Accepted sabirm - Developer Application

BYOND Key: sabirm (no A)
Github profile URL: https://github.com/sabiram (with A)
Featured PRs:

Spoiler

All merged PRs
Features (I suppose):
Research break room and office area: https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18823
Setting up the exploration department and converting all the departments to global list things: https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18578
Rescuing the overstuffed uniform.dmi file: https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18737
Setting up the command support department: https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/15892

Fixes:
Fixing water bottles popping open like cans: https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18871
Fixing a minor map thing, disposals chute not connected: https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18860
Fixing supply program icon and adding new one: https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18839
Fixing the personal AI radios: https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18856
Fixing maintenance drones being very broken: https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18292

Maintaining past contributions:
Exploration department fixes: https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18733
Uniform.dmi changes fixes: https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18754

Why do you want to become a developer?:
I will be the first to admit that I am not especially knowledgeable in DM. I want to become a developer to gain access to tools (in-game and out) which can help me in my efforts to learn DM, understand how the game functions, and assist in building the server. I've come to realise over the past week or so that I really enjoy this, and I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing something I made in game being used by everyone here.

I have 50~ merged commits, which (barely) puts me in the top 50 of contributors by that metric, if that's anything worth consideration. Many of my PRs add or fix relatively minor things, but I'm beginning to delve more seriously into mapping and the more serious code things to add new features or fix bugs. I believe I have a workable understanding of git, and I do not use the git desktop client. I have a good understanding of the development work flow.

I have not been playing the game itself very much recently, as I've been spending my 'game time' developing instead. I would become more active on the server for assisting where I can in debugging, if this were accepted.

Over the course of my time here, I've always tried to do things to help, such as running the colonies subforum off and on for a while way back when. I am currently assisting, in small bits, to get the new wiki up and running.

I would say my biggest strength is my eagerness to learn and help others learn whenever I can. I am very active in the coder chat channel on IRC/Discord, asking questions to further my own projects, as well as answering the questions that I do know the answer to. I have helped a few people in the past with git, as well.

I think my biggest weakness, beyond my lack of serious knowledge in the language, is stubbornness when it comes to compromising with my features (see exploration department PR, though I think that turned out well enough in the end). It's something I will have to work on, if this application is accepted.

I have had a few issues with staff in the past, partly due to situations that were happening in my life at the time they occurred. I do not believe I will be an issue from a behaviour perspective as a member of the development or staff teams.

What I hope to do as a developer:
Continue to add new things and fix bugs.
I've helped add custom items in the past, and I would be willing to do so in a more official capacity.
Go through the issues list (slowly!). Test if bugs still occur. Close ones that have been fixed, and fix ones that I can. Utilise the tag system more.

Encourage more players to contribute. I think I've grown as a coder since my first PR, with the assistance of the developer team here and others in codershuttle. I have no background in computer programming, so if I can figure out how to add the things I've added, anyone else should be able to with the same support.

In terms of reviewing and merging on github, I would stick to areas of the code that I feel comfortable in. I think it somewhat defeats the purpose of the review if you need a second developer to double-check all of my reviews. I am willing to download PR branches and test in-game to make myself comfortable in clicking the green button.

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I understand it may seem silly to make someone who admits to not being proficient in coding a developer, but I hope my history as linked above shows that I am dedicated in contributing in the ways that I can. I truly enjoy contributing to this server, so I hope I have the opportunity to do so in a greater capacity as a developer. Thank you for your consideration.

 

Since it has been a few months since I posted this application and the eve of the new year, I thought it would be good to check back in and update on my progress.

I've reached the top 20 in merged commits in the history of the repo, and #3 in 2017. This is a nice achievement for me. At the same time, I am still learning more every time I open DM. Thanks to everyone in codershuttle and on github, I am a bit more confident in what I am doing now versus when I opened the application. I wouldn't have got this far without help from chinsky, PsiOmegaDelta, techhead, thasc, ftang steve, mklash and many others.

In the new year, I resolve to be more cooperative with the community in developing features that more people can be happy with. I understand that I am sometimes combative when defending my changes. I hope everybody understands that anything that I change that might seem controversial is not being done to prove a point, or out of spite, but because I believe that it is for the better. I hope that I will be able to communicate my position and understand others' positions better in the future. It is something I will be trying my best to pay extra attention to from this point on.

Here are some (a lot of) PRs that have been merged since the original application:

Spoiler: Big housekeeping things

https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19412 - tool macros
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19410 - '' '' '' ''
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19082 - Torch map clothing transfer (and multitude of fixes)

Spoiler: Stuff most happy with

https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19887 - hydroponics base away map, pre-planting hydroponics trays
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19564 - (with chinsky) tobacco plants
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19228 - revolver for XO and captain
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19194 - department alert levels
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18998 - holodeck locking (and follow up fixes referenced)

Spoiler: More stuff

https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19784 - new cigars
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19714 - pill file cleanup, pills take reagent colour
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19574 - colour selectable suits, loadout clean up
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19472 - new carpets, adding existing carpets to supply
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19074 - alcohol stuff
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19052 - the king of goats
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19012 - ecig stuff
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18891 - XO office remap

Spoiler: Fixes

https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/18901 - job banning new depts.
https://github.com/Baystation12/Baystation12/pull/19849 - locker welding