As a newcomer on a project, it's easy to experience frustration. Here's some advice to make your work on this project more useful and rewarding.
Pick a subject area that you care about, that you are familiar with, or that you want to learn about
You don't already have to be an expert on the area you want to work on; you become an expert through your ongoing contributions to the code.
Analyze tickets' context and history
Trac isn't an absolute; the context is just as important as the words. When reading Trac, you need to take into account who says things, and when they were said. Support for an idea two years ago doesn't necessarily mean that the idea will still have support. You also need to pay attention to who hasn't spoken – for example, if an experienced contributor hasn't been recently involved in a discussion, then a ticket may not have the support required to get into this project.
Start small
It's easier to get feedback on a little issue than on a big one. See the easy pickings.
If you're going to engage in a big task, make sure that your idea has support first
This means getting someone else to confirm that a bug is real before you fix the issue, and ensuring that there's consensus on a proposed feature before you go implementing it.
Be bold! Leave feedback!
Sometimes it can be scary to put your opinion out to the world and say “this ticket is correct” or “this patch needs work”, but it's the only way the project moves forward. The contributions of the broad community ultimately have a much greater impact than that of any one person. We can't do it without you!
Err on the side of caution when marking things Ready For Check-in
If you're really not certain if a ticket is ready, don't mark it as such. Leave a comment instead, letting others know your thoughts. If you're mostly certain, but not completely certain, you might also try asking on IRC to see if someone else can confirm your suspicions.
Wait for feedback, and respond to feedback that you receive
Focus on one or two tickets, see them through from start to finish, and repeat. The shotgun approach of taking on lots of tickets and letting some fall by the wayside ends up doing more harm than good.
Be patient
It's not always easy for your ticket or your patch to be reviewed quickly. This isn't personal. There may be a lot of tickets and pull requests to get through.
This statement draws on the following for content and inspiration: