Collaborating on Open Source Software

There are several reasons you might want to contribute to open source software. For me, it was that I wanted to learn in a more useful way than doing programming challenges. So I looked into how I could contribute to open source projects that I use myself.
After contributing for almost two years, I notice that I have learned a lot from my contributions (which has been useful at work), as well as have made friends and have become part of a community.

In this talk I will share my experience with contributing to Cucumber, including an early mistake (merging something that wasn’t ready yet) and fixing it with the support of core maintainers, and still feeling welcome!
You’ll learn how how to find your project and contributions to start with, how to connect with the community to make sure your contributions are useful and the many different types of contributions you can make.

Contributing to open source is a way of giving back to the community. In addition, it is a way for you to learn, collaborate and become part of a community. Getting (constructive) feedback on a pull request and collaborating to make things even better is a great feeling!

Transcript

1. Collaborating on
   

   Open Source Software
   

   

   Voxxed Days Cluj-Napoca – Oct 6th, 2022
   @MaritvanDijk77
   

   github.com/mlvandijk
   

   https://maritvandijk.com/
   

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2. @MaritvanDijk77
   

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3. @MaritvanDijk77
   

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4. Warning! Risk of first contributions
   @MaritvanDijk77
   

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5. Or worse...
   @MaritvanDijk77
   

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6. @MaritvanDijk77
   Why?
   

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7. @MaritvanDijk77
   Why?
   What?
   

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8. @MaritvanDijk77
   Why?
   What?
   How?
   

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9. @MaritvanDijk77
   

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10. @MaritvanDijk77
    Give back
    

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11. @MaritvanDijk77
    Learn new things
    

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12. @MaritvanDijk77
    "Scratch an itch"
    

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13. @MaritvanDijk77
    Build a portfolio
    

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14. @MaritvanDijk77
    Network
    

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15. @MaritvanDijk77
    

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16. @MaritvanDijk77
    It can be scary!
    

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17. Work Life
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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18. @MaritvanDijk77
    

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19. @MaritvanDijk77
    

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20. My first project:
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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21. The community
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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22. @MaritvanDijk77
    Different ways to contribute
    

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23. @MaritvanDijk77
    Code
    

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24. @MaritvanDijk77
    Fix bugs
    

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25. Fix bugs
    @MaritvanDijk77
    Fix bugs
    

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26. Refactor
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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27. @MaritvanDijk77
    Refactor
    

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28. @MaritvanDijk77
    Fix typos
    

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29. Fix typos
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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30. No dependencies
    @MaritvanDijk77
    Add new features
    

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31. Add tests
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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32. Add tests
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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33. @MaritvanDijk77
    

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34. Upgrading dependencies
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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35. Upgrade dependencies
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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36. Bots
    • Dependabot
    
    
    • Renovate
    
    
    • Snyk Open Source
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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37. @MaritvanDijk77
    Review PR’s
    

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38. @MaritvanDijk77
    Contributions
    that are not code
    

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39. Contributions that are not code
    @MaritvanDijk77
    https://pragprog.com/book/
    vbopens/forge-your-future-
    with-open-source
    

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40. Help the community
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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41. @MaritvanDijk77
    Answer questions
    

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42. Answer questions
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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43. @MaritvanDijk77
    Pro tip: Consider adding that info
    to the documentation!
    

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44. @MaritvanDijk77
    Documentation!
    

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45. Documentation: Add info
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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46. Edit documentation
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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47. Fix dead links
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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48. @MaritvanDijk77
    Review PR’s
    

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49. @MaritvanDijk77
    Provide feedback
    

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50. Report Issues
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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51. Report Issues
    •Ask if not sure
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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52. Report Issues
    •Ask if not sure
    
    
    •Check for duplicates
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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53. Report Issues
    •Ask if not sure
    
    
    •Check for duplicates
    
    
    •Provide relevant information: use template
    (or add one!)
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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54. Report Issues
    •Ask if not sure
    
    
    •Check for duplicates
    
    
    •Provide relevant information: use template
    (or add one!)
    
