Subject: Re: Overlooked/ignored PRs
To: Todd Whitesel <toddpw@best.com>
From: Perry E. Metzger <perry@piermont.com>
List: tech-kern
Date: 01/05/1999 09:39:56
Todd Whitesel <toddpw@best.com> writes:
> > The problem is that we don't have enough people handling pr's. We
> > really *want* to handle the PRs faster than we do -- we just aren't
> > always the best at it. It isn't any desire to neglect them, believe
> > me. It is just a lack of volunteer labor.
> 
> Please give more detail.
> 
> Is it a lack of people with both commit access and the time to process
> PR's which already contain good patches?

I've sponsored a number of people people for commit access to work on
the PR database. None of them have worked out (although one shows some
signs of ramping up). They all pretty much haven't fixed many PRs (or
at least not on a regular basis). I've gotten somewhat gun-shy and I'm
now reluctant to accept more volunteers unless I have a strong belief
that they are going to actually do what they signed on to do.

One of the reasons we tend to want people to demonstrate that they are
committed to contributing *first* is that people often volunteer for
stuff but then don't do anything. The folks who sign on after having
produced a bunch without having access almost always work out. That's
one of the reasons the situation is difficult -- figuring out in
advance who's actually going to do the (fairly unsexy) job of dealing
with the PR database after you bring them on has thus far proven
impossible to judge.

Perry