Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Ayu Adiati
Keeping up with docs reviews: Building a tracker for Mautic's documentation PRs
If you read my last post about how we keep Mautic's docs up to date with Promptless, you already know how it fits into our workflow. Within weeks of that workflow fully kicking in, there were more than 90 open documentation PRs waiting on me at once, each one needing something different: a review, a reminder, an escalation, a backport check, or a branch fix. Don't get me wrong. Promptless worked so well, and we're thrilled with how much it helps us update our docs.
How Mautic pairs Promptless with human review to catch up on docs
Originally written for Mautic. A developer just merged a big feature into an app repo, and 'update the docs' lands somewhere on their to-do list. Week after week, it keeps sliding down, until it's forgotten. If you've worked on an open source project, this probably sounds familiar. It's exactly what was happening to Mautic's docs, until we found a way to keep docs up to date automatically. Why docs kept falling behind Mautic is built by volunteers.
Wanted: Beginners-Friendly Open Source Projects
Hey friends! It's been a while since I tried to find open source projects to contribute to as I've been swamped with some projects myself. Someone approached me. They want to learn and start to contribute to open source. They're familiar with GitHub for their own projects, but never contribute to any open source project. They tried looking for beginners friendly issues on GitHub with no luck.
I Was Skeptical of AI. Then It Saved Me Hours of Writing.
Hi friends π, I've been writing tech blog posts for a few years now. If you don't know me yet, English is my second language. My mother tongue is Indonesian, and I'm also surrounded by Dutch every day since I live in the Netherlands. Being a polyglot means my brain works in a funny way. Some days, I can speak or write in English or Dutch without any effort. Other days, I have to think in Indonesian first, then translate. Sometimes my English is stronger, sometimes my Dutch is.
From Helping Out to Taking Ownership: The Art of Sticking Around
I frequently receive messages from enthusiastic contributors who have completed 2 or 3 high-quality pull requests (PRs) in just 1 month. They’re proactive, their work is top-tier, and they’ve handled feedback like pros. Then comes the question: "Hey, would you consider me to be a maintainer for this project?" I love the energy, but here’s the candid truth: being a maintainer isn't just about finishing a few impressive tasks. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
The Curated, Automated Open Source Portfolio: How It’s Going
A few months ago, I shared a story about building an automated open source portfolio using just my smartphone and an AI assistant while on vacation. My main goal was to stop the "spreadsheet struggle" for myself. However, as I mentioned in that first post, I also wanted to create something others could use to track their own open source progress. Since then, the project has grown so much. I still use AI to build and refine the code, just as I did when I first started.
Open Source Engagement: What's Working Now?
Recently, I read @bekahhw’s blog post, "When 'Local' Went Global: The Pandemic Era of International Communities." As someone active in many online communities, I found it a bit sad, but I agree with her points and think they apply to open source communities as well. I work closely with several open source projects, and I’ve noticed a clear drop in regular engagement. Not long ago, online communities were very active.
Beyond Hacktoberfest: Building a True Open Source Journey
Hacktoberfest is almost over. How has your contribution journey been so far? Are you confident about contributing to open source projects, or are you still struggling to find your way? If you're new to open source and still feel overwhelmed, that's completely normal. I know the feeling because I was once a new contributor too. When I first started exploring open source, I didn't understand how to find issues, especially the beginner-friendly ones that aligned with my skills.
My First Video Tutorials Contribution for Hacktoberfest
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that I'm a firm believer that everyone has a place in open source, even if you're not technical or lack knowledge in programming. Recently, I made no-code contributions to the Mautic project, and in this blog post, I want to share this experience with you. The Big Picture of Open Source Contributions Open source projects need all kinds of support.
Giving non-code contributions the recognition they deserve
Let's be honest. When you hear "open source," what's the first thing that pops into your head? For many, it's lines of code, complex algorithms, and late-night debugging sessions. It's easy to think that if you can't write code for a new feature or fix a tricky bug, you don't have a place in the open source world. But I'm here to tell you something that should shift your perspective: Open source is more than just code.
Hacktoberfest: Making it Enjoyable for Contributors and Maintainers
Hey everyone! 👋 Can you believe we’re already almost two weeks into Hacktoberfest? It feels like just yesterday we were preparing for the biggest open source celebration of the year. Hosted by DigitalOcean and Major League Hacking this year, it's a fantastic opportunity for developers of all skill levels—from seasoned pros to complete beginners—to contribute to open source projects. And guess what?
