[Python-Dev] PEPs from non-core devs now need a sponsor

[Chris Angelico]

On Wed, Mar 6, 2019 at 7:41 AM Brett Cannon <brett at python.org> wrote:
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 5, 2019 at 11:59 AM Jeroen Demeyer <J.Demeyer at ugent.be> wrote:
>>
>> On 2019-03-05 18:14, Steve Dower wrote:
>> > However, if you don't have
>> > *a single* core developer on board from python-ideas, chances are the
>> > whole team is going to reject the proposal.
>>
>> Sure, I couldn't agree more. But this is something that a PEP mentor
>> (instead of sponsor) also could deal with. Any potential mentor would
>> quickly dismiss the PEP as having no chance and that would work just fine.
>>
>> The problem with the "sponsor" idea is that the sponsor must come from
>> the group of core devs supporting the PEP. What if all core devs
>> supporting it don't have time to act as sponsor or just don't care enough?
>
>
> If no one cares enough then there isn't enough support to begin with. I can't think of a PEP that was accepted with a universally lukewarm reception; there's always been at least one person who liked the idea to care.
>
>>
>> On the other hand, if there is some support for an idea, then anybody
>> should be able to mentor even if the mentor doesn't personally support
>> the idea. I guess the mentor shouldn't be opposed either, but there is a
>> large gray zone of -0/+0 in between where mentors could come from.
>
>
> If the hypothetical situation comes up of:
>
> An external person proposes a PEP
> No supportive core dev has time to sponsor
> Someone who doesn't support the PEP is willing to sponsor
>
> then we can talk about changing the process, but otherwise we are worrying about a hypothetical situation versus personal experience which suggests this won't be the case. IOW we need to give this a shot before we consider changing it.
>

How much effort does it take to sponsor a PEP? I'm not a core dev, but
I can help someone with the work of writing and publishing. So if, in
that hypothetical situation, some (very busy) core dev were willing to
say "yeah, go ahead, put my name on it", would that be sufficient? If
so, it shouldn't be a problem to require this - any proposal with
enough support to be worth PEPing should have at least one person
who's willing to have his/her name in the headers.

ChrisA