My First Contribution to Open Source

Fahmi Rasyid — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 16:30:10 +0000

I was still quite naive and just beginning to learn Git and GitHub when I stumbled upon a fascinating project:

a C# IDE called Edi.

It was an impressive and complex application at the time, and I was eager to contribute. However, a significant hurdle stood in my way—language. As someone whose primary languages are Indonesian and Javanese, and with English as my third language, communicating effectively was a challenge.

Driven by my enthusiasm, I dived into the project. But my excitement was soon dampened by a series of mistranslations and misunderstandings, which led to me stepping back from participating in the project's issues. It was a humbling experience, but one that taught me a lot.

Fast forward ten years, and I returned to the open source scene with a new stack—mostly TypeScript—and a more mature perspective. The Edi project's source code had grown substantially in complexity. Yet, the most important lesson I had learned was not about coding languages or frameworks. It was about communication and understanding.

To be a good developer, the first crucial step is understanding the issue at hand. But beyond that, knowing how to ask the right questions and communicate effectively is key to being a valuable team member. This journey, from my early missteps to my current contributions, has been one of growth and continuous learning.

And it all started with that initial, humbling foray into the world of open source.

PS:

you can visit edi code editor here

https://github.com/Dirkster99/Edi

DEV Community: Fahmi Rasyid

My First Contribution to Open Source