Hey there, fellow techies! 🍁 With October rolling in, we're greeted by the crisp orange leaves of fall, the comforting aroma of pumpkin spice, and of course, the much-anticipated Hacktoberfest. Whether you're a seasoned contributor or taking your first steps into the world of open-source, there's something for everyone. And guess what? We've got some exciting news!

🎉 We're Participating in Hacktoberfest 2023! 🎉

This October, it's more than just code and commits; we're spicing things up with exclusive rewards. Be among the first 20 to get their PRs merged and snag some exclusive swag from our TBD shop — we're in the midst of uploading new swag! And for a bit of fun competition? Keep track of your contributions with our leaderboard issues. Ready to climb the ranks?

📅 Mark Your Calendars! Our Hacktoberfest Launch event is on October 2nd. Stay in the loop and don't miss out on any of our events by checking our events-and-updates channel regularly.

📌 What is Hacktoberfest?

For the uninitiated, Hacktoberfest is a month-long celebration of open-source software. It's sponsored by DigitalOcean, GitHub, and other partners.

🔗 Newbies Alert!: Check out Hacktoberfest's official site for more details and to register. Registration is from September 26th- October 31st.

Guidelines for Winning at Hacktoberfest:

1. Topic Check: Contribute to projects that have the hacktoberfest topic. This ensures your PR counts towards the official Hacktoberfest prizes.

2. Label Insights:

   • Starting with an issue labeled hacktoberfest, no-code, or good-first-issue? That's a solid choice.
   • Got the hacktoberfest-accepted label on your PR? WOOHOO! One down, three more to go! 🎉
   • Got slapped with a spam label? Reevaluate your contribution.

3. Code and Conduct: Adhere to our code of conduct and ensure your PR aligns with the repository's goals.

4. Community Vibes: Engage with fellow contributors on our Discord server for all the Hacktoberfest gossips, and a getting started checklist!

5. Seek Help: If in doubt, don't stress! Connect with the maintainers by commenting on the issue or ping us on Discord.

🎤 From a First-time Contributor:

I remember my first-time contribution jitters. Every step felt like a monumental task, and the fear of making a mistake? Oh boy! Here’s a snippet from my Twitter thread on my first contribution experience:

"... I made all of the changes locally, and then opened a PR. Looked over it a zillion times, because, you know, it's in the public's eye! Yikes! And despite all the caution, I still goofed up my first PR. 🤦🏾‍♀️ But guess what? The community stepped in, guided me, and boom! PR merged. It was .."

You can check out my complete thread and the roller-coaster of emotions I went through here. If I could do it, trust me so can you!

Hot Tip: Pair up with someone from our hack-together channel on Discord. Two heads (or more) are always better than one.

🎁 Rewards, Events, and Excitement:

• Swag Alerts:

  • Made it to the top 20 contributors with merged PRs? Secure your swag from our TBD shop. Keep an eye on your progress via our leaderboard issue.
  • As for the top 3 contributors, brace yourselves for some custom Hacktoberfest swag. Stay tuned for the reveal!

• Event Highlights:
  Dive into our bustling Hacktoberfest schedule! Whether you're keen on learning or just here for the fun, we've got you covered:

  • September 22nd: Hacktoberfest: best practices live stream is now available on our YouTube channel.
  • October 2nd: Set the tone with our Hacktoberfest Launch event!
  • October 5th: Brush up with our Intro to Git Workshop.
  • Every Friday: Engage with us for PR reviews, live Q&A, and more interactive sessions.

• Never Miss Out: Keep a tab on our events-and-updates channel - we're always brewing something new!

📂 Dive into Our Repos:

Not sure where to start? Hacktoberfest isn't just about addressing existing issues. If you spot a bug, typo, or see room for improvement, feel free to create a new issue or dive in with a fix! Explore these repos and see where you can make an impact:

• developer.tbd.website: MDX, Javascript, CSS, MARKDOWN

  • Good First Issues
  • Hacktoberfest Guide

• dwn-server: Typescript, Javascript

  • Good First Issues
  • Hacktoberfest Guide

• dwn-sdk-js: Typescript, Javascript

  • Good First Issues
  • Hacktoberfest Guide

• web5-js: Typescript, Javascript, HTML

  • Good First Issues
  • Hacktoberfest Guide

Hot Tip: Not a coder? No worries! We have non-code related issues up for grabs. Check them out on our developer.tbd.website repo.

More Resources for First-Time Contributors:

• 📖 How to Contribute on GitHub
• 🛠 Git Cheatsheet
• 🔍 Projects Participating in Hacktoberfest

🔄 Fellow community managers, did I miss anything? What are you doing for "Preptember" and Hacktoberfest? Share your insights and strategies in the comments! Happy Hacking everyone! & Cheers to Hacktoberfest 2023! 🎉

Let's Connect

• 💬 Got a question or just want to chat? Leave a comment below or hit me up in discord.
• 🤝 Fellow community managers or tech enthusiasts looking to collaborate? I'm all ears! DM me on Twitter.
• 📣 Enjoyed this post? Follow me here on dev.to for more community management tips and all things tech.
• 🔔 And if you're as excited as we are about Hacktoberfest 2023, make sure to share this post with your network!