Reporting & Working on Issues — Newbie Guide

[SatyamPandey-07]

Welcome, first-time contributor! 🎉 This guide will help you navigate issues, ask the right questions, and connect with our community before you start contributing to LecturePulse.

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🏠 Join Our Community First!

Before anything else — join our Discord server!

💬 👉 Join the LecturePulse Discord Community

This is the #1 place to:

• 🙋 Ask questions when you're stuck
• 💡 Get guidance on which issues to pick
• 🤝 Connect with other contributors
• 📢 Stay updated on project announcements
• ✅ Get faster responses than GitHub comments

Don't be shy — everyone starts somewhere, and we're here to help! 😊

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👥 Meet the Team

Role	Name	Profile
🛠️ Project Admin	Rishima
🎓 Mentor	Satyam Pandey

• Reach out to the Mentor if you're confused about the codebase, need guidance on your approach, or have technical questions.
• Tag the Project Admin on GitHub when requesting issue assignment or PR reviews.

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🗺️ Before You Open or Work on an Issue

Follow this checklist to make sure you're set up for success:

• ⭐ Star & Fork the LecturePulse repository
• 💬 Join the Discord server and introduce yourself
• 📖 Read the CONTRIBUTING.md guide thoroughly
• 📋 Read the CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
• 🔍 Search existing issues to avoid duplicates
• 🛠️ Set up your local development environment successfully

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🔍 Finding the Right Issue

For Beginners

• Look for issues tagged good first issue — these are scoped and beginner-friendly
• Look for issues tagged help wanted — maintainers are actively seeking contributors here
• Browse issues in the Issues tab

Getting Assigned

⚠️ Important: This project follows SSOC 2026 rules — you must be assigned before you start coding. PRs without assignment may not be merged.

1. Find an issue you want to work on
2. Comment on it with your planned approach (see template below)
3. Wait for the maintainer to assign it to you
4. Only then — start coding!

Assignment comment template:

Hi @rishima17 👋

I'd like to work on this issue for SSOC 2026.

**My approach:**
- [Step 1]
- [Step 2]
- [Step 3]

Could you please assign this to me? Thank you!

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🐛 Reporting a Bug

Found something broken? Open a bug report here.

Before opening:

• Search existing issues to make sure it hasn't been reported already
• Try reproducing it on the latest main branch

Include in your bug report:

## Bug Description
A clear description of what the bug is.

## Steps to Reproduce
1. Go to '...'
2. Click on '...'
3. See error

## Expected Behavior
What you expected to happen.

## Actual Behavior
What actually happened.

## Environment
- OS: [e.g. Windows 11, macOS 14]
- Browser: [e.g. Chrome 125, Firefox 126]
- Node.js version: [e.g. v20.11.0]

## Screenshots / Console Errors
(Attach any relevant screenshots or DevTools console output)

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💡 Requesting a Feature

Have an idea to make LecturePulse better? Open a feature request here.

Include in your feature request:

## Problem Statement
What problem does this feature solve?

## Proposed Solution
Describe what you'd like to see added or changed.

## Alternatives Considered
Any other approaches you thought about?

## Additional Context
Mockups, examples, or references (if any).

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❓ Need Help?

Where to go	When to use it
💬 Discord Server	Quick questions, stuck on setup, general chat
🐛 GitHub Issues	Bug reports, feature requests, task tracking
💼 Mentor on LinkedIn	Guidance, mentorship, approach validation
💼 Project Admin on LinkedIn	Project-level questions, collaboration

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🧭 Quick Links

Resource	Link
📦 Repository	rishima17/LecturePulse
🤝 Contributing Guide	CONTRIBUTING.md
📜 Code of Conduct	CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
💬 Discord Community	discord.gg/ZSunNWyR
🔖 Open Issues	GitHub Issues

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You belong here. Let's build something amazing together! 🚀

Still unsure? Drop a message on Discord — we don't bite! 🐾