Thus spake Frederick Bruckman ("FB> ") sometime Today...

FB> Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2003 22:54:40 -0500 (CDT)
FB> From: Frederick Bruckman <fredb@immanent.net>
FB> To: Matthias Scheler <tron@zhadum.de>
FB> Cc: current-users@netbsd.org
FB> Subject: Re: What is a CRITICAL bug in send-pr
FB>
FB> On Tue, 17 Jun 2003, Frederick Bruckman wrote:
FB>
FB> > On Tue, 17 Jun 2003, Matthias Scheler wrote:
FB> > The whole idea of having two dimensions to the severity is what's
FB> > really wacky. A single scale with a few more slots in it would be
FB> > nice. It would also give us a chance to review the old ones, as the
FB> > filing use isn't necessarily the best one to assess the priority.
FB>
FB> I meant to say "filing user".

Just a thought here...

In every place I've submitted bug reports, or trouble tickets, the
priority and severity have always been re-examined and adjusted
accordingly without so much as a word to the user except to notify them as
to what changed and why -- no flames, no finger pointing.  They are USERS.
-> I am a USER <- Don't let the fact that I am knowledgeable fool you.  I
don't run the infrastructure; someone else does.  They do because they are
qualified to do so.  The more helpful information, the better, great.
This doesn't qualify the filer in determining the actual priority of the
problem.  If they submit information which helps, THANK THEM.  It will
make them *want* to use the system to file bug reports.  If their solution
is, in fact, accurate, TELL THEM SO.

But don't tell them they're "abusing the system" when it's put there
precisely for the reason they're using it; and if you're going to reject
code submitted as a fix, don't use snotty words like "egregious hack"
to describe it, because, more often than not, that will engender some
pretty hostile feelings.

To branch a bit, the users got to report the severity, while the people
who had to deal with the trouble tickets assigned the priority.

That said, a larger scale for severity would be good; the user sets it,
and the developers or the responsible-person designate the priority of
the problem.  It's not really the right or responsibility of someone
who's not actually working on it to designate the priority of the problem.

In any case, if you let the users pick BOTH, you're asking for abuse of
the system.

				--*greywolf;
--
NetBSD: Multi-platform OS