I recently sat down with Aaron Jorbin, core committer, bow tie enthusiast, and all-around WordPress sage, for a live bug scrub walkthrough. Spoiler: I survived.
Before we get into it, a quick confession. Despite working in tech for decades, I’ve never consistently contributed directly to WordPress. Sure, I’ve filed a bug or two, but the inner workings of Trac always felt a bit… intimidating. Like trying to do yoga in a crowded elevator.
The good news is that open source isn’t just for the people who write code in their sleep. It’s for all of us. And thanks to a bit of mentorship from Aaron, I finally dipped a toe (okay, maybe a foot) into the waters of contribution, and didn’t drown.
So, What’s a Bug Scrub?
A bug scrub is basically a group effort to triage open tickets in WordPress. You don’t need to be a developer to participate. In our session, we focused on UI copy, little things like button labels or notification text that impact user experience.
Aaron and I reviewed a few tickets:
- One where a dropdown said “Not Set” instead of “Default” (spoiler: it’s already been fixed in recent releases).
- Another about unclear email notification wording.
- And a third where failed plugin updates just awkwardly… hang.
Each one gave us a chance to:
- Test behavior in the WordPress Playground
- Leave helpful comments for others
- Tag issues with workflow keywords like close or needs-patch
- Not break anything (success!)
The Power of Mentorship
Aaron’s guidance wasn’t just helpful, it was permission-giving. There’s something powerful about a seasoned contributor saying, “You don’t have to be perfect. Just be helpful.” That ethos, of collaboration, experimentation, and learning in the open, is what keeps WordPress strong.
In open source, progress happens in increments. You don’t need to write a patch. Sometimes just leaving a clarifying comment or verifying behavior in the latest release moves a ticket forward.
As Aaron put it:
“Each of the ones we looked at today, moving it forward meant something different.”
Advice for the Curious
If you’re like me, interested but unsure where to start, here are a few tips:
- Start with UI copy or documentation tickets. They’re often more approachable.
- Use the Playground to test things quickly without setting up a full environment.
- If you’re unsure whether a ticket should be closed, use the close keyword instead of marking it resolved. Let experienced folks review.
- Be kind, curious, and open to learning.
Also: don’t underestimate how helpful it is just to verify whether an issue still exists in the latest version. That alone makes a difference.
You Can Do This (Yes, Even You)
I’m pushing 50, I mix up keyboard shortcuts daily, and I still managed to contribute in under an hour. So yeah, you can totally do this.
The WordPress project runs on volunteers. You don’t need a permission slip. You just need to show up with good intent, a bit of time, and a willingness to learn.
If you’re curious where help is needed right now, Aaron recommends checking out:
- 6.8.2 Testing Call on Make Core (release scheduled for July 15)
- Tickets tagged with needs-design, needs-docs, or good-first-bug
And if you want to follow Aaron’s work (and maybe ask about that bow tie), you can find him at https://aaron.jorb.in.
Want to get involved?
Start by poking around Trac. Or try a bug scrub session with a friend. I promise it’s less scary than it sounds.
Let me know if you give it a try, I’d love to hear about it.