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Cover image for A low-level entry point to get started contributing to open source.
Troels Agergaard
Troels Agergaard

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A low-level entry point to get started contributing to open source.

Hello,

Have you ever thought that open source is only for a developer elite like Max Stoiber? And that contributing requires hours of investment?

Then you are right! 😆
Fortunately, not everyone needs to reach over twenty thousand GitHub stars on their next open-source project, like react-boilerplate did, or contribute bug fixes and improvements to complex projects like React.

During Hacktoberfest 2020, I used Chrome’s Lighthouse to identify and fix small accessibility issues—such as missing alt="Happy hacking" attributes on images or missing rel="noreferrer" on external links. These are minor problems that impact accessibility and security.

These contributions weren’t groundbreaking performance bug fixes for a framework used by millions, nor were they particularly complex or time-consuming. But they were still important and added value to the projects—something the maintainers genuinely appreciated.

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If you’ve never contributed to an open-source project, this approach can be a great way to get started, without years of experience or hours of commitment.

Happy hacking!
Troels Agergaard

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