[Python-Dev] patch handling (was: Python 1.6 timing)

[Moshe Zadka]

On Wed, 2 Feb 2000, Guido van Rossum wrote:

> > I assume you'll get a similar response from many people: hopefully, 
> > for each patch it will either get booed automatically (hey! I just added
> > braces instead of indentation to the parser) or will interest someone.
> 
> The thing here that makes me slightly uncomfortable is how to keep
> track of patches that nobody picks up.  a Jitterbug database would
> nicely do this, but I agree that it's inconvenient and overkill for
> other reasons.  Perhaps we could use the "Linus Torvalds' inbox
> algorithm"?  (When it overflows he deletes everything; "if it was
> important they'll send it again.")

1. This discussion is in the (as you put it) niceties are. You are
unlikely to get that many patches that it is an *immediate* problem.

2. mailman (what fun to me! I'm dumping work on Barry) could be hacked
(or hooked) into doing that: it can keep a list of all patches which never
got a reply in whatever list is being "replied to:" (that would
neccessitate developers to CC the list, at least on the first post, but
that's probably a good idea to do anyway) and send a mail message after a
week to a patch-submitter who hasn't gotten a reply with a notice to the
effect that nobody seems interested in it so he should make a bit more
noise.

3. Like in the CP4E BOF we're getting all geeky again (which is fine,
since we're all geeks). Just get something out of the door! Even a mailing
list with no policy at all to who sends to it is infinitely better then
Guido's mailbox, as much as we all respect that mailbox. We'll argue the
fine points of exactly how to score automatically irrelevant patches (and
I've got just the algorithm <0.9 wink>) later.


--
Moshe Zadka <mzadka@geocities.com>. 
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