How I Started My Open Source Journey

Where it all started

My open-source journey began with a tiny bug in an extension. for some weired reason, my 4 year old HP never gets above 96%, and the autohide extensions only works if battery is 100%. so as you gussed it, tweeked the code a bit to make it work for me. then realised why not open an issue to see wether other people also own some good old laptops, so my loacl patch becomes a pull request. and after some commits it was merged. i was so happy that day and that was my first contribution to open source :D

Finding Community

one random day searching alexa for linux opened the door to something bigger — Open Voice OS. Here, I found a community that wasn't just about coding; it was about learning, sharing, and cheering each other on. Every tiny contribution I made felt like a victory, and the encouragement I got was like fuel to keep going.

Now, open source is a part of who I am. It's messy, it's unpredictable, and sometimes it makes me want to pull my hair out—but it's also one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.

The Learning Curve

I remember staring at the terminal for hours, frantically Googling error messages I didn't understand, and feeling completely out of my depth. But that moment when my first pull request got merged? Pure magic. There's nothing quite like seeing your code actually helping other people.

Why Open Source Matters

What I love most about the open source world is how it welcomes beginners. Sure, there are those intimidating coding geniuses who seem to speak in programming languages instead of English, but most folks just want to help you succeed. They remember what it was like to be new too.

The Spirit of Contribution

I've noticed lately how some folks contribute code just to add lines to their resume, without really connecting to the project's purpose. But I believe open source isn't primarily about career advancement or making your resume stand out - it's about finding community, learning together, and contributing because you genuinely care.

When you contribute with passion rather than just for credentials, you build real connections. You become part of something bigger than yourself. So rather than just copy-pasting solutions from AI or StackOverflow for quick PRs, take time to understand the project and appreciate the humans behind the code. The relationships and knowledge you'll gain are far more valuable than any bullet point on a resume.

So if you're sitting there wondering if you have what it takes—you do. Your unique perspective might be exactly what a project needs. And trust me, that first "Thanks for the contribution!" comment will keep you smiling for days.