I plan to make contributing to Open Source Friday a part of my routine moving forward - it’ll help me sharpen my skills and broaden my network. I’ll probably even continue after I land my job as a way to keep growing, learning and networking.
Open-source software (OSS) is a growing industry where thousands of people worldwide contribute to creating and improving software applications. The concept of contributing to OSS might be difficult to understand for non-IT people as it often involves unpaid work. However, developers gain many benefits from this contribution, creating a global community unparalleled in other industries.
The most common motivations for developers to contribute to OSS include:
Improving coding skills: Contributing to OSS offers a platform for developers to practice their skills and receive feedback from more experienced developers. Some OSS projects even include tasks specifically designed to help novice programmers gain real programming experience.
Gaining early experience: OSS provides young developers with the experience they need to secure employment or internships in tech companies. The activities involved in contributing to OSS, like reading others’ code, fixing bugs, and merging their code into the main repository, mirror the work experience in a tech firm.
Increasing community and peer recognition: Recognition from the OSS community motivates developers to improve their skills and can lead to opportunities like job offers and invitations to events. Additionally, having code accepted by a big OSS project is considered a significant personal achievement.
Greater job prospects: Companies often review a prospective developer’s OSS contributions to assess their skills. As OSS is public, employers can examine your code, something not possible with proprietary software. Besides job prospects at tech firms, contributing to OSS can also open opportunities for consulting and freelance work.
Improving software on a user and business level: Developers, initially as users, might want to contribute to OSS to enhance its functionality for their personal use. Businesses can also contribute to add features that meet their needs, creating a win-win situation as the software receives a new feature which can be utilized by other users.
While these motivations mainly apply to developers, non-programming professionals can also contribute to OSS projects. Translators, designers, and other professionals can use their skills to improve OSS, enhancing the software we use every day.