My Hacktoberfest 2024 Journey: A Beginner's Dive into Web5 Contributions

This is a submission for the 2024 Hacktoberfest Writing challenge: Contributor Experience.

This year's Hacktoberfest was an exciting and fulfilling experience for me. I decided to jump into the challenge with a focus on Web5, contributing to four different projects. The opportunity to contribute to open-source projects and learn from a global community motivated me to take part. As someone who has been actively learning about decentralized technologies, Hacktoberfest was the perfect platform to apply my knowledge and make an impact.

My Contributions

During this challenge, I made contributions through four pull requests, all of which focused on documentation and content development for Web5-related topics. Here’s an overview of the articles I contributed to:

• A Simple Guide to Web5 Protocol Roles: This article explains the essential roles within the Web5 protocol. I originally misunderstood some of these roles, but with feedback from the project maintainers, I was able to update and refine the information, creating a resource for beginners.

• Getting Started with Decentralized Resource Locators (DRLs): This article introduces the concept of DRLs, their purpose in the Web5 ecosystem, and how they differ from traditional URLs. This was my first technical deep dive into DRLs, and I was excited to explore this cutting-edge area.

• Understanding Verifiable Credentials (VCs) in Web5: A Beginner's Guide: In this contribution, I focused on the importance of verifiable credentials in decentralized systems. The experience helped me understand how VCs operate in Web5 and gave me the chance to share these insights with the community.

• Key Management for DIDs in Web5: A Beginner's Guide: I also worked on explaining key management for decentralized identifiers (DIDs), an essential component of Web5 security. It was rewarding to document these technical processes for those new to decentralized identity.

What I Learned

One of the biggest takeaways from this Hacktoberfest challenge was the importance of clear communication and attention to detail in documentation. Contributing to open-source projects taught me to adapt quickly to feedback, ensuring that the content I provided was not only technically accurate but also accessible to a broader audience.

I also gained deeper insights into Web5 technologies and the potential they hold in shaping the future of the web. Writing about these topics solidified my understanding and gave me the confidence to explore further.

What I’d Like to See Next Year

I would love to see more projects focused on Web5, especially those aimed at introducing decentralized technologies to beginners. Hacktoberfest is an incredible opportunity for people to contribute to new technologies, and having more beginner-friendly issues would help onboard even more contributors.

Hacktoberfest 2024 has been a transformative experience, and I’m proud of the contributions I’ve made to the Web5 space. As I look forward to next year, I’m excited to continue contributing to open source and helping others learn through the articles and documentation I create.

A special thanks to TBD community for providing a wonderful opportunity to contribute to open-source.