From junior developer to Django contributor: My open source journey

Speaker 1: All right, we're back again. Uh On stage we have Raffaella. Thank you for coming all the way from Italy and presenting this very fantastic talk. It's a very uh special uh occasion for us too uh because One year ago Sarah Boyce was here to introduce DjangoNot Space and I guess you will tell us a lot more about how that project is going. and we we we're very honored that you came. So thank you. Please give a big hand to Raffaela.

Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you all of you for joining me to my Django contribution journey. I'm I'm Raffaella and recently I became a Django contributor. Django Software Foundation member and also I have graduated in a Django North space program and I became a star Uh but first of all how many of you have attended last year uh Django Django di All right. Um When I first heard about the program, I reached out to the organizer uh to understand if I was a good fit for the program and also how the program is going to work uh

Speaker 2: some some some information stuff. And they sent me this video. In this video Serva talk about to create uh an environment where people can start their contribution journey. and also a space where they created um a place of belonging um for for new contributors And I sent my application and that's where my journey has started. some some uh information about uh the the program. It's a eight week uh long program um mentorship program uh where every uh participant has been divided in groups and they

Speaker 2: guided by our navigator and a captain. And every every week we uh we made a um a call to understand how work is going on is going on if you've got any problem um what's going to to work on the on the next next um on next days And also every um every every two weeks uh you uh you can catch up with your captain to understand if uh uh if you've got something about uh about uh your your n your pro maybe um a problem with your family, maybe a problem with uh related with your contribution if you if you feel uh if you feel maybe struggling some uh

Speaker 2: is in some way and also uh in the program the main uh the main goal is to uh also uh more and um more involvement inside the community Something that could be helpful if you are you're thinking to start to contribute. First of all resilience because uh you This is the ability to weather storm so uh when you make a PR uh review could take a long uh long time to uh to take and also if you're willing to s to to create something new uh you are to gain the the the community con consensus be uh first. Um availability for the program.

Speaker 2: Uh you are your time is really matter so um you have to take that in mind before um before your submission a knowledge it you don't have to be an expert to to contribute but you don't you don't have to uh program it for the first time. Um motivation uh is the one thing that can help you uh to can guide you for for a long time for example uh if you are willing to uh to to stay in the community to help others uh motivation can lead you through uh Can lead you far. That's where uh the the program

Speaker 2: is about. Um what about uh what what what what I actually did Sorry , With my team, we attended the Django CMS technical committee, and I personally work with RAF and the committee. I didn't um work uh with uh uh Roth before so uh I gained lots of new experience And I thought it could was a good idea to write it down. Just a note for myself. And I also

Speaker 2: thought that if you uh if you write uh something and you can able to explain in a simple word your ne your new knowledge uh that's when you you are able to understand if you uh if you understand it better. When I started the the program, I thought the uh only way to contribute it was through code. But it was not exactly uh it was not exactly true. Um for example I created a blog and uh there were a chance to uh to write uh updates to Django inside the Django news.

Speaker 2: It's where we talk about something really something that uh about PR may be a fixed was also uh there's a way to um to up to highlight new contributors, maybe something in something interesting inside Django Forum or Django Discord. And also I organizing a bimonthly meeting inside the Django Now space. uh to catch up with uh with others uh participants and uh we talk about uh uh uh well about uh uh something that we just like most for example uh

Speaker 2: the project we are working on or maybe uh I don't know once a week talk about the the origin of the Django pony for example and uh in every journey there's uh there's challenges and uh achievement And because I'm not a native speaker uh link native not not so sorry. Uh I'm not a native speaker. I don't have the um the chance to speak English every day and I thought it it could be a good a good way to learn it through the community. community and also because I was lack of experience I was worried about

Speaker 2: to slow down my team and be a burden to them. But instead they were very supportive and they Teach me uh one of my uh my precious advice that I received. Uh and maybe maybe this could be this seems obvious. Maybe this But at the end of the program I uh I see lots of people that feel the same way and uh I ask myself why why we What we we we like most about uh uh don't don't be afraid to ask questions, ask many questions if you want Because I realize this is related with the values of the community, of our community, because

Speaker 2: if you if you are welcoming to newcomers um they feel the sense of belonging. Also there's a place where you can uh learn and grow and And I thought it was it was amazing to be a part of this program. And that's why I think community support is important for um a better if you are in a better environment you can uh you can learn more I think and also my favorite channel inside the the Django of space uh was the win channel where you can celebrate for example uh your PR has been merged

