Written by: Christine Belzie – Web illustrations by Storyset

For the past few months, I have been immersing myself in the magical world of coding (well, mostly HTML & CSS. I will make you mine, JavaScript! Mark my words!). Just when I thought my thirst for knowledge was quenched by listening to Matt Delac compare CSS to the paint on houses in SheCodes or being a huge Scrimba fan, I was introduced to a whole new fountain…

OPEN SOURCE!!

Millie Bobby Brown Reaction GIF by Converse 

I was first introduced to Open Source projects through a colleague on Scrimba’s Discord community, and it was love at first Pull Request (If you want to learn more, check out Amy Dutton’s tutorial.)

What are Open Source Projects?

The Open Source Guide’s website defines these projects as “software that is free to use, study, and modify”.  In simpler terms, I like to think of Open Source Projects as those Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint presentations you had to do for school. It’s also a community where software engineers, backend developers, frontend developers, and folks from different industries learn from each other, form relationships, and exchange their ideas. It’s like being a part of a huge family!  

Still unsure? Here are my top 4 reasons you should participate in Open Source Projects.  

Reason #1: Collaboration

You get to meet people from different backgrounds, and more often than not, they are eager to share their approaches to contributing to projects or give you feedback on your work, especially if you are new to open-source projects.

Collaborating with others on these projects will help you learn how to work with others and give feedback. When I made my first contribution to EddieHub’s Linkfree project, it felt good seeing my Pull Request merge into the project. As an Open Source beginner who does not work in the tech industry, seeing my contributions to the project’s repository made me feel like my idea mattered.  

If you want tips on collaborating with others on Open Source Projects, check out Marit van Dijk’s blog post.  

Reason #2: Show off your expertise.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be a coder to participate in Open Source projects. Whether it’s drawing, graphic design, or music production, you can contribute so many ways.

When I first saw Acessibleforall’s project, I noticed that the YouTube section in their Resources repository was missing video links. I added some to that area and wrote brief descriptions about them. I also would read through the repo’s documentation to see if there are grammatical errors or descriptions that could use more detail.

If you want to learn more ways to participate in Open Source Projects, check out Jade Wang’s blog post.  

Reason #3: Learn new skills

Of course, the major benefit of participating in Open Source Projects is learning new skills. It can range from learning HTML and CSS to experimenting with React. 

Through my experience contributing to the documentation in EddieHub and AccessibleforAll’s repositories, I’ve learned how to:

• Effectively format JSON and README files via Markdown. 

• Make a Pull Request

• Review other people’s Pull Requests. 

• Clone repositories via Git 

The possibilities are endless!

If you are curious about what other skills you can learn from contributing to Open Source projects, check Uma Chellappa’s blog post. 

Reason #4: Communication

When interacting with others, Oprah Winfrey said it best, “Great communication leads to connection.”

Why this is important: Whether you are going to be a technical writer, software engineer, frontend, or backend developer, more often than not, you will be working on a team, so having communication skills is imperative. Whenever I review the documentation of an open-source project or someone else’s contribution, I’d always check my Pull Requests and comments for grammar errors.

If you want some tips on communicating effectively during Open Source Projects, check out Vicky Brasseur’s blog post. 

I know. I know. Participating in Open Source projects can be scary, but the people you meet and the skills you learn from contributing will all be worth it. I hope you find my post helpful!
Happy Coding! 

Sources 

Open Source Guides. (2022). Starting an Open Source Project. Open Source Guides. https://opensource.guide/starting-a-project/#the-what-and-why-of-open-source

Thibodeaux, W. (2019, August 29). These 30 Quotes From Oprah, Franklin Roosevelt, and More Reveal the Secrets to Better Communication. Inc.com. https://www.inc.com/wanda-thibodeaux/these-30-quotes-from-oprah-franklin-roosevelt-more-reveal-secrets-to-better-communication.html