For my contribution, I fixed Discord links on the Campus Pulse project. Originally, the links were outdated and did not properly direct the user to the project’s Discord server.

Why I Picked This Project

RIT has several student-run resources and projects that go unnoticed or underused because they aren’t advertised extensively or taught during orientation, like RIT-managed tools. This is especially true with accessibility related resources, which are often not known by the people who need them most. Campus Pulse acts as a centralized hub for all of these lesser-known resources and sets students up for success by providing information about services and projects on campus. Beyond the site itself, Campus Pulse is also a vibrant open source community that is accessible for new developers looking to gain real-world open source experience.

The Issue

CampusPulse has a Discord server that contains all of the community events, discussions, and off-topic chat. It’s great for new students looking to chat with active contributors and learn more about the open source community. The site originally had a broken link that did not lead to the correct Discord server, which could lead to reduced contributions and community engagement. PR

My Experience

The biggest adjustment for me was working on somebody else’s timeframe instead of my own, which is different when working alone compared to an open-source project. Adrian, the maintainer, was excellent with answering my questions and providing support, but he’s a student with responsibilities. Unlike doing an assignment that’s my repo, I have to wait for his input and work collaboratively. While this required a lot of effort, I think this was a very valuable experience beyond the code itself.

Evaluation of Effort

My contribution itself was relatively easy, but I put a lot of effort into engaging with the community. I joined the CampusPulse discord server, introduced myself, kept up-to-date with announcements and new information, and spoke with Adrian, the maintainer. I also collaborated with Ashton, a frequent contributor. Since it was my first FOSS contribution, I wanted to focus more on the community engagement aspect rather than the fix itself, which was just editing Discord links to reflect a new server. PR2