So you have joined several Open Source communities but don't know how to interact with them? Or wait, Did you spam? or sent Personal DM just saying "Hi"?

Don't worry! After reading this blog, you'll eventually get a good idea of what are things to do and avoid in an Open Source community.

Whenever you join any community, there are several things one should be aware of especially if you're a complete newbie. Here are some of them:

Let's get started.

1. Don't Spam

Trust me, Spamming your message in the community channels is the worst way to get attention. Whenever you've joined a community, Please introduce yourself in the right channel rather than sending the same text over different channels.

Imagine yourself getting the same message again and again, How will you react? You'll definitely feel annoyed. So is the case in the community as well. Remember, Your first impression is your last impression.

2. Be Patient

When contributing to Open Source, especially some big Open Source projects, it is very necessary to have patience. Your messages can take time to get a response back. Your PRs can sometimes take even months to be merged. Being patient is a skill and no skill can be mastered in a day!

Understand that all the community members are too humans. They too have a family to look after. In fact, Open Source work is mostly done as a hobby. Your message can get a delayed response depending upon the time zone between you and the person whom you're sending a message.

3. Don't work on the issue which has already been assigned

Now, this point does not always hold true. Before working on any issue, have a look if someone else is already working on the same issue or not. If yes, Please ask them if they need some help from your end or if you can work on the issue. If they deny, don't argue. Find some other issues and follow the same approach.

Working on an issue that has already been assigned to someone else without their permission is never a good practice.

4. Don't personal dm someone without giving the reason

Tbh, I've seen some folks making this mistake of sending messages like "hi", and "hello" and not giving the reason for the text. The best approach you can follow is to ask in public. Still, if you'd like to go for a personal dm, remember the 1st point and give a reason for the dm rather than just saying "Hi", "How are you?"

Remember to make the message simple and to the point. I'd not prefer using emojis in a professional message. Not only this, but you should also be aware of the background of the person to whom you're sending a dm.

4. Try before asking (IMPORTANT!!)

This is a very important point that every single person should follow in every phase of life. While contributing, you'll come across several errors and doubts. Here's one piece of advice:

Before asking for the solution directly from the community members, try to find the solution of your own.

Remember, the problem/error you're facing right now has been faced by a lot of people before you and this will be faced by a lot of people after you.

Now, you might ask me "Hey Nitish, but we've heard that community members are helpful. So what now?" . Well, Yes the community members are really helpful. But please understand that community members are too humans. They too have a family to look after. No member can stick around you for 24 hours. Most of the things you've to do yourself.

That's it for today. I hope you guys like reading up here.

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