Why this post: every October, Hacktoberfest lowers the barrier for new contributors to land their first (or fifth) pull request. In 2023, Office‑stamper joined in with a set of small, well‑scoped issues that improve reliability, tests, and documentation without requiring you to understand the whole codebase.

What is it (30‑second version):

  • Hacktoberfest is a month‑long contribution drive. See the official rules and timeline at https://hacktoberfest.com.
  • You contribute meaningful pull requests to participating repositories. Maintainers label issues and review PRs.
  • Swag aside, the goal is learning, collaboration, and shipping small improvements that add up.

How Office‑stamper participates

  • We label issues for newcomers and for focused improvements:
    • good first issue: bite‑sized tasks with clear acceptance criteria.
    • help wanted: slightly larger changes; good next steps after a first PR.
    • tests, docs: characterization tests, docs‑as‑code improvements, examples.
  • Scope areas we suggested in 2023:
    • Add characterization tests around edge cases (comments, SDTs, run splitting/merging).
    • Tighten error messages and README snippets where setup tripped users.
    • Small refactors that clarify contracts without changing behavior.

Workflow (copy‑paste friendly)

1) Pick one labeled issue that matches your experience. Prefer the smallest viable change. 2) Fork and create a feature branch named after the issue slug. 3) Implement and keep the PR tight: one change, one rationale. Add/adjust tests when behavior is affected. 4) Run the build locally and verify all tests pass. 5) Open the PR and reference the issue. Add a short “why/what/how verified” section.

Maintainer expectations

  • Authoritative but practical reviews: I’ll focus on clarity of contract, runnable examples, and lasting maintainability.
  • I may ask for: a smaller diff, an extra test, or a short note in the docs if behavior changes.
  • I merge small, well‑scoped PRs quickly; larger ones get split if needed.

How to qualify for Hacktoberfest

  • Make sure your PRs are meaningful (no spammy changes) and target issues labeled for Hacktoberfest.
  • Read the event rules for the exact counting and repository participation status.
  • If in doubt, ask on the issue before starting.

Getting set up

  • Check the project README for prerequisites, and the exact build/test commands.
  • Prefer incremental commits with clear messages. Link issues in the body.
  • If you touch user‑visible behavior or docs, include a minimal before/after code snippet.

Thanks to everyone who participated in 2023. Even the smallest test or doc tweak reduces friction for the next contributor and for downstream teams adopting the library.