Speaker 2: or maybe your talk has been uh has been accepted uh everything can be celebrated. And at the end of the program, uh my primary goal is was uh to con to to give him back to community and uh First of all, I attended with the first the conference, for example, uh PyCon, uh Django in Europe this year and also in inside the inside PyCon I have been a coach for Django Girls. I thought it was great to um to be part of the first step

Speaker 2: inside Django for for others. I still uh I still write and updates Django and I still encourage the other people to to join and authorize themselves also a between session because there are it's gonna to uh to start uh the third session uh within between a few weeks, few few a few days. Uh I thought it it was a good idea to um to bond each other and bit even between session so I continue to um and continue this by monthly uh meeting but I also plan for the future. I I would

Speaker 2: like to um I I'm going to help organizing uh BICON in Italy. And I hope you too I've convinced you there's a lot of way you can uh you can contribute based on your your time and maybe also of your experience. And if you're willing to start your contribution, I encourage you to submit to jangle space or maybe you know a thirty-party package that you like most and if you and and maybe you want to to guide others uh to to start a journey to contribute inside the inside the package and please please contact the the organizer to to collaborate

Speaker 2: Also would like to thank uh to thank all the organizers or every every person that have been in a Django on space program. because together we are creating a space where we can the feel of belongings. Thank you.

Speaker 1: Ah thank you so so much. Yeah. Thank you, Raphaela.

Speaker 2: Thank you.

Speaker 1: Um You had a slide a little bit earlier about questions. Can we see it?

Speaker 2: Yeah. I really like I really like the slide. Can

Speaker 1: can they also ask some questions? Um yeah my my my my question would be about Django Not space. Is it open? Can can people join?

Speaker 2: Yeah the the third session of the year is going to start in a few few a few days but uh I think there will be in uh twenty twenty five there will be other session available for uh for everyone can uh can get started can And what that are willing to start their contribution journey.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 2: So it's it's really it 's really interesting because uh also in uh in Django because it's pretty mature you don't know where to start maybe uh but but also maybe you can uh just start for yourself. But if you are willing to uh find a mentor that's really a good idea to to to sign up for the for the program.

Speaker 1: Yeah, I saw there's a lot of Django Not space um activities that are also available on uh YouTube. You can see some of the

Speaker 2: yeah I I didn't talk about that. But uh also in Jangwan space there's uh um there's a talk uh uh uh for uh uh um for other people there for example um I I remember the talk about Daniele Prosda that talked about uh the documentation Carton Gibson that talked about the kontribution and kanske that it could be became a you could could become overwhelming uh sometimes because you are keep willing to to work to work and then you realize that you are going to to work too much

Speaker 2: and

Speaker 1: Yeah. And you get to meet them in in an online session this

Speaker 2: year.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 2: with with my experience with the program first of all in uh online and then uh in the it it was uh wonderful.

Speaker 1: Yeah

Speaker 3: Yeah. Um Janganault space is very international and you mentioned having a language barrier and I mean just the fact that you're standing here despite saying that you had an English language barrier is super cool. So what are your tips for people who like you are thinking Like okay my English is not good enough or I need to practice like what would you recommend them do?

Speaker 2: Just Just try because because I I also I was worried about uh the my my ingl English skill. Um but uh I I think uh also to keep that at uh that advice when you don't uh uh you don't know uh you don't understand the thing um also try to to uh to use some tools but I I think I uh I when I uh first uh write my first blog I use uh uh I really I I trusted too much Google Translate that it was But uh if you are asking again

Speaker 2: uh to um to me to to ask ask to to um explain uh the the things in other words maybe uh if if they are are welcoming and they are uh they are empathic uh they they can they can really help you

Speaker 1: yeah next question there is one in the back and One in the front as well. Yep.

Speaker 4: Okay. Um I'll go ahead then. Uh thank you so much for your talk. Um I think it's really, really valuable to share things like this and I think you've definitely achieved Your goal of giving something back to the community, you know, with organizing PyCon Italy and giving this talk, among other things. And um, in your talk you mentioned that uh you were afraid of being a burden to your team because you were less experienced and you were afraid of like holding them back. And that's really relatable for you know in your your kind of of first years. So I wondered if you have any advice for not for the new person but for maybe the more experienced people in a team of how they can make the new person feel less like a burden.

Speaker 2: First of all um try to ask uh to to to replies two other two two questions. Maybe uh they are not uh um at at the first uh I I wasn't so um so prone to uh to ask question. Maybe if you if you I don't know, maybe every every once in a while you are you're asking an area are you are you okay? You are just working I know you are are working on this on this topic on this uh on this problem are are you okay I was going? Maybe they'll um If if you are sincere, uh I I I think uh they can they can feel your sincerity to help

Speaker 2: and maybe they they the reply to them to to to your sincerity.

