My Hacktoberfest 2023 Experience
Intro
Hey there! I’m excited to share my experience as a contributor during Hacktoberfest 2023. This isn’t my first Hacktoberfest; I’ve been participating for a few years now, and each year has been a unique journey filled with learning and growth. You can check out my GitHub profile here.
Highs and Lows
This year, I had some fantastic highs and a few challenging lows. One of my biggest accomplishments was getting one of my pull requests accepted in a major open-source project. It was a feature I had been working on for a while, and seeing it integrated into the project was incredibly satisfying. This achievement boosted my confidence and encouraged me to continue contributing.
However, I also encountered some lows during Hacktoberfest. There was a project I was excited to contribute to, but I faced a roadblock when I couldn’t figure out a complex bug. It felt impossible to fix, and I spent days struggling with it. In such cases, I adapted by reaching out to the project maintainers and the community for help. Collaborative problem-solving not only helped me overcome the challenge but also strengthened my connections within the open-source community.
Growth
Before Hacktoberfest 2023, I had a decent skillset in web development and had some experience with open-source contributions. However, this Hacktoberfest pushed me to explore new technologies and expand my knowledge. I learned more about containerization with Docker, automated testing, and even delved into machine learning projects.
My learning and career goals have evolved as well. I initially participated in Hacktoberfest as a way to give back to the community and improve my coding skills. However, this year, I’ve realized that open-source contributions can also be a stepping stone for professional growth. I’m now considering a career change towards becoming a full-time open-source developer. The experience gained during Hacktoberfest has given me the confidence and skills to pursue this new path.
In summary, Hacktoberfest 2023 has been a transformative experience for me, filled with highs and lows, but ultimately, it has opened up new career opportunities and helped me grow as a developer and contributor. I’m looking forward to future open-source endeavors and continuing my journey in the world of open-source software.