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Ramรณn Huidobro for CodeLand 2022

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[On-Demand Talk] There's More to Open Source than Code

About this talk

Interested in trying out Open Source contributing, and can't find a project you're comfortable in?

Maybe you found an issue but the scope is too big to start?

There are other ways to get into Open Source! In this talk, we'll cover non-code contributions, the different types there are, and how to get started in a way that works for you.

Spoiler: This is how I got my start in Open Source!

Talk Recording

Slides

Resources

๐ŸŒˆ Comment below and ask me questions โ€” I might just answer them during my live speaker discussion!


About me

Hi! I'm Ramรณn โ€” a software engineering and developer relations contractor based in Vienna, Austria.

I've spent the last twelve years being directly involved with small businesses and startups getting their apps off the ground or back in shape!

My main motivation is community. I've worked with software builders both new and experienced and dedicated my time to organising conferences, workshops and other events aimed at helping empower folks in their tech journey.

Feel free to reach out on Twitter!


This on-demand talk is part of CodeLand 2022 โ€” a virtual conference brought to you by CodeNewbie & DEV on June 16 & 17, 2022.

Latest comments (62)

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yuridevat profile image
๐•๐•ฆ๐•๐•š๐•’ ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿปโ€๐Ÿ’ป

Amazing talk Ramรณn. Getting into open source is indeed not as easy as it sounds. But with your great tips, other doors are opening now for everyone to contribute to open source in any way they feel comfortable with.

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

Thank you so much, Julia!

There are so many facets to open source that need helping with that folks should totally feel free to contribute and make their way into others :)

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vcerpasalas profile image
Valeria Cerpa Salas

This is an activity that is definitely on my list, I hope to practice the next two months what I learned in the bootcamp I'm taking and from there to be able to write code in open source.

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

You've got this, Valeria!! ๐Ÿ’œ

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talib1996 profile image
M.Fahad Imtiaz

Tech is not just coding. Rather there are other areas also surrounding it where we can contribute also.
Thanks for this wonderful talk.

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

You put it better than I could have hoped to, thank you so much! ๐Ÿ’œ

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talib1996 profile image
M.Fahad Imtiaz

Always welcome

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hussain_codes profile image
Hussain Codes

I really enjoyed this talk because it made me realize that there are so many avenues to contribute to open source outside of code!

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

That means I did my job well, thank you so much Hussain! ๐Ÿ’œ

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kingasix profile image
Jeffrey โ€˜King the Asixโ€™ Willis

I hate that I miss this talk and look forward to checking the recording. I've always wanted to start contributing to open source projects but I usually get really intimidated.

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

The recording is always there!

I totally feel you, Jeffrey. Just remember we all start somewhere and every new project is a new experience and we have to onboard and get familiar with it.

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fizzybuzzybeezy profile image
fizzybuzzybeezy

So many fun ideas surrounding open source outside of coding, Ramon! Thank you very much for your talk. I've been feeling the pressure over the past year due to my lack to output of hobby code and wondering what I've actually contributed on the whole. I really need to reset my mind to what I can do when I'm not working on coding projects. This is such a great reminder!

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

Thank you so much! I definitely don't want to encourage overdoing it or feeling like you always have to be having output.

Good contributions come from a happy, rested, eager mind, so taking time to rest is also critical!

And remember, there are so many projects out there (including our own) that need that care and that help is so appreciated :)

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mburkhardt52 profile image
Michael Burkhardt

I'm not sure when I might be ready (at a level of knowledge) to get involved in an open source project in any way.

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro • Edited

I'm a big believer in the fact that you're ready the moment you start using a project. Asking questions is a critical part to open source contributions. Your experience onboarding onto a tool or project is what maintainers need the most, after ages being so focussed on the code.

You've absolutely got this! ๐Ÿ’œ

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mburkhardt52 profile image
Michael Burkhardt

Thank you so much Ramon. Your energy and excitement is infectious! As a total aside, I just learned about the wild hamsters in the Central Cemetery in Vienna, how cool.

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

I... did not know about these, thank you so much! ๐Ÿน

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anyanka profile image
Anja

I loved your talk and thoughts, thanks Ramรณn!

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

Very kind, thanks, Anja! ๐Ÿ’œ

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pablohe78730909 profile image
Pablo Hernandez

Thank you for such a fun talk that not only educated but treated the material with GR8 care, your presentation was on point and motivating. I wonder what your opinion is in regards to the inclusiveness of the Latino communities in the aspect of both Web/Software Dev. Do you think that the culture needs more leadership from the scientific, engineering, gaming or any related technologies ?

