[Python-Dev] contributors survey?

[Michael Foord]

On 02/03/2011 16:05, R. David Murray wrote:
> On Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:10:04 +0000, Mark Smith<mark.smith at practicalpoetry.co.uk>  wrote:
>> The following is going to sound bitter...
>>
>> I was fired with enthusiasm for working on Python after the sprints at
>> EuroPython last year. I submitted 3 (I think) patches for pulldom - a test
>> suite (it has 0% code coverage at present), documentation for the module
>> (there isn't any at present), and a patch deprecating a function that is
>> broken. They're all still open, and the patches are getting staler by the
>> month.
>>
>> The point of this level of detail is: I was new to the project; I submitted
>> some relatively uncomplicated patches that trivially, visibly, and (mostly)
>> uncontroversially improve Python - one of them was a /documentation/ patch.
>> Then nothing happened, apart from the odd comment from people who commented
>> on the tickets - and I responded to their queries. So now I'm of the opinion
>> that it's not worth submitting patches to the Python project at all, because
>> they'll never be accepted. I'll dedicate my time to something else instead.
>>
>> Mercurial /will/ make it easier to contribute code, but if it doesn't get
>> accepted into a release branch, then that makes no real difference to me.
>>
>> Seriously guys - fix the issue lifecycle; I'll come back.
This is really valuable feedback. Thanks Mark.

> After running a core sprint at PyOhio I realized that one thing that is
> *seriously* needed is more followup after a sprint (and probably after
> bug days as well).  I didn't gather the information at the sprint that
> I would have needed to do that followup (who exactly did submit patches
> during the sprint and which patches?).
>
> I'd like to suggest that we collect such information one way or another
> for the PyCon sprint, and pay special attention to those patches in the
> weeks following PyCon.

Yes. There is little point in putting effort (and money) into finding 
new contributors if we can't retain them and don't make use of the work 
they do.

Mark - if the patches you provided are still outstanding can you let us 
know what the issue numbers are?

All the best,

Michael Foord

> The other issue with the pulldom patches, Mark, is that unfortunately
> you fell into one of the black holes:  I don't think there are any active
> committers who know much, if anything, about pulldom.
>
> As with everything else, it comes down to lack of people hours.  People pay
> attention to what interests them, and some attention to other stuff,
> and there aren't enough people for that "some attention to other stuff"
> to cover all the patches that are submitted.
>
> There are probably ways to improve patch lifecycle management, but I don't
> think there is any *fix* other than more people.  So, doing followup after
> sprints/bug days to help keep contributor enthusiasm going and get some of
> them converted into committers is perhaps the best "fix" we could apply.
> Of course, doing that followup requires people-time.......
>
> --
> R. David Murray                                      www.bitdance.com
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