Speaker 4: Thanks.

Speaker 1: There's another question. Oh one.

Speaker 2: much for your talk.

Speaker 4: Uh you I understand that Jangle Note is uh meant to help new contributors to Django who might not have much experience. So I'm thinking maybe there are many here who feel like they have uh they're very well experienced with Django. How can they contribute to Django Not

Speaker 5: space?

Speaker 2: Uh they can become a navigator that uh is uh i is a figure of the of the mentor and But also you can join uh the you can ask to to to organizer to join as uh as an astronomer that is a figure that uh uh is uh well experienced in Django and uh maybe he also can uh can join the server and uh encounter contribute to the community even though it is not even it's not uh a navigator uh for example navigator is uh um is the one person that is

Speaker 2: uh that is going to guide the the team but uh for for example for the astronomer uh is uh is a part of the community but it's it's not uh uh i is not guided the others for uh uh for eight weeks.

Speaker 1: And there's another question here in the front. Yeah.

Speaker 6: Yes. So you had the slide about the important things for being a contributor and the number one most important was resilience. Uh which I think is probably very true, uh especially for Django. Uh how how did you uh manage that and did you get any help? Uh was it like a topic that was Address specifically?

Speaker 2: Specifically for resilience.

Speaker 6: Yeah.

Speaker 2: Uh resilience maybe uh um I don't know, maybe be uh be be patient also to to yourself because uh um because i if you are uh if you are willing to uh to um to merge the pair as fast as you can uh and and you don't reach the goal to uh to merge the in I don't know between two weeks um it you have to be patient for yourself is i it is not is going to work in this way because was uh in uh in Django. Uh it's it's pretty mature, it's nineteen years

Speaker 2: so old. Um it's released is it it was released nineteen years old so So it it it it's huge. It also it it's also maybe the the the the the key of the of their success of Django

Speaker 1: Yeah, it's turning twenty next year. Um Yeah, we have time for another question.

Speaker 7: Hello there. Um thank you. uh for the talk. Uh you had a slide mentioning uh the hashtag wins. Um what's a contribution that you yourself are proud of?

Speaker 2: Maybe my first one I I don't know, maybe it's just uh um an obvious an obvious uh reply, but uh uh the the first uh the first one the first one I was uh um when when I joined the program uh I I um I was worried that about uh how many time I did uh um I have to um to do before uh before my my um my P PR was uh um was ready to be to to was ready to be reviewed. Uh but but also it was really easy and then when I uh watch uh watch my first PR. I I thought uh

Speaker 2: it it was an an easy thing but uh when uh when I um when I work on it the first time um I I feel the sense of uh uh of of excitement of enjoyment uh oh this was my first PR and and it was also merged yeah but And that's what I think is the best to your journey because every every steps you you make you can able to uh watch at your first and you can feel uh you can feel the part how many how many things you have been you have been you have been created for for you and and also I

Speaker 2: I I my hope is also for community to be able to to be helpful for community for for maybe for others We

Speaker 1: do have time for more questions, but wow, you're getting a lot of questions.

Speaker 2: Excit exciting because it was the first it was

Speaker 1: Yeah, I hope you have a a a lot of energy for a a long day. I guess that will be uh people asking you questions about uh the program um I think is there's also other people in the room who have been in DjangoNot space. At least one I know. Yeah. Um I uh for for uh for someone who al already maybe has done some Django, I I know there's a fair amount of of people in the room who who have done uh some Django before and maybe not contributed to Django itself. Can you also join the uh Djangonaut Space as uh as a normal student uh Django Django not um with with that in mind that you want to learn to contribute to Django, but maybe you already use it for a long time.

Speaker 2: So you may basically you have used the Django for a long time but you want to become a contributor.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 2: Yeah that's that's a good idea because uh uh first you if you are um if you're learning Django uh and then you uh you make uh a step further to stere contribute uh maybe your experience uh uh I don't know how many years you can have uh it it it can really help you feel for uh for other tasks uh inside uh contribution.

Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So knowing knowing Django already is uh is actually great also. Yeah. Um were there any questions from the internet audiences? Um otherwise we're close to starting the next talk and uh thank you so so much for sharing all this with us. Thank you. And yeah, big thanks to the whole Django Nut space team as well for citing this. Michael, you're welcome up here.