Community Engagement Guide

How to engage with ProjectDiscovery’s community during GSoC

Community Engagement Guide

Learn how to effectively engage with ProjectDiscovery’s community, make contributions, and build relationships with mentors and fellow contributors.

Communication Channels

Discord (Primary Channel)

Our main hub for community interaction:

Join Discord

Join 20,000+ security enthusiasts in our community

Key Channels for GSoC:

• #gsoc: GSoC-specific discussions, questions, and announcements
• #introductions: Introduce yourself to the community
• #nuclei, #httpx, #katana: Tool-specific technical discussions
• #general: General conversations
• #help: Get help with our tools

When to Use Discord:

• Asking questions about projects or proposals
• Getting clarification on technical approaches
• Discussing ideas with mentors
• Daily updates during GSoC
• Community bonding and networking

GitHub (Code & Issues)

Where the code lives and work happens:

ProjectDiscovery Organization: github.com/projectdiscovery

When to Use GitHub:

• Reporting bugs or issues
• Submitting code contributions (pull requests)
• Reviewing code changes
• Technical discussions on specific issues
• Tracking project progress

Popular Repositories:

• Nuclei
• httpx
• Katana
• Subfinder
• All repositories

Email (Limited Use)

Email is for private communications only. Prefer public channels (Discord/GitHub) when possible.

Communication Etiquette

Asking Good Questions

Before asking, search Discord history and GitHub issues to see if your question has been answered before.

Good Question Format:

1. Context: What are you trying to do?
2. What you’ve tried: Steps you’ve already taken
3. Specific problem: Exact error or issue
4. Environment: Relevant details (OS, version, etc.)

Example:

❌ Bad: "httpx doesn't work, help!"

✅ Good: "I'm trying to use httpx to scan a list of URLs from a file,
but I'm getting a 'connection refused' error. I've tried:
1. Running with -v flag
2. Checking the target is accessible with curl (works fine)
3. Testing with a single URL (works)

Error message: [paste error]
Command: httpx -l urls.txt
OS: Ubuntu 22.04, httpx version: v1.3.0

Any ideas what might be wrong?"

Response Time Expectations

From you:

• Within 24 hours for mentor questions
• Same day for critical blocking issues
• Regular updates on Discord during GSoC

From mentors/community:

• 24-48 hours during application period
• 24 hours for GSoC blocking issues
• 48 hours for general questions
• Faster responses during UTC business hours

Professional Communication

✅ Do:

• Be respectful and professional
• Provide context and details
• Thank people for their help
• Share solutions when you figure things out
• Help others when you can
• Be patient and understanding

❌ Don’t:

• Send unsolicited DMs to mentors (use public channels)
• Ask the same question across multiple channels
• Demand immediate responses
• Share confidential or inappropriate content
• Spam or flood channels
• Be dismissive of feedback

Making Your First Contribution

Finding Good Issues

Look for issues labeled:

• good-first-issue: Perfect for newcomers
• help-wanted: Community contributions welcome
• documentation: Improve docs
• bug: Fix a reported problem

Where to Find Them:

https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/labels/good-first-issue
https://github.com/projectdiscovery/httpx/labels/help-wanted

Contribution Workflow

1. Find an issue you want to work on
2. Comment on the issue: “I’d like to work on this”
3. Fork the repository to your account
4. Clone your fork locally
   git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/nuclei.git
   cd nuclei
   

5. Create a branch for your changes
   git checkout -b fix-issue-123
   

6. Make your changes with tests
7. Commit with a clear message
   git commit -m "Fix: description of what you fixed (#123)"
   

8. Push to your fork
   git push origin fix-issue-123
   

9. Create Pull Request on GitHub
10. Respond to feedback and iterate

Pull Request Best Practices

Good PR Description:

## Description
Fixes #123 - Brief description of the issue

## Changes
- Specific change 1
- Specific change 2

## Testing
- [ ] Added unit tests
- [ ] Tested manually with: [command]
- [ ] All existing tests pass

## Screenshots (if applicable)
[Add screenshots for UI changes]

Before Submitting:

• ✅ Code follows project style guidelines
• ✅ All tests pass (go test ./...)
• ✅ Added tests for new functionality
• ✅ Updated documentation if needed
• ✅ Commit messages are clear
• ✅ PR description explains changes

Responding to Code Review

Code review is a learning opportunity:

1. Be receptive: Feedback helps you improve
2. Ask questions: If you don’t understand, ask for clarification
3. Explain reasoning: Share why you made certain choices
4. Make changes: Update your PR based on feedback
5. Thank reviewers: Appreciate their time

Don’t take feedback personally. Even experienced developers get lots of comments on their PRs!

Building Your Profile

Consistent Contributions

Quality > Quantity:

• 1 meaningful PR > 10 typo fixes
• Focus on understanding, not just fixing
• Learn from each contribution

Contribution Ideas:

1. Week 1: Documentation improvements
2. Week 2: Fix a simple bug
3. Week 3: Add test coverage
4. Week 4: Implement a small feature
5. Ongoing: Help others, review PRs

Helping Others

Ways to Contribute Beyond Code:

• Answer questions in Discord
• Review others’ pull requests
• Write tutorials or blog posts
• Report bugs with detailed reproduction steps
• Test new features and provide feedback
• Improve documentation

Engaging with Mentors

Building Relationships:

• Participate in technical discussions
• Share your learning journey
• Ask thoughtful questions
• Show initiative and curiosity
• Be consistent and reliable

What Mentors Look For:

• Technical ability
• Communication skills
• Initiative and self-direction
• Willingness to learn
• Reliability and follow-through
• Positive attitude

Community Guidelines

Code of Conduct

ProjectDiscovery is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive community for everyone.

Expected Behavior:

• Be respectful and considerate
• Welcome newcomers
• Accept constructive criticism gracefully
• Focus on what’s best for the community
• Show empathy towards others

Unacceptable Behavior:

• Harassment or discrimination
• Trolling or inflammatory comments
• Personal attacks
• Sharing private information
• Inappropriate content

Conflict Resolution

If you encounter issues:

1. Assume good intent: Most conflicts are misunderstandings
2. Communicate directly: Try to resolve privately first
3. Stay professional: Keep emotions in check
4. Involve moderators: If direct resolution doesn’t work
5. Document: Keep records of serious issues

During GSoC

Communication Expectations

Weekly Minimum:

• 2 check-ins with your mentor
• 1 progress update in Discord
• Regular commits to your branch
• Prompt responses to feedback

Recommended:

• Daily brief updates (even if small)
• Proactive communication about blockers
• Sharing interesting discoveries
• Participating in community discussions

Staying Engaged

Daily:

• Check Discord for messages
• Review mentor feedback
• Make progress on your project
• Help others when possible

Weekly:

• Share progress update
• Sync with mentor
• Review your timeline
• Adjust plans if needed

Monthly:

• Reflect on progress
• Update documentation
• Celebrate milestones
• Plan next phase

Resources

Discord Community

Join our community

GitHub Organization

Browse our code

Getting Started

GSoC participation guide

FAQ

Common questions

Tips for Success

Start Early

Begin contributing 6-8 weeks before the application deadline

Be Consistent

Regular small contributions > occasional large ones

Communicate Well

Over-communicate rather than under-communicate

Help Others

Give back to the community that’s helping you

Welcome to the ProjectDiscovery community! We’re excited to have you. 🎉