Django-knot: Community & Contribution

In GitHub’s vast expanse, I drifted, Djangers at sea,
Code constellation swirling, stars I longed to be.
Through Django Dev’s profiles, fellows of the frame,
I wandered one day, yearning to learn their game.

Then, a beacon pierced the nebula’s haze,
Djangonaut Space, a promise in a maze.
Mentorship’s light, a supernova’s call,
Could this be my launchpad, my answer to it all?

Hey, hold on, here isn’t any poetic astronaut but rather a poeTech Djangonaut, maybe? 👀

Well, who knew randomly jumping from one Django developer’s profile to another in search of some coding inspiration would land you in the Djangonaut Space repository? After all, what could be better than getting mentorship from the active contributors of the ecosystem themselves? Hesitation flickered like a dying pulsar within me. How could I, a mere rookie, approach these stellar beings? Yet, courage fueled by stardust, I started a GitHub discussion: How to become a Djangonaut?

Little did I know, my question would be answered in a blink by the organizers in context to the pilot program. This wasn’t a distant echo, but a supernova of opportunity right through the dare of asking the question on a public platform regardless of the outcome! But excitement wasn’t the only star in my system — a nagging pulsar of uncertainty remained, “What exactly would be the Djangonaut Space program?”

Honestly, it might have slipped from my mind until 3 months later, an email arrived: “Djangonaut Space applications are open! Please fill out the application if you are interested.” This is it!

Here’s the official description of Djangonaut Space program

This is an 8-week group mentoring program where individuals will work self-paced in a semi-structured learning environment. This program places an emphasis on group learning, sustainability, and longevity. Djangonauts are members of the community who wish to level up their current Django code contributions and potentially take on leadership roles in Django in the future.

While drafting my application I realize something profound: curiosity, resilience, and scope of open-source frameworks.

There is no denying that open-source is the technology of the people, for the people, by the people. If we rely on Django to develop our web applications then Django relies on us too, the community of people who ensure its brilliance endures and maintainability remains.

Yes, stepping up and taking initiative matters. So, grab your spacesuit and head over to the “Writing Your First Patch” guide, or simply explore the insightful galaxy of Django Forum. You never know when you land on the moon.

Fortunately, my volunteering adventure did begin by being one of the 18 shortlisted Djangonauts among 172 applications for the program. The thrill and excitement of joining Djangonaut Space is phenomenal and there are a lot more learnings to be shared along the way, so keep an eye. 🚀

Till then, always remember,

Each line of code contributed, each discussion on the forum initiated, each ticket on the Trac explored, or each talk/podcast/blog shared, becomes a Django-knot.

These knots aren’t just lines of code, but threads of connection, binding us together as a community and then contributors to ensure the framework’s sustainability.