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FAQs.md

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+# Frequently Asked Questions
+
+### 1. What is Hacktoberfest?
+
+Hacktoberfest is a month-long global celebration of open source software run by DigitalOcean in partnership with Intel, AppWrite, and DeepSource, with a strong focus on encouraging contributions to open source projects.
+
+
+- Hacktoberfest is open to everyone.
+
+- Four quality pull requests must be submitted to public GitHub and/or GitLab repositories.
+
+- You can sign up anytime between October 1 and October 31.
+
+### 2. What is open source? 
+
+
+Open source refers to source code that is publicly accessible and allows anyone to inspect, modify or learn from it. Open source projects encourage collaboration and the freedom to use the software for any purpose you wish.
+
+### 3. What is a pull request? 
+
+Pull requests are proposed code changes you can submit to a branch in a repository on GitHub/GitLab. Once submitted, a project maintainer will review and discuss the changes before they become final. 
+
+### 4. How do I get started? 
+
+Are you contributing?
+
+   - If you don't have one, create a GitHub or GitLab account
+   - Once registration opens, register on the official Hacktoberfest website
+   - Set up your profile
+   - Read our participation rules and values
+   - Find the project(s) you’d like to contribute to 
+   - Start contributing! Track your pull request progress on your profile page
+   - Submit at least four pull requests to any public GitHub or GitLab repository that is classified with the hacktoberfest topic. 
+   - You can look for open issues labeled **Hacktoberfest** for inspiration. Quality contributions are encouraged! 
+
+
+Are you maintaining a repo? 
+
+   - Create issues or classify existing ones with **Hacktoberfest** on your GitHub/GitLab projects to help new contributors know what to work on. 
+   - Tag any spam or irrelevant pull requests with the **invalid** label to disqualify them.
+
+### 5. Do I get a prize for participating? 
+
+Aside from the knowledge you’ll gain, (and the fun you’ll have), you can earn a limited-edition Hacktoberfest t-shirt. 
+
+
+Contributors
+
+If you are a contributor, you earn a prize for submitting 4 valid pull requests. 
+
+
+Maintainers
+
+If you are a maintainer, you earn a prize for showing that you completed 4 or more actions on unique pull requests. 
+
+
+No matter which way you participate in Hacktoberfest, you can opt not to receive a t-shirt and choose to have a tree planted in the Tree Nation | DigitalOcean Forest, instead of receiving a t-Shirt. 
+
+
+### 6. I signed up for Hacktoberfest mid-October. Will pull requests that I created earlier in October count?
+
+
+Yes, all pull requests created between Oct 1 and Oct 31 will count, regardless of when you register for Hacktoberfest. 
+
+
+Pull requests created before Oct 1 but merged or marked as ready for review after do not count. 
+
+
+Pull requests that are still in review after Oct 31 and meet the criteria will count towards your completion goal.
+
+
+### 7. How do I get stickers?
+
+Stickers are included with your T-shirt, once you completed the requirements to earn a prize.
+
+### 8. How do I track my progress?
+
+Log in with your GitHub or GitLab account at hacktoberfest.digitalocean.com to check your progress and stats.
+
+
+### 9. What is considered a valid pull request?
+
+A valid pull request is one that is accepted by the maintainer of the project you submit it to.
+
+   - A pull request is considered approved once it has an overall approving review from maintainers, or has been merged by maintainers, or has been given the 'hacktoberfest-accepted' label. 
+   - The pull request must contain commits you made yourself.
+
+
+Note: 
+
+   - A pull request with any label containing the word 'spam' or 'invalid' will be considered ineligible for Hacktoberfest.
+   - If a maintainer reports your pull request as spam, it will not be counted toward your participation in Hacktoberfest.
+   - If a maintainer reports behavior that’s not in line with the project’s code of conduct, you will be ineligible to participate.
+
+### 10. Do pull requests made on my own repositories count?
+
+Yes, but we strongly encourage you to make quality contributions to other repositories. 
+
+### 11. Do multiple pull requests to the same repository count?
+
+Yes, each pull request will count separately.
+
+### 12. Do pull requests have to be accepted/merged?
+
+Your pull requests will count toward your participation if they are in a repository with the 'hacktoberfest 'topic and once they have been merged, approved by a maintainer or labeled as **hacktoberfest-accepted**. 
+
+
+Additionally, any pull request with the **hacktoberfest-accepted** label, submitted to any public GitHub/GitLab repository, with or without the hacktoberfest topic, will be considered valid for Hacktoberfest.
+
+### 13. Do issues/commits count?
+
+No, only pull requests count.
+
+### 14. What are the rules?
+
+   - To win a reward, you must sign up on the Hacktoberfest site and make four pull requests on any repositories classified with the 'hacktoberfest 'topic on GitHub or GitLab by October 31.  
+
+   - Additionally, any pull request with the **hacktoberfest-accepted** label, submitted to any public GitHub repository, with or without the 'hacktoberfest' topic, will be considered valid for Hacktoberfest.
+
+   - Pull requests must then be merged or accepted by the maintainer of the project before November 1. Any pull request already in the review period by Oct 31st will continue to mature into November.
+