Collaborating on Open Source Software

Collaborating on Open Source Software;
How I Started contributing to Open Source and Why You Should Too

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
   The Virtual BASH – April 24th, 2020
   @MaritvanDijk77
   github.com/mlvandijk
   medium.com/@mlvandijk
   

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2. Contributing to Open Source Software
   •Why (not) to contribute
   •What to contribute
   •How to contribute
   @MaritvanDijk77
   

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3. Why I got started with Open Source Software
   •Learn new things
   •Do something useful
   @MaritvanDijk77
   

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4. Reasons to contribute
   •Learning
   •Give back / Feel useful
   •“Scratch an itch” (fix something you need)
   •Build CV / Portfolio
   •Network
   •Other?
   @MaritvanDijk77
   

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5. Reasons not to contribute
   •It can be scary!
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO223Q4QZkA
   @MaritvanDijk77
   

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6. Reasons not to contribute
   •It can be scary!
   •Limitations: Time, Legal, …
   •Bad previous experience
   @MaritvanDijk77
   

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7. You can help!
   •Different ways to contribute
   @MaritvanDijk77
   

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8. Finding a project
   •A project you use:
   •You care
   •You’re already familiar
   @MaritvanDijk77
   

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9. Finding a project
   •Websites:
   •https://github.com/collections/choosing-projects
   •https://hacktoberfest.digitalocean.com/ (October)
   •https://www.codetriage.com/
   •https://up-for-grabs.net/#/
   •https://www.firsttimersonly.com/
   •https://opensource.guide/
   •http://yourfirstpr.github.io/
   @MaritvanDijk77
   

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10. My first project: Cucumber
    •Started: I liked using it
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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11. My first project: Cucumber
    •Started: I liked using it
    •Stayed: The community
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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12. What to contribute: Code
    •Fix bugs
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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13. What to contribute?
    •Fix bugs
    •Add new features // TODO
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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14. What to contribute: Code
    •Fix bugs
    •Add new features
    •Refactor
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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15. What to contribute: Code
    •Fix bugs
    •Add new features
    •Refactor
    •Add unit tests
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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16. What to contribute: Code
    •Fix bugs
    •Add new features
    •Refactor
    •Add unit tests
    •Upgrade dependencies
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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17. What to contribute: Code
    •Fix bugs
    •Add new features
    •Refactor
    •Add unit tests
    •Upgrade dependencies
    •Review PR’s
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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18. What to contribute: Not code
    @MaritvanDijk77
    https://pragprog.com/book/
    vbopens/forge-your-future-
    with-open-source
    

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19. What to contribute: Not code
    •Help the community
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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20. Help the community
    •Answer questions
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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21. Help the community
    •Answer questions
    •Pro tip: Consider adding that info to the
    documentation!
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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22. What to contribute: Not code
    •Help the community
    •Documentation
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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23. Documentation
    •Add info
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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24. Documentation
    •Add info
    •Edit / clarify
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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25. Documentation
    •Add info
    •Edit / clarify
    •Fix typos
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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26. Documentation
    •Add info
    •Edit / clarify
    •Fix typos
    •Fix dead links
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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27. Documentation
    •Add info
    •Edit / clarify
    •Fix typos
    •Fix dead links
    •Review PR’s
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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28. Documentation
    •Add info
    •Edit / clarify
    •Fix typos
    •Fix dead links
    •Review PR’s
    •Provide feedback
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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29. What to contribute: Not code
    •Help the community
    •Documentation
    •Issues
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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30. Issues
    •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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31. Issues
    •Report issues
    •Analyze issues
    • Reproduce
    • Add info (or tests!)
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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32. What to contribute: Not code
    •Help the community
    •Documentation
    •Issues
    •Testing
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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33. Testing
    •Bugfix
    •New feature
    •New release
    •Documentation / tutorials
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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34. What to contribute: Not code
    •Help the community
    •Documentation
    •Issues
    •Testing
    •Other: Design, Product owner, etc.
    •Ask!
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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35. What to contribute: Not time
    •Most projects run on volunteers
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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36. What to contribute: Not time
    •Most projects run on volunteers
    •You (or your employer) can donate money
    •https://opencollective.com/
    •https://sfconservancy.org/
    •https://www.patreon.com/
    •https://tidelift.com/
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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37. Money isn’t everything…
    without people to do the work
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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38. Money isn’t everything…
    https://www.infoq.com/presentations/open-source-troubles-help/
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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39. How to get started
    •Find a project
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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40. How to get started
    •Find a project
    •Check how to contribute to that project
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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

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42. How to get started
    •Find a project
    •Check how to contribute to that project
    •Pick a task
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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43. Pick a task
    •Solve your own problem J
    •Check for “Good first issue” or similar
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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44. Pick a task
    •Solve your own problem J
    •Check for “Good first issue” or similar
    •Ask!
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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45. How to get started
    •Find a project
    •Check how to contribute to that project
    •Pick a task
    •Set up your environment (if needed)
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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46. Set up your environment
    •Tools
    •Git / version control
    •Programming environment (IDE, JDK, …)
    •Package manager (Maven, npm, …)
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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47. Set up your environment
    •Tools
    •Fork & clone the project
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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48. Set up your environment
    •Tools
    •Fork & clone the project
    •See if you can build the project
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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49. Set up your environment
    •Setup your environment
    •Fork & clone the project
    •See if you can build the project
    •If not: Ask
    (Pro tip: Add that info to docs!)
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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50. How to get started
    •Find a project
    •Check how to contribute to that project
    •Pick a task
    •Set up your environment (if needed)
    •Collaborate!
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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51. Collaborate: Your first PR
    •Discuss your intentions
    •Work on your contribution
    •Submit your contribution
    •Receive feedback & iterate
    •Contribution accepted!
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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52. Collaborate: Your first PR
    •Contribution declined…
    “No is temporary, yes is forever”
    https://blog.jessfraz.com/post/the-art-of-closing/
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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53. Collaborate: Your first PR
    •Discuss your intentions
    •Work on your contribution
    •Submit your contribution
    •Receive feedback & iterate
    •Contribution accepted!
    •Ask & communicate!
    @MaritvanDijk77
    

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54. 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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55. Collaborating on
    Open Source Software
    @MaritvanDijk77
    github.com/mlvandijk
    medium.com/@mlvandijk
    

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