From: spooq <spoooq@...>
Date: 2007-01-02T21:22:17+09:00
Subject: Re: where to begin?

On 1/2/07, Oin Maple <mapleoin@nerdshack.com> wrote:
> When am I good enough to enroll in such a project?

When a team accepts your code, then you are good enough. Most projects
will take any useful contributions, you don't have to be "enrolled".
Keep submitting code, and you'll probably get write access to the
repository sooner or later.

> What do I do? Where do I look?

You can always start your own project. Sourceforge is full of ideas
without code, although you shouldn't feel bound to listen to someone
just because they put up a project page. If they haven't done anything
with their idea, implement it yourself and reap the eternal glory. ;)

> How exactly does a new developer help when
> joining a big project that has been going on for a very long time. Should I
> even attempt that?

This is indeed a difficult question. Generally, I move into new
projects by reading source code (and documentation, if it exists),
asking questions and taking on some small bugfixing assignments.
Anything that helps you get into the groove of the codebase is good.
Even just running the software and submitting bug reports should be
appreciated by the team. If you find a bug, try to fix it yourself.

Good luck!