In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "Nicola Ken Barozzi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >... > I would like to add, that maybe we should allow for author tags for > stuff submitted by external developers. I don't yet know if it's a good > idea, please let me know what you think.
Actually, that is probably worse than just leaving all the tags in. The code is built and managed by the Avalon PMC. The PMC has to be fully and entirely responsible. Inserting people's names (*especially* those of external developers) into the code is detrimental to that goal. In HTTPD and APR, we list contributors in a CHANGES file (for example, see http://cvs.apache.org/viewcvs.cgi/httpd-2.0/CHANGES?rev=HEAD). Those people also get their name in the commit message, by listed their name/email in the "Submitted by:" field. In Subversion, we acknowledge external contributors only in the commit messages. Our CHANGES file is a summary rather than as detailed as that of HTTPD/APR. IMO, @author tags have little real purpose. In httpd, we've explicitly disallowed names in the code (well, maybe not *written* but it is certainly explicit in the culture; a commit with an author-tag like thing will quickly be reviewed with a reply of "not acceptable"). But despite the lack of author tags, each of the committers *knows* who knows the various areas the best. I don't need a tag to know who to ask. I simply know them because I'm familiar with what they've done. If I'm not familiar with who originally wrote some piece or is currently most intimate with it, and I need to know, then I've already answered my own question: I'm not familiar enough with the code and should discuss it on the list before whacking on it. Seriously, if you find an author tag, will you mail that person directly, or will you just mail avalon-dev anyways? If some John Doe out there with a copy of the code in hand sees that tag, then who do you think they will mail? Just how big do you want your inbox? :-) Then there is that whole thing about subverting the notion that the PMC wrote the code rather than individuals. I think this is the weakest argument of the lot, but it is one that the ASF itself would want to make. And note: when I say "the PMC writes/manages the code", that is because they *really* should/do, and that is why it is important to have it comprised of the active committers. Cheers, -g -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
