I’m a Drupal Developer with a background in DevOps / SysAdmin. I’m obsessed by workflow and efficient tooling. I tend to work with charities / non-for-profits. I work remotely.
A good place to start is to look at firsttimersonly.com/ - they show you how how to contribute and find projects looking for novice contributors.
Although the deadline for this year has passed, I recommend students check out google summer of code (summerofcode.withgoogle.com/). Each year google fund student projects on a number of open source projects... it’s a way to earn, learn and develop your resume with practical contribution. Even outside of application dates, it’s a good place to look for possible OSS projects receptive to novice contribution.
Look for a community with a presence in your area... it’s so much easier if you can meet people face to face and ask questions. Also, try to find a project that you’re interested in and will enjoy.
Remember that early contributions don’t need to be huge or technically complicated, start small to build confidence and develop relationships. Little things like fixing typos and reviewing documentation are valuable contributions... especially in small projects where the core team may not be native speakers of your language.
Personally, I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with the Drupal community (drupal.org/getting-involved). Their slogan is “come for the code, stay for the community” and that’s certainly how it has been for me.
A good place to start is to look at firsttimersonly.com/ - they show you how how to contribute and find projects looking for novice contributors.
Although the deadline for this year has passed, I recommend students check out google summer of code (summerofcode.withgoogle.com/). Each year google fund student projects on a number of open source projects... it’s a way to earn, learn and develop your resume with practical contribution. Even outside of application dates, it’s a good place to look for possible OSS projects receptive to novice contribution.
Look for a community with a presence in your area... it’s so much easier if you can meet people face to face and ask questions. Also, try to find a project that you’re interested in and will enjoy.
Remember that early contributions don’t need to be huge or technically complicated, start small to build confidence and develop relationships. Little things like fixing typos and reviewing documentation are valuable contributions... especially in small projects where the core team may not be native speakers of your language.
Personally, I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with the Drupal community (drupal.org/getting-involved). Their slogan is “come for the code, stay for the community” and that’s certainly how it has been for me.
Thank you Keith for the very comprehensive answer,
It's like a great entry for open source would.