2 years later its still happening

SUMMARY

ThePrimeagen discusses a 2022 YouTube tutorial from Apna College that misled 5.6 million viewers into spamming open-source repos like Express.js with meaningless README edits, causing ongoing maintainer frustration even today.

STATEMENTS

• A popular YouTube tutorial from Apna College instructed beginners to fork the Express.js repository and submit pull requests adding their own names to the README file, which has led to persistent spam in open-source projects.
• This tutorial video has garnered 5.6 million views, potentially influencing 500,000 to 2 million people to follow along and create low-quality pull requests without realizing the impact.
• Express.js maintainers implemented an automated filter to detect spammy PRs, such as those with fewer than 20 documentation changes from new accounts, to reduce the noise from these meaningless edits.
• Approximately 22.8% of current pull requests on Express.js consist of simple README updates adding personal names, demonstrating the long-term havoc caused by the tutorial.
• Events like Hacktoberfest have exacerbated similar issues by encouraging low-effort contributions, persisting from 2020 through 2024 and overwhelming open-source maintainers.
• The Apna College video's comments include warnings against creating test PRs on official repositories, yet the problematic segment remains unedited, continuing to mislead viewers.
• Open-source contributors, especially those over 18, must exercise critical thinking and accountability, as following bad advice without pause can harm community efforts and professional reputations.

IDEAS

• A single misleading tutorial can propagate bad practices across millions, turning well-intentioned learners into unwitting burdens on open-source maintainers.
• Automated filters in repositories like Express.js highlight how communities adapt to human errors, but they can't fully eliminate the emotional toll of constant spam.
• Hacktoberfest's structure inadvertently rewards quantity over quality, mirroring the tutorial's flaw and sustaining low-value contributions year after year.
• View counts on educational content don't guarantee accuracy; 5.6 million impressions can amplify unprofessional behavior more than any intended learning.
• Maintainers face daily frustration from predictable spam, like name-added READMEs, eroding their motivation to sustain vital projects.
• Beginners often seek quick wins in open source, but true value emerges from persistent debugging and community engagement, not superficial edits.
• Public idiocy in tech, such as spamming repos, contrasts with private learning mistakes, amplifying reputational risks in a connected developer world.
• Mercy for young learners must balance with accountability; at 18, individuals should question instructions that seem too simplistic.
• Open-source participation thrives on passion and problem-solving, where hours of investigation yield meaningful merges and lasting joy.
• Discouraging test PRs on live repos underscores the need for safe spaces like personal forks or sandboxes for practice.

INSIGHTS

• Misinformation in popular tutorials can create self-perpetuating cycles of poor contributions, burdening open-source ecosystems long after the original content is flagged.
• Encouraging low-barrier entry points without guidance leads to quality erosion, where enthusiasm overrides discernment and harms collective progress.
• Maintainer fatigue from repetitive spam reveals the hidden human cost of open source, emphasizing the need for proactive community education.
• Critical self-reflection in learning separates fleeting errors from impactful ones, fostering maturity in a field that values thoughtful innovation.
• Sustainable open-source involvement demands depth over superficial gestures, transforming isolated efforts into collaborative triumphs.
• Balancing empathy for novices with calls for accountability promotes a healthier developer culture, where growth aligns with respect for others' labor.

QUOTES

• "You forked ExpressJS, a popular open-source library. Then you're going to just raw dog an MD change right there."
• "This video has 5.6 million views. That means somewhere between 500,000 and 2 million people watch this portion of the course."
• "About 22.8% of all PRs opened right now on Express.js JS are in fact just readme updates with somebody's name to them."
• "We need to stop labeling everyone younger than 25 as children and hold them accountable for their sheer stupidity and lack of common sense."
• "Take your time, learn the joys and love of programming and pursue it with passion and excitement because honestly, it's worth it."

HABITS

• Scroll through repository issues on platforms like GitHub to identify beginner-friendly bugs before attempting contributions.
• Join developer Discords or communities to seek advice on suitable first issues and build supportive networks.
• Practice debugging by adding print statements and building projects locally to deeply understand codebases.
• Invest hours in investigating problems, following documentation meticulously to ensure contributions add real value.
• Pause and critically evaluate instructions from tutorials, questioning their appropriateness for live open-source projects.