    
    •Create an MCVE (https://stackoverflow.com/
    help/mcve)
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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55. @MaritvanDijk77
    Analyse Issues
    

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56. Testing
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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57. @MaritvanDijk77
    

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58. @MaritvanDijk77
    Ask!
    

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59. Most projects run on volunteers
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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60. @MaritvanDijk77
    

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61. @MaritvanDijk77
    •https://opencollective.com/
    
    
    •https://sfconservancy.org/
    
    
    •https://www.patreon.com/
    
    
    •https://tidelift.com/
    

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62. @MaritvanDijk77
    

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63. @MaritvanDijk77
    https://xkcd.com/2347/
    

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64. @MaritvanDijk77
    Find a project
    

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65. @MaritvanDijk77
    Find a project
    Project you use
    

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66. @MaritvanDijk77
    Find a project
    • Awesome for Beginners
    
    
    • Up For Grabs
    
    
    • Issuehub.io
    
    
    • First Timers Only
    
    
    • Good First Issues
    

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67. @MaritvanDijk77
    

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68. @MaritvanDijk77
    

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69. Check how to contribute
    • README
    
    
    • CONTRIBUTING (a.k.a. HACKING)
    
    
    • LICENSE (a.k.a. COPYING)
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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70. Check how to contribute
    • README
    
    
    • CONTRIBUTING (a.k.a. HACKING)
    
    
    • LICENSE (a.k.a. COPYING)
    
    
    • Code of Conduct
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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71. Check how to contribute
    • README
    
    
    • CONTRIBUTING (a.k.a. HACKING)
    
    
    • LICENSE (a.k.a. COPYING)
    
    
    • Code of Conduct
    
    
    • Style guides
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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72. Check how to contribute
    • README
    
    
    • CONTRIBUTING (a.k.a. HACKING)
    
    
    • LICENSE (a.k.a. COPYING)
    
    
    • Code of Conduct
    
    
    • Style guides
    
    
    • Contributor License Agreement (CLA)
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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73. Check how to contribute
    • README
    
    
    • CONTRIBUTING (a.k.a. HACKING)
    
    
    • LICENSE (a.k.a. COPYING)
    
    
    • Code of Conduct
    
    
    • Style guides
    
    
    • Contributor License Agreement (CLA)
    
    
    • Ask!
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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74. @MaritvanDijk77
    Pick a task
    

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75. @MaritvanDijk77
    Fix your own problem
    

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76. @MaritvanDijk77
    Pick a task
    

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77. @MaritvanDijk77
    Ask!
    

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78. Set up your tools
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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79. Get the project
    •For to your profile
    
    
    •Clone to your machine
    
    
    •Manage remotes
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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80. Build the project
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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81. @MaritvanDijk77
    Work on your contribution
    

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82. Submit your contribution
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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83. @MaritvanDijk77
    Receive feedback
    

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84. @MaritvanDijk77
    

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85. Contribution accepted
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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86. Contribution declined…
    “No is temporary, yes is forever”
    
    
    https://blog.jessfraz.com/post/the-art-of-closing/
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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87. @MaritvanDijk77
    Align
    

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88. TL;DR
    •Contributing to open source doesn’t have
    to take a lot of time or programming skill
    
    
    •If you want to contribute, but don’t know
    how – ask the community!
    
    
    •Please go and collaborate!
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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89. TL;DR
    •Contributing to open source doesn’t have
    to take a lot of time or programming skill
    
    
    •If you want to contribute, but don’t know
    how – ask the community!
    
    
    •Please go and collaborate!
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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90. TL;DR
    •Contributing to open source doesn’t have
    to take a lot of time or programming skill
    
    
    •If you want to contribute, but don’t know
    how – ask the community!
    
    
    •Please go and collaborate!
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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91. Collaborating on
    

    Open Source Software
    

    @MaritvanDijk77
    

    github.com/mlvandijk
    

    https://maritvandijk.com/
    https://maritvandijk.com/presentations/collaborating-on-open-source-software/
    

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