If – like me – you are interested in the latest happenings in tech, more specifically, in Cybersecurity, then you might have heard of the Microsoft Engineer Andres Freund’s quick thinking surrounding the millisecond-long delays between signing into his computer, and from this event – and this event alone – single handedly uncovering a rogue backdoor into a critical part of the Linux Operating System, planted by a malicious attacker.
Well, the event got me thinking – I wish I had the skills to be able to follow the chain of clues all the way down to the set of data compression tools that threatened every Linux based OS across the globe. Some people do this as a hobby and some people are paid to do this. They are called “penetration testers”, and their roles are quite literally to try different methods to “hack into” companies and access their data, so they can let the companies know about vulnerabilities in their infrastructure.
It must be a fun role, but it’s not something that you just fall into. First and foremost, you would likely need to have a lot of software engineering experience. Note how I said “Software engineering” and not “Software Development”. In my humble opinion, although the two terms are used synonymously, most of the time a Software Engineer’s role goes a tad deeper into the nitty gritty of the software and begins to analyse metrics such as processing capabilities, load and other not-so-menial things. It effectively means having a more sound and solid understanding of not only the application you are developing, but the hardware, OS and infrastructure that it is built upon.
And what better way to get practice with Software Engineering than by contributing to Open-Source projects?
In true Web3sy fashion, I have compiled a list of the Top Web3 Open Source Github Projects to contribute to in 2024. Take a look and become a contributor today!
- Uniswap Labs – https://github.com/Uniswap
A simple, maximally extensible, dependency minimized framework for building modern Ethereum dApps. Uniswap is a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange that uses a set of smart contracts to execute trades. It is an open source project and falls into the category of a DeFi product because it uses smart contracts to facilitate trades.
Built with: TypeScript, JavaScript, Solidity, Python, and Rust.
- heyxyz / hey – https://github.com/heyxyz/hey
Hey is a cutting-edge social media application that leverages the power of Lens Protocol 🌿 to create a decentralized and permissionless platform for users to interact, share, and engage with one another. With a focus on privacy, security, and user control, Hey aims to revolutionize the social media landscape by providing a more transparent and equitable digital environment for its users.
Built with: TypeScript, React, NextJs, TailwindCSS…
- FrancescoXX / free-Web3-resources – https://github.com/FrancescoXX/free-Web3-resources
A list of FREE resources to make Web3 accessible to everyone. Practise your open-source contributions by adding your own resources or by resolving issues for the community.
Built with: CSS, Solidity, and JavaScript.
- MetaMask / metamask-mobile – https://github.com/MetaMask/metamask-mobile
MetaMask is a mobile wallet that provides easy access to websites that use the Ethereum blockchain. The repository is well documented and there are hundreds of issues for you to choose from to become a contributor!
Built with: TypeScript, JavaScript, Gherkin, Shell, Java, and Objective-C
- Shubham0850 / awesome-web3-projects – https://github.com/Shubham0850/awesome-web3-projects
A handpicked collection of inspiring Web3 projects for learning and exploration. a handpicked collection of inspiring and educational Web3 projects, perfect for those who are new to the ecosystem or those looking to expand their understanding.
*
That’s it from me for now, but I hope that this article has both inspired you, and given you some insight into the open-source project world. Even while researching, I came across a number of Web3 projects with lots of amazing uses and I definitely feel like I will also dip my toes into the open source world shortly. Let us know about your progress!
Until next time!
Web3sy.