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Zachary Frazier
10,249 PointsOpen source projects
I'm at the point in my progress where I would like to expand my skills by work working on an open source project. However, I'm not confident enough I want to just stumble into something and flood it with pull requests. What's the best way to get involved in an open source project to build your skills?
1 Answer
Nathan Williams
Python Web Development Techdegree Student 6,851 PointsHey Zach!
Helping out with open source is a great way to get used to working with others on collaborative development. Most people will be very welcoming of any help you're willing to give. Here's a few tips for getting started:
1) Pick a project you've used or use regularly (helpful, but not necessary)
2) Look for any special instructions on contributing (e.g. CONTRIBUTING.md or a section in the README)
3) check existing issues for something that looks fairly small. some bigger projects will specifically tag issues for new contributors. don't overlook the opportunity to improve the documentation. this is a massively neglected part of many projects, and maintainers are generally very welcoming of help on docs.
4) try to keep changes concise and focused. it's easier to get several smaller PRs reviewed and merged than a massive basket of changes.
5) write a good explanation, either in code comments when appropriate or in the PR comments.
6) expect and welcome feedback, which, after all is about the code, not you personally
Most of all, have fun! Working in open source can be extremely rewarding, but make sure to take time for yourself and not take things too seriously. Burnout is real, and it's better to have a long and healthy relationship with a project than to contribute heavily for a while and then disappear due to exhaustion.
Cheers,
Nathan W