As we’ve run CodeDay Labs, we’ve come to expect that at least a couple of issues need to be thrown out. Whether it be that they didn’t pass quality control™, or that they are simply not wanted by the maintainer anymore, it’s essential to follow a list of steps in order to find another issue by yourself.

Here are the criteria we’ve developed for scouting a good issue (take a look within your repo for these telltale signs):

1. Issue Quality

   1. Make sure that the issue itself is good. Refer to Shaping An Issue to get an idea of what a good issue looks like

   Shaping An Issue

2. Issue Baggage

   1. Small <100 open issues (usually means they solve things quickly, not allowing students to take their times on smaller issues; more competition)
   2. Medium = between 100-300 open issues (plenty of choice while maintaining a calmer pace for students)
   3. Large >300 open issues (indicates that they have mismanagement, which leads to unpredictability in if your issue is valid or not)

3. Repo friendliness

   1. Are the maintainers forgiving to beginners?
   2. Are they cooperative?
   3. Are they indecisive?

4. Tried and true repos

   1. When we need to find an issue quickly, which sources can give us the best results without too much effort?

5. Is it available for fixing?

   1. Look for existing PRs
   2. Search if anyone is working on it (less than a month with no updates)
   3. Check if it needs feedback from maintainers
   4. If issue was opened in last 3-6 months, good chances that it’s open