Reflection on Small Contributions

How things are going

I’ve been on a gradual journey with my open source contributions. I recognize that I’ve struggled somewhat with procrastination and need to work on improving my self-motivation. My approach has been to start with more accessible contributions like Wikipedia edits and OpenStreetMap improvements to build confidence and understand contribution workflows.

As I’ve become more comfortable, I’ve started exploring more diverse and impactful projects. Following the Professor’s suggestions from the Humanitarian/Social Good Project slides, I’ve set my sights on making contributions to platforms like iNaturalist (which helps document biodiversity) and OpenEMR (an electronic medical records system). These projects align better with my interests and offer opportunities to make more meaningful impacts.

Types of contributions I’ve been able to make

Being relatively new to the open-source ecosystem, I’ve adopted a strategic approach by focusing on issues labeled “good first issue.” These provide an excellent entry point as they’re typically well-documented, relatively straightforward, and specifically designated for newcomers. This approach has helped me understand different project structures, contribution guidelines, and communication channels without feeling overwhelmed.

My contributions so far have primarily involved documentation improvements, minor bug fixes, and small feature enhancements. While these may seem small individually, I’m beginning to understand how these incremental improvements collectively strengthen the projects.

Which contribution am I most proud of?

(To be honest, I don’t have a standout contribution that I’m particularly proud of yet. As I continue engaging with more projects and tackling increasingly complex issues, I look forward to sharing a contribution that represents a significant personal achievement. I’ll update this section once I’ve completed something I feel genuinely proud of.)

Next steps

Moving forward, I plan to establish a more consistent contribution schedule and gradually take on more challenging issues. I’m also interested in finding a project where I can become a regular contributor, as I believe deeper engagement with a single project will allow me to make more substantial contributions over time.