[Python-Dev] Our failure at handling GSoC students

Skip Montanaro skip at pobox.com
Tue Aug 6 21:45:50 CEST 2013


> It is also likely that the mentor gets overworked after the GSoC period is over,
> is unable to finalize the patch and push it...

Given that Python development is done using a good DVCS now, it seems
that if each manageable chunk of changes is done on a separate branch,
the likelihood of acceptance of any one change goes way up (as it's
much easier to analyze in isolation), and the likelihood that one
small change nukes the entire collective patch goes way down.

I don't know if that will address all concerns and improve the success
rate, but I would personally find it easier to process 100 changes,
each with 37 patch chunks than one change having 3700 chunks.  Smaller
haystacks make it easier to find the needles.  In addition, there
should be less pressure for someone to analyze the entire lot.  If you
get burned out at change 12, others should be there to pick up from
change 13 without having to start over, re-analyzing changes 1 through
12.

Skip


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