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

Thank you so much, Pablo!

This is a really good question that I'm unfortunately not fully qualified to answer, as I'm living in Europe, but I'll try my best.

I can only do my best to reflect the best values of the community so that people on my level of privilege can be uplifting, welcoming, inclusive, and not gatekeep others, and minimize harm.

There are exemplary people and communities out there doing work beyond. For example, there's Pachi (did you see her talk? It was outstanding):
community.codenewbie.org/codeland2...

In the Developer Relations world, there is a growing Spanish-speaking community of folks supporting each other:
twitter.com/i/communities/15153900...

All in all, I have to continue to listen, learn, and use my platform to amplify others. As Scott mentioned yesterday, lend my privilege!

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pablohe78730909 profile image
Pablo Hernandez

I really appreciate your opinion and honesty. It is an honor to hear from you and your positivity, Europe must be an amazing time for developers. I assume that GDPR is the norm for many of your frameworks and policies. Thanks for the resource to the community through that twitter link, I 100% agree that the community should be welcoming, uplifting and inclusive. Here in the U.S. I have not come across groups that have Latino Leadership, I am looking for a grassroots org that welcomes all.
Indeed, lend a privilege...

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phaveey profile image
Phaveey

Thank you, Ramon!

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

Thank you, Phaveey! ๐Ÿ’œ

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hellotjphan profile image
TJ Phan

First of all, I love your energy, please be my friend haha.

How do I balance my self-studies versus the amount of time spent on open source pursuits, as someone in the early stage of a developer career? Should the open source projects be more important than self-studies?

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

TJ! Please be my friend too!

Ooof this is a good question, and something I've been wrangling myself.

Over time, I've had a growing belief that for better or for worse, there is no optimal path to learning tech that applies for everyone. It takes (self) discovery to find one that works for you.

Going about non-code contributing open source by doing things that I felt comfortable doing throughout my journey has helped me meet others and collaborate accordingly.

One thing that worked for me early in mine is to not get stuck in tutorials, always thinking I had to keep learning before I could get out there and try things. I started with fun little projects, just for me, mostly for a lugh, just to learn to get stuck. And goodness me, did I get stuck, a lot!

Maybe it could help to reframe and think of open source contributing and self-studies as one and the same? Put out some stuff there!

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arepitasconcafe profile image
ฮฑrฮตpรฏโ€ ฮฑลก ฦˆฦกล‹ ฯ‚ฮฑฦ’รฉา‰

Thank you for this presentation -- super helpful, and tons to consider

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

Much appreciated!! ๐Ÿ’œ

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emdebarros profile image
Em

Great talk! Definitely a video I'm sharing with my colleagues at work.

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

Very kind of you to say, thanks, Em! ๐Ÿ’œ Hope it helps y'all

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juanfrank77 profile image
Juan F Gonzalez

Hola Ramon. Do you happen to know about OSS projects that would need that sort of non-coding help that you've seen or know about?

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro

Heyhey Juan!

I can definitely recommend a place to look for these! One of my favourite platforms is OpenSauced:
opensauced.pizza/

This'll help you find projects as well as contributors.

Shameless little plug for a project I'm collaborating with that definitely needs support is Distribute Aid:
github.com/distributeaid/

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carolineschettler profile image
carolineschettler

You mentioned that you speak several languages fluently. How has this influenced your career? Has it helped you as a developer or developer advocate in any notable ways?

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hola_soy_milk profile image
Ramรณn Huidobro • Edited

Oh gosh did I say fluently? I mean Spanish is my first language and my English is good enough I'm told, but my German is... even okayer haha!

I've been fortunate to be able to work with German-speaking clients during my time as a freelance software dev, realising being able to leverage my skills in communication with clients (and not having to write text in German) meant that I could collaborate without much issue and without the need for perfect grammar.

I have more recently started exploring the Latam world of sotware development advocacy. I've recently been working on a "Fundamentos de TypeScript" (TypeScript Fundamentals) course in collaboration with Escuela Frontend:
escuelafrontend.com/

When it comes to Developer Relations in Spanish, I'm very eager to recommend their Twitter community:
twitter.com/i/communities/15153900...

They host a Twitter Space every two weeks exploring the world of Spanish Developer Relations, which has been amazing to watch!

Doing so has been a positive challenge. Being able to connect with people from different parts and gather insight as well as perspectives on issues faced by developers has been beneficial.