Manaswini Das
Featuring Manaswini Das, Associate Software Engineer at Red Hat for the Saturday Shoutout Initiative by Pyladies, Chennai. Read on to hear her experience as an Open-source enthusiast, being an Outreachy Intern, giving a talk at DjangoCon Europe, about working in tech, and the growth of women in tech.
1. What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working as an Associate Software Engineer at Red Hat. I’m currently working on React and Java and I derive contentment contributing to open source projects here and there. I don’t believe in sticking to or favoring a particular tech stack. There are several things built keeping in mind one reason or the other, so I prefer going with the tech stack that best solves a particular problem/use case. Moreover, the technology industry is ever-changing, for all the good reasons. So, might as well just explore everything that one can get their hands on. Luckily, I’m privileged to get an opportunity to expand my horizon at work, since I face new challenges almost every day, encompassing languages/stacks.
2. How do you use Python?
Python/Django is my go-to language whenever I look for open-source projects to contribute to, maybe because that was the very first language I ventured into technology with. I also use Python for building GitHub bots, creating/visualizing data, playing with datasets, and creating simple games or apps. I guess that’s my go-to language for competitive coding too, though I don’t do it often.
3. Can you share about your experience as an Outreachy intern?
Back in college, I had been looking for open source internships ever since I was in my sophomore year. I had applied to Outreachy twice, the first one not being successful, but gave me a sneak-peek into how open source communities work. It was the first time I was involved with an open-source project full-time, and that made me realize what power the open-source world possesses and unleashes. I selected a Django project. I wasn’t familiar with the framework back then. I decided to give it a try. And that paved the way for my relentless curiosity and continuous learning. Needless to mention, I learned a lot about Django, APIs, and OAuth. The whole experience was challenging but thrilling, and I will always hold it close to my heart since it was my first involvement with open-source. If you want to learn more about how I got into it please head on to :
4. According to you, how is open source changing the world?
In my opinion, open source is making the tech industry a better place for both the newbies and the experts. One doesn’t have to belong to a particular company to contribute to a project. Open source is ameliorating every second, for all the good reasons. It helps us detect bugs faster as it touches the lives of people from all around the globe. As a newbie, one can still contribute to building projects and gain experience. It is built on mutual trust and collaboration, which is very essential for communities to thrive. I can just go on and on if I’m asked about the tremendous potential open-source possesses. To sum up, I would like to quote what Linus Torvalds once said, “In real open source, you have the right to control your destiny.” Also, I firmly believe in Red Hat’s belief, “Open unlocks the world’s potential”.
5. What would you suggest to anyone new to Open source?
Make sure you understand the open-source principles and understand that it goes both ways. You benefit from the community and give back to it. The open-source calls for an open mind. Follow the code of conduct and treat everybody respectfully and equally. Be curious and keep feeding your curiosity. Join public channels specific to the community you are thinking to contribute to. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t hesitate to ask questions in public forums. It will provide a lot of innovative ways to solve an issue. Reach out to people for help whenever you need it, but make sure you do your research first. Make sure there is no duplication of efforts while taking up an issue.
6. Can you share the experience of giving a talk at DjangoCon Europe?
DjangoCon was my first international talk experience. It was like a dream come true. I had come across the CFP on Twitter and decided to craft a proposal. I was surprised to bag a grant and get an opportunity to speak. I got a chance to interact with the Django community at a personal level, made friends that I’m in touch with, to date. I had always thought about what an undergraduate would have to offer to the experienced community, but I was surprised to see 300+ attendees lending their ears patiently and asking questions. I experienced the power of the community. Nobody judges you based on your expertise. And you never know what you have to offer unless you take that leap of faith to do it. I spoke about my Outreachy project. You can read the full experience here:
7. Can you give some insights on any of the projects you worked on?
Last February, I participated in the Indian Language Hackathon organized by Reverie Language Technologies in Bangalore, with three other members. We developed a Chrome extension that helps the internet transcend language barriers by translating the contents of forms into a local language. This effectively eliminates the need for a third person to fill in the forms in case the person doesn’t understand English. It was a 12-hour hackathon and I was glad we could pull off the project, despite the time constraints. You can find details of the project here:
This project is still under development.
8. What do you like about working in tech?
I like that I have new challenges to look forward to and tackle, every day. That keeps me going. I also like the fact that there are many innovative ways to solve the same problem. With tech, we can try, solve, and automate any issue or use case under the sun, even the ones that we are facing in our daily lives. Most such ideas are the brainchild of startups and I’m glad that the number of such startups is growing at a rapid rate. Tech is making the world a better place. Tech transcends all fields and it never fails to astonish me.
9. How do you feel women are growing in tech? Anyone you looked up to?
I feel great seeing women scale heights in tech, defying all odds. I also feel proud of women being in all spheres of tech. Very recently, I attended and volunteered for PyCon India 2020. I showed up for almost all the sessions on the Diversity and Inclusion track which included women representing successful communities, women returning from a career break to women CXOs. I had takeaways from each of the sessions and they all had something new and exciting to offer. One such takeaway that I can remember that Paramaita Gupta quoted in her session, “Don’t leave before you leave”. I highly recommend going through the sessions, once they are out. Though I admire women in tech in today’s world, I have looked up to Ada Lovelace. I believe we owe a lot to the historical women in computing, for paving the way for us. Though I didn’t get a chance to interact with them personally, their stories never fail to inspire me. A huge shout out to them for their efforts!
10. What are your interests other than tech?
I enjoy reading, blogging, dancing, and sketching. I love playing sports, mostly basketball and volleyball. I also enjoy volunteering at tech conferences, meeting new people, and discussing tech and art.
11. What are your thoughts on the statement “Can women have it all”?
Yes, I firmly believe that a woman can have it all if she is bent on it. She can be anything she wishes to be. I understand that the path is difficult, especially for women, but nothing comes easy anyway. Moreover, one enjoys the fruits of labor, only if they strive hard for it. So, my fellow women, you are stronger than you think. Be at it. The world is your oyster. I would like to reiterate what I stated earlier, “Don’t leave before you leave”.
Follow Manaswini on:
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Twitter: @ManaswiniDas4
