The document discusses problems with an Open311 specification for tracking service requests. It notes that the spec is unclear about optional fields, allows for different implementations across cities, and lacks features like paging, searching, and tracking detailed progress or follow-up requests. It then provides tips for contributing to open source projects, such as having a use case, sharing work, making participation easy with good documentation, being responsive and encouraging to others.

1. Rob Brackett
[ブラケット・ロブ]
2012 Code for America Fellow, Chicago

10. 

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19. The spec has problems.
• Unclear what things are optional (in reality: everything)
• Lots of room for different cities/implementations to work differently
• Open311 is about customer service; the city is focused on operations
• Date problems — formatting, time zones
• No paging
• No searching
• No provision for how to show extra/custom data
• No way to show detailed progress
• No way to handle “follow-ons”

20. The spec has problems.
• Unclear what things are optional (in reality: everything)
• Lots of room for different cities/implementations to work differently
• Open311 is about customer service; the city is focused on operations
• Date problems — formatting, time zones
• No paging
• No searching
• No provision for how to show extra/custom data
• No way to show detailed progress
• No way to handle “follow-ons”

24. Track your explorations.
http://blog.apps.npr.org/2014/09/02/reusable-data-processing.
html

28. Have a use case.

30. Share your work.

34. Make it easy for others to participate.
http://opensourcedesign.is/blogging_about/import-designers/

38. Good READMEs
• Quick and clear description
• A screenshot (seriously)
• Easy setup instructions
• Contribution instructions
• Recommended bugs to work on

40. Be nice.
• Respond to bugs and PRs quickly (even if just to
say you can't get to it right away)
• Always use a friendly tone
• Be encouraging and constructive; don't say
what's wrong, suggest how it could be better
• Say thank you!

41. Side Projects

44. Community Projects

53. ありがとうございます！
Rob Brackett
rob@robbrackett.com
@mr0grog
GitHub.com/mr0grog
flickr.com/mr0grog
!
servicetracker.cityofchicago.org
github.com/codeforamerica/srtracker
http://dev.cityofchicago.org