[danso]

Is there a gem or library that you use? One that isn't too massively complex? Then start with that. My first open source contributions were adding features to libraries that were useful to me, so even if I got slapped down, I still came out ahead in terms of productivity.

Another reason to pick a library you actually use is because you will go into it with additional curiosity and expectations. I'm always a bit thrilled to find out that a library which I can't even begin to imagine being clever or thoughtful enough to design is indeed much smarter than I imagined, or, is actually kept together with duct tape. The latter situation has actually helped me overcome productivity declines that come from obsessing in vain over whether I've got the details down right. I just need to remind myself that a much more useful and popular library that I depend on has apparently flaws that end up not impeding development or public usage.