This is a submission for the 2024 Hacktoberfest Writing challenge: Contributor Experience

Wrapping up Hacktoberfest with four pull requests and some cool Holopin badges feels incredibly rewarding! When I started, terms like ‘fork,’ ‘pull request,’ and ‘merge’ felt overwhelming. But instead of shying away, I decided to take on the challenge and dive into open-source development."

Hacktoberfest turned out to be a fantastic confidence booster and an incredible opportunity to apply my skills in front-end development, large language models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAGs), and problem-solving. Here’s a glimpse of what I achieved:

• Blog Post Template: Created a template for a Medium clone repository, enhancing consistency for content creators.

• Image Retrieval Model: Developed a model using RAGs and LLMs to retrieve relevant images based on text queries, bridging the gap between visual and textual content.

• Optimized Leetcode Solution: Submitted an optimized solution for the Next Permutation problem, significantly improving algorithmic efficiency.

Key Takeaways from Hacktoberfest:

Step 1: Search, search, search!
Finding the right repositories was an adventure in itself. I quickly learned that projects allowing only minor edits, like small typos or README updates, were often flagged as spam. It took patience to sift through repositories and find ones with real impact—but it was worth it. By the end, I’d found projects that aligned with my tech stack and challenged me to level up.

Step 2: Embrace the Engineer in You!
Once I zeroed in on quality repositories, the next step was identifying issues I could resolve. This was where my problem-solving skills came into play. Communicating with maintainers, avoiding conflicts, and raising issues when I spotted areas for improvement were all crucial steps. I discovered that clearly defining my intended contribution helped secure assignments and establish trust with maintainers. I truly felt like a contributing engineer, not just a beginner!

Step 3: Time to Shine!
Then came the part I’d been waiting for—coding! Forking, cloning, making changes, pushing, and finally, submitting my pull requests (PRs) felt incredibly fulfilling. Before each PR, I took the time to read contribution guidelines thoroughly, recognizing that each project had unique standards. This careful approach not only boosted my chances of acceptance but also gave me an exciting way to showcase my skills.

Step 4: Patience is Key!
Waiting for maintainers to review and merge my contributions was a test of patience, but it built my anticipation. I checked my Hacktoberfest profile daily, eagerly awaiting notifications. Each accepted PR goes through a seven-day review period before officially counting, so I learned to trust the process. Finally seeing my PRs come through was immensely rewarding—it was proof that my work made it into the main repo!

After all my pull requests were merged, I was thrilled to receive my Holopin badges—a fun collection that represented my hard work and growth. This month-long celebration of open source was genuinely enriching, transforming me from a beginner to a confident contributor.

Hacktoberfest has not only developed my skills but sparked a real passion for open-source. I’m excited to continue this journey and see where it takes me next!