[core-workflow] Can core developers bypass PR checks?

[Xavier de Gaye]

On 02/20/2017 12:54 AM, Donald Stufft wrote:
 > Yea I can feel that pain, since packaging is not something a ton of people are generally enthused to work on either. It’s possible that it’s just really hard to find someone to do this and it’s just
 > something we have to live with. Hopefully not though :)

There are other parts of Python where it is difficult to find interested core
developers, for example the pdb module.  It does not seem right that with that
enforced policy, an external contributor to pdb has a chance to have its PR
merged (by me - Georg has removed himself from the list of pdb experts) while
for me, who has tried to contribute to pdb for a few years before I became a
core dev, the chances I have now to get my own straightforward pdb PRs merged
are quite weak.  This is only an example, I am not currently working on pdb so
there is no problem now.

Another point is that small teams of 2-3 core devs may naturally and quite
rightly emerge to work a I-review-your-PR-you-review-mine dance, possibly to
the detriment of external contributions BTW, while other core devs may lose
their motivation not finding anyone to review PRs that are obvious
changes.

Xavier