The Dark Side of Open Source Contributions: Dos and Don'ts

🔎Many beginners contribute to open source projects in pursuit of jobs, leading to issues such as unnecessary changes and filling up pull requests.

💡Maintainers become overwhelmed when multiple contributions flood in, making their lives difficult.

🌍Contributors should focus on building relationships within the open source project community before making contributions.

⏰Timing matters - maintainers appreciate positive comments during the initial trending phase but struggle when bombarded with pull requests.

💼Open source contributions should not be seen as a shortcut to getting a job, but as a way to genuinely contribute to the project and build skills.

What are the controversies surrounding open source contributions?

—Controversies include beginners making unnecessary changes and filling up pull requests, which overwhelms maintainers.

Why do maintainers become overwhelmed with multiple contributions?

—Maintainers struggle to manage the influx of pull requests and find it hard to address all the changes within a short period.

How can contributors build relationships within open source project communities?

—Contributors can engage in conversations, join Discord communities, and ask questions to establish connections with project maintainers and developers.

What should contributors keep in mind about timing their contributions?

—Contributors should be aware that maintainers appreciate positive comments during the trending phase, but excessive pull requests can become unmanageable.

Is making open source contributions a shortcut to getting a job?

—No, open source contributions should be seen as a way to genuinely contribute to the project and build skills rather than a job-seeking strategy.

00:00Introduction and description of the controversies surrounding open source contributions.

03:14The challenges faced by maintainers due to excessive contributions and unnecessary changes.

06:29The importance of building relationships within open source project communities.

09:40The impact of timing on maintainers' capabilities and feelings towards contributions.

12:23Understanding that open source contributions should not be seen as a shortcut to getting a job.