Re: bugs and bug tracking - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Bruce Momjian
Subject Re: bugs and bug tracking
Date
Msg-id 20151006182306.GH9634@momjian.us
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: bugs and bug tracking  (Josh Berkus <josh@agliodbs.com>)
List pgsql-hackers
On Tue, Oct  6, 2015 at 10:57:42AM -0700, Josh Berkus wrote:
> This is kind of like CVS.  We didn't upgrade so Subversion, becuase we
> said "we already have a user-friendly interface to CVS, called Marc."
> We only moved to git when it could provide us with solid advantages.
> 
> I believe the same thing is happening here.  The inefficiency of the old
> system (Bruce's mailbox) is becoming higher than the inefficiency of a
> new, hypothetical system.

Yes, just like I used to handle the uncommitted patches until we had a
commitfest app.  I was glad to be done with that job too.

> > Therefore, our current default behavior is to ignore user reports,
> > unless someone takes an action to reply, record, or retain the email for
> > later review.  What a tracker does is to make the default user report be
> > _retained_, meaning we have to take action to _not_ retain a user report
> > as an open item.
> 
> Well, we can determine how that's handled.  There are bug trackers out
> there that automatically archive unconfirmed bug reports after a certain
> amount of time.  I'd personally recommend it.
> 
> Of course, that requires a bug tracker which can have an "unconfirmed"
> status.

Yes, interesting idea.  Basically, someone needs to get more benefit
from the tracking than the work we put into it.  It might be that our
users mostly get the benefits.

> > Second, we have a mix of user reports.  Some bug reports are not bugs
> > and must be reclassified.  In other cases, uses ask questions via
> > non-tracked communicate channels, e.g. pgsql-general, but they are
> > really bugs.  So, to do this right, we need a way of marking tracked
> > bugs as not bugs, and a way of adding bugs that were reported in a
> > non-tracked manner.
> 
> Yeah, I was wondering about that.

Yes, that is 50% of the items that end up on the TODO list.

> Speaking of which ... this project is rich in skilled users who are
> involved in the community but don't code.  Bug triage is exactly the
> kind of thing very part-time community supporters can do, if we make it
> easy for them to do.

Yes.  Part of the problem is that tracker maintenance is almost done in
a closet, so there is little outward reinforcement to keep people
motivated.

--  Bruce Momjian  <bruce@momjian.us>        http://momjian.us EnterpriseDB
http://enterprisedb.com

+ As you are, so once was I. As I am, so you will be. +
+ Roman grave inscription                             +



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