositories that you can start with
• Some tips and tricks

The heart of open source lies in its community and we get to learn a lot through collaborating with each other. When I was an absolute beginner (I still am), and I wasn't even well versed with git commands, help was always a Slack/Discord message away. It doesn't matter what skills we have, contributing in open source is for EVERYONE!

The feeling of not knowing enough is what pushes us back - the power to embrace our knowledge, the hunger to learn more, is what keeps us going. If it is the impostor syndrome within you, that is stopping you from exploring the world of open source, let's break it together!
It is important to have a start, no matter how difficult it may seem. For most first-time contributors, the difficulty lies in “where/how should I contribute”. Let me make it easier for you, by listing some areas where you can start contributing.

Areas to contribute:

• README.md - Go through the README and if you find anything that is missing or any step that you had to do but is not mentioned in the file, be sure to add them.
• Documentation - Technical writing is a good-to-have skill these days. A lot of projects are in need of documentation, start writing articles for them (for example installation process simplified for beginners, beginners guide to xyz project)
• Code samples - Look for ideas to build something with it or integrate it with your existing project.
• GitHub Actions - Many projects already have some amazing ones in place, if you can think of a new one, put them up for the community!
• Testing - With new features rolling out, the community needs help with writing test cases or even testing the features.
• Beginner friendly issues - The issue section of most projects have labels attached to it specifically for beginners or first time contributors. You can pick good first issue or beginner friendly. While the list is not all-inclusive, the key lies in learning and one can enhance learning by getting involved with the community more. Being present at in-person or virtual events, such as community meetups, coffee chat, or release announcements, helps you network better.

Repositories for beginners

• Includes list of repositories for programmers
• Includes list of repositories for non-programmers
• Mozilla Firefox
• Appwrite
• EddieHub

Finding an open-source project that best suits your skills is a task, contributing to apps/tools that you use daily is a good start.
Great examples are:

• VSCode
• Gitpod

Tips:

• Be consistent
• Join the community channels
• Show active participation in various events
• Have coffee chat with maintainers to learn more If you have read till here, I Thank You for being patient. I hope this article helps you in getting started.

For chat, community events, and more you can find me on Twitter - @HaimantikaM