Last updated February 4, 2013.
On this page you find a couple of suggestions to improve the likelihood of an issue report getting attention from a developer.
Improving the description of the bug
Many bug reports don't get attention because the quality of the report is low. This makes it harder to understand and work on the bug. It will help the developer tremendously if you improve them so that they contain sufficient information. If necessary, ask the original reporter for more information.
Try to repeat the problem yourself and note any differences or similarities in the results and the system configurations. If developers see a bug with a clear report that has been repeated then it is much easier for them to fix it.
In addition to validating the description, make sure that the status, version, priority, and other values are set correctly.
Increasing visibility of the issue
It is important to make sure that people are aware of the issue. You can do so by writing about it in your blog, on Twitter or on other social networks. Another way is to join #drupal-support on IRC and ask around about the bug.
Do not send private emails to the module owners. They have probably already been notified of the bug via the issue tracker.
Providing a patch
Sometimes the bug report already contains a description of the solution or the code for fixing the bug. You can use this information to create a patch. While it may seem trivial, a patch makes the developer's job easier.
Improving a patch
Sometimes the bug report already contains a patch which does not conform to Drupal's coding standards or lacks in other ways. You can help to review the patch and ensure that it conforms to the coding standards. Although this can be challenging if you do not know how to program PHP it helps you to understand how Drupal works.
Writing tests
Much of Drupal's framework is using tests to automate checking for problems. Write tests to help developers ensure their code works.
Helping the developers
You can help the developers by reading through the issue queue, cleaning up as many issues as you can. This reduces their workload and motivates them to help you.
Hiring someone or providing a bounty
Sometimes it helps offering money to get the error fixed. Putting out some money on a bug (or getting others to join together to create a big bounty) can result in the quick resolution.
The Marketplace of Professional Services lists Drupal service providers available for hire. You can also read the HowTo: Hire a Drupal site developer to help you in finding the right person.