Your First Contribution
When I first started contributing to WordPress, I felt confused and a little scared. I was still learning how the community worked, where to find information, and how to make my first contributions. I was not sure how much I should communicate with other contributors, so I only spoke in Slack a few times at first. However, whenever I did reach out, everyone was very friendly and willing to help. The experience felt different from what I expected an internship to be. It did not feel like a traditional job where someone was constantly watching over me or telling me what to do.
My first contributions was on Sep 27 involved suggesting translations and learning how the review process works. Sadly it was on my Original account that needed to be switched up and i had no choice but to give it up before i moved to my new one. I used that day and the next to understand how things are done. I also helped people on the forums 2 times that day. As I continued, I became more comfortable working independently and making progress without someone constantly supervising me. At the same time, I learned that independence does not mean working completely alone. Other contributors are available to answer questions, provide feedback, and help new contributors understand the process.
Sep 30: One of my first steps was reaching out to Ramsés Del Rosario, a Project Translation Editor (PTE), to ask about the Dominican Spanish translation team and how I could become more involved. I was happy to discover that he was Dominican too. We connected over our shared background, and he pointed me toward the WordPress Polyglots team and the guidelines for requesting translation editor access. That conversation made the community feel more welcoming and gave me a clearer idea of how I could contribute. He was the only Team member that was active at the time too. I tried to become a PTE as well but
Oct 8 I also asked other contributors whether translating an entire wedding theme was a good use of my time as a WordPress Credits student. Their responses helped me understand that there is no single correct way to contribute, but that it is important to follow the locale’s translation guidelines and consider which projects will help the most users. I learned that translating themes can be a useful way to practice, while WordPress core and popular plugins may reach a larger audience. I also learned that the Dominican Spanish locale, es_DO, has a lot of work waiting to be reviewed and completed.
What surprised me most was how much trust and independence contributors are given. I expected an internship to involve more direct supervision and screaming, but instead, I was able to explore projects, ask questions when needed, and decide how to approach my work. I also expected the community to feel more formal, but the friendly conversations in Slack helped me feel comfortable reaching out. One question I still have is how I can become more involved in the es_DO translation community and eventually take on more responsibility, such as becoming a translation editor. I would like to understand more about the expectations for that role and how experienced contributors decide which translations are ready to be approved. My next step is to keep contributing, study the translation guidelines more closely, learn from reviews, and ask experienced contributors for advice when I need it. I also plan to translate for Mexico too 🙂
