GitHub's guide to Hacktoberfest 2021

Hacktoberfest is an annual event in October that encourages contributions to open source projects, celebrating community and learning, with DigitalOcean acknowledging participants. With over 65 million developers contributing to projects on GitHub, it offers a platform for both beginners and seasoned developers to enhance their skills, meet new people, and contribute to projects they use and enjoy. The event includes various resources and events, such as guides for first-time contributors, virtual meetups, and streams, to support participants in their open source journey. This year introduces a new way to contribute financially to open source maintainers through GitHub Sponsors and OpenCollective, recognizing their crucial role in maintaining software. Projects must opt-in to participate, ensuring they are open to new contributions, while maintaining quality standards to prevent spam. The initiative also emphasizes the importance of maintainers, drawing on their insights to shape the event, and highlights the various forms of contributions, from coding to organizing events, that embody the spirit of open source.