What Not to Do as a Beginner in Open Source

During my time as a Program Manager at Social Winter Of Code, working closely with beginners who were enthusiastic about contributing to open source. While their intentions were great, I noticed some common mistakes that beginners make when contributing to open source. These mistakes can not only slow down their progress but also impact the overall efficiency of the project. In this talk, I want to share these observations, based on my firsthand experience, to help beginners avoid these pitfalls.

Open source contribution is not just about writing code; it's about understanding the project's workflow, collaborating effectively, and ensuring that your contributions have a real impact. These insights will help beginners navigate open source better, especially if someone is just getting started.

Key Points I will Cover:

1. - Don’t Just Assign Issues Without Following Through
2. - Contribute to Friend’s Projects or Smaller Repositories First
3. - Avoid Making Trivial README Edits as Your First Contribution
4. - Start Small with 'Good First Issues'
5. - Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help
6. - Don’t Rush to Submit Low-Quality PRs for the Sake of Numbers
7. - Learn from Rejections and Feedback
8. - Avoid Big Contributions Without Understanding the Project's Workflow
9. - Contributing to Open Source Is Optional, Not Mandatory