FACTS

• The Apna College Git and GitHub tutorial has accumulated 5.6 million views since its release two years ago.
• Express.js receives pull requests where 22.8% are solely README updates adding personal names from new users.
• Hacktoberfest, intended to boost open-source participation, ran annually from 2020 to 2024, intensifying spam issues.
• An automated filter in Express.js flags PRs with fewer than 20 documentation changes from brand-new accounts as potential spam.
• Viewer falloff on YouTube videos typically ranges from 500,000 to 2 million active followers for segments like the problematic tutorial portion.

REFERENCES

• Apna College's "Complete Git and GitHub Full Tutorial for Beginners" YouTube video.
• Express.js GitHub repository and its pull requests.
• Hacktoberfest event series.
• Kinesis Advantage 360 keyboard (mentioned in video links).
• Boot.dev backend development courses.

HOW TO APPLY

• Fork a repository only for personal practice, avoiding direct changes to official READMEs to prevent spam.
• Review open issues in a project, selecting one labeled for beginners to focus efforts on genuine fixes.
• Join the project's Discord or forum, asking for guidance on which issues suit your skill level and how to approach them.
• Build and run the project locally, using print statements and debugging tools to investigate the chosen issue thoroughly.
• Document your findings clearly in a pull request, explaining the problem, solution, and tests to demonstrate value to maintainers.

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Avoid superficial open-source contributions like name-adding PRs; pursue deep, thoughtful engagement for meaningful impact and joy.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Prioritize learning through personal projects or sandboxes before touching live repositories to build skills safely.
• Engage communities via Discords for mentorship, ensuring contributions align with real needs rather than quick wins.
• Critically assess tutorial advice, verifying against official docs to avoid propagating harmful practices.
• Opt for issue triage or documentation improvements only after understanding the codebase deeply.
• Celebrate persistence in debugging and investigation, as these habits yield lasting professional growth over fleeting badges.

MEMO

In the sprawling digital ecosystem of open-source software, a single misguided tutorial can ripple into chaos, as ThePrimeagen vividly illustrates in his latest video. Two years after Apna College's popular Git and GitHub course encouraged beginners to fork the Express.js repository and submit pull requests merely adding their names to the README file, the fallout persists. With 5.6 million views, the video has likely inspired hundreds of thousands to flood repositories with what maintainers derisively call "spammy PRs." Express.js, a cornerstone of Node.js web development, now sees nearly 23% of its incoming pull requests as these low-effort edits—names like "John Doe" tacked onto documentation without context or value.

The problem isn't isolated; it echoes the broader pitfalls of initiatives like Hacktoberfest, which from 2020 to 2024 dangled badges for any pull request, rewarding volume over substance. Maintainers, often volunteers sustaining these free tools, endure a barrage of notifications that trigger instant frustration. One proposed fix in Express.js? An automated gatekeeper flagging new accounts' documentation tweaks under 20 lines as suspicious. Yet, as ThePrimeagen demonstrates by scrolling through recent PRs, the spam endures: "Update the README for me," reads one from hours ago, followed by a parade of similar clones. It's a stark reminder of how educational content, unchecked, can weaponize enthusiasm against the very communities it aims to serve.

At its core, this saga underscores a tension in open-source culture: the desperation of newcomers seeking entry versus the exhaustion of gatekeepers. ThePrimeagen, a seasoned streamer and developer, tempers his critique with empathy, recounting his own youthful follies. "I was an idiot at 18," he admits, urging viewers over 18 to pause and reflect before acting. He likens blind adherence to horror movie tropes—venturing into the dark without question—while advocating for a better path: dive into issues, debug relentlessly, and collaborate via Discords. True belonging, he argues, comes from solving real problems, not superficial gestures that clutter feeds and erode trust.

Yet, the video's comments reveal awareness of the error, with pleas like "Don't create test PRs on official repositories—it's unprofessional." Apna College never edited the offending segment, allowing the misinformation to fester. This negligence amplifies a larger call: platforms and creators must prioritize accuracy in tutorials, perhaps through rigorous peer review. For aspiring developers, the lesson is poignant—programming's joys lie in passion-fueled persistence, not hollow validations. As open source powers much of the modern web, safeguarding its health demands collective vigilance, turning potential vandals into valued contributors.

ThePrimeagen's rant, laced with humor and raw insight, serves as both cautionary tale and rallying cry. In an era where AI and automation promise efficiency, human elements like misguided zeal remain the wildcard. By fostering critical thinking and meaningful engagement, the community can reclaim its collaborative spirit, ensuring tools like Express.js thrive for generations.