How I Built a Curated, Automated Open Source Portfolio
I've been on a continuous journey in open source since 2020. First, as a contributor, and for the last few years, also as a project maintainer. It's a space where I've learned so much and given back what I can. I've always wanted a way to track my progress and showcase my contributions in a portfolio. It's not just about highlighting achievements; it's about monitoring growth, celebrating milestones, and having a resource to share with potential collaborators or employers.
How I Built a Curated, Automated Open Source Portfolio
I've been on a continuous journey in open source since 2020. First, as a contributor, and for the last few years, also as a project maintainer. It's a space where I've learned so much and given back what I can. I've always wanted a way to track my progress and showcase my contributions in a portfolio. It's not just about highlighting achievements; it's about monitoring growth, celebrating milestones, and having a resource to share with potential collaborators or employers.
How to Set Up GitHub CLI on WSL2
Recently, I set up WSL2 and Ubuntu on my Windows 11 to work on some open-source projects. Since I also maintain these projects, I installed GitHub CLI to ease my workflow. I successfully installed the GitHub CLI, but failed to authenticate it. The error message failed to authenticate via web browser: Too many requests have been made in the same timeframe. (slow_down) appeared on my terminal, while on the web browser, it indicated that the authentication was successful.
Goals Check-In: How's Your Progress Flowing?
Remember way back in January? A new year begins with fresh possibilities and an exciting sense of setting big goals. In Virtual Coffee, we kicked off the year with the "New Year, New Goal" challenge: to dream big and set one significant goal for the entire year. Then, we took it step-by-step, breaking it down into smaller, achievable monthly goals.
Thank You, 2024: The Challenges and Achievements
The year 2024 was such a roller coaster for me. In one minute, I felt on top of the world, and the next minute, I was running around aimlessly like a headless chicken. It was a year of victories but also the year I stepped back and paused. Achievements and Happiness I will start by highlighting my achievements and the little things that have brought me happiness. These moments have given me all the reasons to keep doing what I do and push through.
Monthly Challenge: Creative Community Challenge!
We can't believe that it's the last month of 2024. How time flies! At Virtual Coffee, we're wrapping up a busy year. It's time to take a breather. Let's recharge and explore our creative side. After all, we're more than just code and deadlines. We're artists, musicians, writers, the list goes on! And sometimes, we want to share our work with the community. This month, we encourage you to express yourselves, share, and showcase your arts and hobbies through our Creative Community Challenge.
Open Source is For Everyone: First Experience in Non-Code Contribution to Mautic during Hacktoberfest 2024
This year's Hacktoberfest felt different from my previous ones as a contributor. I was massively under the weather for the first two weeks of October, and my family and I had a week's vacation on the last week. Finding issues to work on took a toll on me, so I didn't expect to complete the Hacktoberfest. However, I did finish it with six accepted PRs! I did something different this year from previous ones and will share it with you in this post.
Hacktoberfest 2024: My 2nd Year Experience as A Maintainer
This is a submission for the 2024 Hacktoberfest Writing challenge: Maintainer Experience This year's Hacktoberfest marks my 2nd year as an open-source projects maintainer. How time flies! If you're interested, check out my experience as a maintainer during Hacktoberfest 2023 in this post and my transition from contributor to maintainer in this post.
Hacktoberfest 2024: Why You Should Participate
It's that time of the year again: Hacktoberfest! For those who don't know, Hacktoberfest is an annual month-long celebration of open-source projects. The main goal is to promote open-source collaboration and encourage more people to contribute to open-source projects. This year, DigitalOcean, Cloudflare, and Quira are sponsoring the event.
Monthly Challenge: Welcoming Community!
Have you ever joined a community only to feel lost in the crowd? That awkward feeling of being the "new kid" can be a barrier to participation and belonging. That's why welcoming new members is the key to any thriving community. This month, we focus on the importance of a warm welcome at Virtual Coffee. Through the Welcoming Community challenge, we want to extend a hand of friendship to newcomers and show them exactly what makes our community so special.
Monthly Challenge: Mid-Year Check-In - Recharge and Refocus for an Amazing Second Half!
Have you ever felt like the year was flying by? It's already halfway through 2024! In January, we kicked off the new year with the "New Year, New Goals" challenge. This month is the perfect time to pause and reflect on your goals. The "Mid-Year Check-In" challenge is your chance to assess your progress, learn from experiences, and reignite your motivation for the remaining months. Grab that pen, and let's dive in! Victorious Achievements: What goals have you achieved so far?
