[Python-Dev] PEP 581: Using GitHub Issues for CPython

[Matthew Woodcraft]

On 07/03/2019 19.08, Mariatta wrote:
> I'd like to formally present to Python-dev PEP 581: Using GitHub Issues
> for CPython
>
> Full text: https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0581/
>
> This is my first PEP, and in my opinion it is ready for wider
> discussion.

One part of this PEP stands out to me:

| We should not be moving all open issues to GitHub. Issues with little
| or no activity should just be closed. Issues with no decision made for
| years should just be closed.

I strongly advise against closing bug reports just because they're old.

I know that the Python developers value trying to be a welcoming
community. To many people, having a bug report that they put some effort
into closed for no reason other than the passage of time feels like a
slap in the face which stings harder than, for example, intemperate
words on a mailing list.

This is even more true if there won't be an option to re-open the bug,
which seems to be what the PEP is saying will be the case.

If a bug has been around for a long time and hasn't been fixed, the most
useful information for the bug tracker to contain is "this bug has been
around for a long time and it hasn't been fixed". Leaving the bug open
is the simplest way to achieve that.

(I think the above only goes for issues which are actually reporting
bugs. Wishlist items are a different matter.)

-M-