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Great first-time contributions to Bitcoin Core:
- reviewing PRs by building/testing locally,
- adding test coverage, and
- best thing: finding bugs, whether conceptual or in code
Common, well-intended, but often not well-received:
- refactoring,
- reviewing PRs with only nits
- reviewing PRs by building/testing locally,
- adding test coverage, and
- best thing: finding bugs, whether conceptual or in code
Common, well-intended, but often not well-received:
- refactoring,
- reviewing PRs with only nits
Development on Core is unlike many other software projects, and so new contributors may (understandably) be confused and behave in ways (with good intention) that annoy burnt out devs.
Here's what's key to understand: because of the security-critical nature of the project, the bottleneck is
qualified reviewers
not
code writers.
In commercial development and most opensource projects, the stakes are lower and so review needn't be as resource-intensive.
qualified reviewers
not
code writers.
In commercial development and most opensource projects, the stakes are lower and so review needn't be as resource-intensive.
Getting new contribs is a tough process because there are a few factors at play:
- Bitcoin needs more/new talent, but
- there are very few who can capably review, and
- Core is a hard codebase that takes a lot of time to ramp up on, encouraging superficial changes early on.
- Bitcoin needs more/new talent, but
- there are very few who can capably review, and
- Core is a hard codebase that takes a lot of time to ramp up on, encouraging superficial changes early on.
In most software projects, you get to know the codebase by making a number of superficial or refactoring changes. Almost always, this is totally reasonable.
In Bitcoin, it often just kicks up dust and annoys people. Tough spot for everybody!
In Bitcoin, it often just kicks up dust and annoys people. Tough spot for everybody!
Neha ( @neha) recently alluded to this. https://twitter.com/neha/status/1291422049144012803
If you want to make big changes to Bitcoin, you have to start small and build some social capital.
Do this by having a very high signal-to-noise ratio. Unlike other projects, refactoring and nits are mostly noise. Finding bugs, testing code locally, and writing tests are signal.
Do this by having a very high signal-to-noise ratio. Unlike other projects, refactoring and nits are mostly noise. Finding bugs, testing code locally, and writing tests are signal.
As you do these basic but useful things, people will start to take you more seriously. In testing and understanding others' changes, you'll get to know the system, its culture, and its weird conventions.
When you file a change truly worth making, existing devs will be watching.
When you file a change truly worth making, existing devs will be watching.
If you're a new contrib, I'm rooting for you. But take yourself seriously. Focus on doing unglamorous, hard work focused on correctness and not style. It will pay off.