From Contributor to Maintainer: My Journey in Open Source
Do you know that May is Maintainer Month? I never thought I would become a maintainer, but here I am, six months into my volunteer role as an open source projects maintainer. If this is the first time you read my article, I'm Ayu. I'm Indonesian and based in the Netherlands. I'm a technical blogger and a Documentation Team Lead at the Virtual Coffee community. My passion lies in collaboration and documentation (docs).
Streamline Your Contributions: Mastering Issue Forms and PR Templates
As an open source maintainer, one of my daily tasks is reminding contributors to complete their pull request (PR) templates or asking them to provide missing information on their issues. Although the saved replies feature on GitHub helps me a lot, it still takes me time to personalize replies based on the case. This is a challenge not only for me but also for most maintainers. It is very important to take the time to fill out these forms and templates completely and accurately.
Building Bridges, Not Walls: The Importance of Documentation in Open Source Projects
Have you ever been excited to use open source software or contribute to the codebase only to hit a brick wall of confusion because the instructions are unclear? It's frustrating, right? But what if there was a way to tear down those walls and build bridges of understanding instead? That's where the documentation comes in. In this post, we will explore why clear and comprehensive documentation is the key to a thriving open source community. What Exactly is Documentation (Docs)?
The Secret Recipe to Getting Your Pull Requests Reviewed (and Merged) Faster
One of the most satisfying moments as an open source project contributor is having your pull request (PR) merged into the main branch. This contribution showcases your skills, passion, and dedication to the project. However, the road to a successful PR can sometimes be bumpy and full of pitfalls. Have you ever experienced the frustration of your PR being rejected or stuck in a never-ending review process?
The Missing Piece: Why Your Project Needs a Maintainer Onboarding Process
In the open source community, we often focus on contributor onboarding. We ensure a clear README, contributing guidelines, and a welcoming community to guide new contributors and help them get started. But what about maintainers? Maintainers are the backbone of any open source project. They review code, merge pull requests, triage issues, and keep the project moving forward. Just like contributors, maintainers also come and go.
How to Add a Table of Contents to Your Article on Ghost
A table of contents (or TOC) is a list of chapters or section titles in an article. You'll usually find it at the beginning of an article, right after the introduction. When you write a long blog post or an article with independent sections, consider adding a table of contents. It can help your readers understand your article's content and know what's coming. Providing hyperlinks to each title in the table of contents helps readers navigate between the sections they want to check out.
How to Keep Branches Up-to-Date and Resolve Merge Conflicts in GitHub and VS Code
Hey {username}, we've merged a PR before yours. Please resolve the merge conflicts so we can review and merge your PR. Have you ever received that kind of message from a maintainer while waiting for your pull request to be reviewed and merged? And then, you're panicking because you don't know what to do? Or maybe you're thinking of closing your pull request, redoing everything from scratch, and opening a new pull request? Well, the good news is you're not alone.
How to Contribute to Open-Source Projects - Git & GitHub Workflow for Beginners
The first time I learned about open source was through a tweet that promoted Hacktoberfest in 2019. And my first-ever accepted pull request was to add a book title in emojis to a list. You might think, "You can't count that as an open source contribution. That's a joke!" I had the same thought myself — until recently. Getting my feet wet in open source was daunting, yet I got through it. And looking back, I learned a ton from that first contribution.
How to Contribute to Open Source Projects - Non-Technical Things You Should Know
I've contributed to open-source projects for a few years and learned a lot from the process. These experiences allowed me to look closer at the open source flow, from the technical, such as Git and GitHub, to the non-technical aspects. Although they are as important as the technical sides, the non-technical ones often get overlooked. In this article, I will share the essential non-technical things you should know when contributing to open source projects.
I Learned About Audio Media Accessibility (And More!) From Improving Tech Podcast Transcriptions
Hello Fellow CodeNewbies ๐, During Hacktoberfest 2021, I was browsing and looking for an open source to contribute to. I only had a little time at that time. So, I limited my search to accessibility and documentation issues. And that was when I found an accessibility issue. It was on Michaela Greiler's Software Engineering Unlocked Podcast repository. The issue was to improve the transcript of a podcast episode. We must read or listen to the episode, fix the typos, and add missing words.
Lesson Learned: Massive Burnout In Learning Web Development
Hello Fellow Codenewbies ๐, You read an article or a Tweet on how someone becomes successful. That person's journey then becomes a motivation for you. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's a good thing. Motivation is one of the factors that keep us going. But one thing that we often forget, most of those successful stories also come with struggles. And we tend to focus on the after stories, not the struggles. Some people avoid sharing their struggles and have their reason for doing that.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Ayu
Contact Ayu, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack