Most developers and companies depend on open-source tools and software to make their products work. And I think you'll agree that the number of open-source contributions has grown lately – not just for solo developers but also from companies.
Now, If you are reading this article it's because you want to be a part of the great open-source community - but maybe you don't know where to get started. Well, you're in the right place
In this guide we will cover:
- What is Open-Source?
- How can you get started contributing?
- what should you expect?
Well, in this article we will cover all this and more
Let's get started!
What is Open Source?
An open Source project is a source code made public to view, use, modify and distribute under a permissive license.
The daily use Example is Google Docs let's use a classroom scenario. A teacher can share a document on a platform like Google Docs. On this platform, students can edit the document and even they can make copies of the paper. But whenever they modify the content of the document before reflecting on the original document they need to approve by the teacher.
That's How open-source code works: once it's been public and you need to add features or make changes, before adding them the owner has to approve the changes and publish them for others to use.
Most Successful open-source projects result from contributions from people with all skills.
Why you should contribute to open-source?
Contributing to Open-Source projects can be a rewarding way to learn, teach, share, and build experience.
Reasons, Why you should contribute to open-source projects, such as:
To improve the software rely on daily.
To find a mentor if you need one.
To learn new skills based on your project contribution.
To share your skills.
To get much deeper knowledge about the software you're using in the project.
To build up your reputation and help grow your career.
#Step by Step Guide on How to Contribute Open Source When we say contributing open source project, it does not necessarily mean you need to know coding skills. There are different ways in which you can contribute even if you are a non-coder - but having some coding skills will help you a lot in projects.
Some common contributions can be through:
Adding a description to a project's documentation to elaborate on a certain point, mostly referred to as a README file.
Giving guidance on a specific project and how to use it.
Adding sample Output on how the code works.
Writing In-depth tutorials for the projects.
Answering the questions about a project (like Stack Overflow or Reddit)
You can offer to mentor another contributor.
Wrap-Up!
As I mentioned, open source is open for everyone to participate. There are a lot of opportunities you can take advantage of and learn something new. All you need is to decide to begin and get started.
OPEN-SOURCE IS WAITING FOR YOU
If you have read this far, I really appreciate it. Do share your valuable opinion, I appreciate your honest feedback!