The latest articles on DEV Community by José Simões (@josesimoes). https://dev.to/josesimoes https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F541709%2F2e0ebb6f-3529-4cd7-b3cb-08072d440b01.jpeg https://dev.to/josesimoes en José Simões Fri, 02 Oct 2026 12:07:34 +0000 https://dev.to/josesimoes/hacktoberfest-stopped-counting-prs-were-running-a-contributor-month-anyway-c-on-microcontrollers-m8 https://dev.to/josesimoes/hacktoberfest-stopped-counting-prs-were-running-a-contributor-month-anyway-c-on-microcontrollers-m8 <p>Hacktoberfest 2026 no longer counts pull requests toward rewards. As maintainers of .NET nanoFramework we think that's a good change, and we're using October to do what the event was always for: helping people make a first real contribution.</p> <h2> What is .NET nanoFramework? </h2> <p>An open-source .NET Foundation project that lets you write C# for microcontrollers such as ESP32, STM32 and Raspberry Pi Pico. You build and debug from Visual Studio or VS Code, breakpoints included, on a chip that costs a few euros.</p> <h2> What we prepared </h2> <ul> <li>A curated list of starter issues, each with pointers to the right repository and files</li> <li>A first reply on your pull request within 48 hours</li> <li>Maintainers on Discord to unblock you</li> <li>A thank-you post at the end of the month naming everyone who contributed</li> </ul> <h2> Three ways in </h2> <p><strong>Code.</strong> Bug fixes and features in the class libraries, firmware and tools. If you know C#, you already know most of what you need.</p> <p><strong>Docs and content.</strong> Device guides, samples, tutorials. Good documentation contributions are as welcome as code.</p> <p><strong>Hardware testing.</strong> Got a board or a sensor on your desk? We have issues tagged <code>hardware-test</code> that need someone to confirm things work on the real part.</p> <p>No hardware? There's a virtual device, so you can still build and run.</p> <h2> The rules </h2> <ol> <li>Comment on the issue before you start</li> <li>One focused change per pull request</li> <li>AI-assisted code is welcome if you understand it and have tested it</li> </ol> <h2> Start here </h2> <p>👉 <a href="https://github.com/nanoframework/nanoframework.github.io/blob/pages-source/Hacktoberfest/start-here.md" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/nanoframework/nanoframework.github.io/blob/pages-source/Hacktoberfest/start-here.md</a></p> <p>Questions? Ask in the comments or on our Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/gCyBu8T" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://discord.gg/gCyBu8T</a></p> hacktoberfest opensource dotnet iot