[python-committers] Mark Lawrence

[Ned Deily]

In article <m0sah7$4ci$1 at ger.gmane.org>,
 Georg Brandl <g.brandl at gmx.net> wrote:
> On 10/05/2014 09:36 PM, Ned Deily wrote:
> > To me, the main issue is that the noise is not just directed at python
> > committers but also to the python users who have submitted those issues or
> > otherwise following them (via nosy or otherwise).  I think the risk is that
> > his noise sends a wrong message to those users: i.e. that python-dev has
> > suddenly taken an interest in this issue and that, by taking the time to
> > create a patch, the issue will somehow get magically resolved.  That won't
> > happen, of course, unless a core developer chooses to get involved. 
> Most of the messages like "can someone look at this" don't seem to send any
> wrong messages.

I was thinking more of the messages to non-python-dev users along the 
lines of "Can you supply a patch?" with an implied promise that this 
will cause the issue to be resolved, often without any particular 
insight into whether such a patch should be written.

> The tracker does profit from having less inactive issues that are ready
> to be closed after a trivial commit, or being out of date or missing
> requested feedback.  I've closed a few such in the last few days because
> of Mark's pings.
> 
> Remember that one thing we'd like users to see before reporting is to
> search the tracker for similar issues: the less noise they find there
> the better.

I don't disagree with that.
 
> > And I am uncomfortable with the risk of users potentially inferring
> > that he is somehow a de-facto "project leader" of Python maintenance.
> Well, those users can easily be informed about the circumstances should
> a question arise.

How would we know?  They are likely unfamiliar with the python-dev 
project and they receive these emails from an unknown person, sometimes 
even offering apologies on behalf of an indefinite "we".

> In total, I think there's no grounds for a ban (yet), but his tone has to
> be watched.  If hints from our side are con ignored or receive ad-hominem
> responses, that'll change the situation in my opinion.

I dunno.  We've been down this road more than once over the years, 
always ending in some dust-up.  I really don't think it's healthy for 
python-dev or our users to keep repeating that.

-- 
 Ned Deily,
 nad at acm.org