The only policy that works in practice for the source code is "No author tags" -- anything else gets bogged down by definitions of what is sufficient to add/remove an author.
As I said, I'm not too bothered about proactively removing them from existing code, but if they are removed I think we should capture the names somewhere for those that perceive they are otherwise loosing something. Regards, Tim On 14/Oct/2009 03:55, Nathan Beyer wrote: > Should we just start a Contributors page on the wiki and be done with it? > > Deleting a name, check that it's on the wiki page. > Committing a patch, check that the author is on the wiki page. > > -Nathan > > On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 1:12 AM, Xiao-Feng Li <[email protected]> wrote: >> On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 8:03 AM, sebb <[email protected]> wrote: >>> On 12/10/2009, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>> > [Original Message] >>>> > From: Tim Ellison <[email protected]> >>>> > To: <[email protected]> >>>> > Date: 10/9/2009 2:54:32 AM >>>> > Subject: Re: [general] Remove @author tags from code (HARMONY-6348) >>>> >>>> > On 09/Oct/2009 00:25, Mark Hindess wrote: >>>> > > In message <529434575.1255030111261.javamail.j...@brutus>, >>>> > > "Jesse Wilson (JIRA)" writes: >>>> > >> Remove @author tags from code >>>> > >> ----------------------------- >>>> > >> >>>> > >> Key: HARMONY-6348 >>>> > >> URL: >>>> https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/HARMONY-6348 >>>> > >> Project: Harmony >>>> > >> Issue Type: Task >>>> > >> Reporter: Jesse Wilson >>>> > >> Priority: Minor >>>> > >> >>>> > >> >>>> > >> From a 2004 email >>>> > >> >>>> >>>> http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/jakarta-jmeter-dev/200402.mbox/<403 >>>> [email protected]> >>>> > >> "author tags are officially discouraged. these create >>>> difficulties >>>> in >>>> > >> establishing the proper ownership and the protection of our >>>> > >> committers. there are other social issues dealing with >>>> collaborative >>>> > >> development, but the Board is concerned about the legal >>>> ramifications >>>> > >> around the use of author tags >>>> > >> >>>> > >> I'd like to remove author tags from Harmony code to bring it closer >>>> > >> into alignment with Android, which has no author tags. >>>> >>>> >>>> Notice that this was in 2004 which was before the >>>> current rendition of file headers, NOTICES file, etc., >>>> was put in place in November 2005. I think the legal >>>> issues have long since been resolved. >>>> >>>> >>>> > > >>>> > > I'm not directly concerned about alignment with Android but I do think >>>> that >>>> > > Apache policy encourages @author tag removal so I am in favour of >>>> doing >>>> this. >>>> > > >>>> > >> Unless there are objections, I'll prepare a patch... >>>> > > >>>> > > What do you think? If there are no objections then next week I shall >>>> > > script their removal. >>>> > >>>> > As I've said before, I'm +0 for removing the author tags. >>>> > >>>> > I know that concerns have been raised in the past about people getting >>>> > the proper recognition for their contributions. May I suggest that if >>>> > you remove all the author tags that you collate the names and post a >>>> > list here for posterity. That should associate people's names with >>>> > Harmony archives well enough, or we can combine it with a list of the >>>> > ICLAs we have received and create a contributors file in SVN. >>>> > >>>> > Regards, >>>> > Tim >>>> >>>> >>>> This is a perennial question. We have been through this question before >>>> on this list and/or its Incubator predecessor. The issue was finally >>>> dropped >>>> and no action taken. Yes, in principle, it could be nice to remove >>>> @author >>>> tags. No, one of the reasons people contribute to organizations like ASF >>>> is to make their mark in the universe, namely, "I was here." For most >>>> people, >>>> this is not a question of egotism but merely a desire to have _one_ very >>>> _small_ >>>> note of recognition for the work they did--by name. Nothing else. I >>>> think >>>> that >>>> the contributors who have their name in the source code are looking for >>>> this >>>> and likely looking ONLY for this small recognition. I would suggest that >>>> if >>>> they put it there, leave it there. Those who do not put it there can be >>>> satisfied >>>> with the absence of their names from the code. Perhaps this might be a >>>> useful middle ground. >>> The problem with @author tags in code is that they can very quickly >>> get out of date. >>> After a few years of edits, how much of the original code is left? >>> Have the tags been kept up to date? Does it really make sense to have >>> recognition in the source code? >> Last time when this issue was discussed, my opinion is that: >> 1) Any new contributor of a file has the right to remove the old >> @author tag in that file; >> 2) If the new contributor removes the old @author tag, he/she should >> not add his/her own name in it; >> 3) If a file has no new contributor, the original author tag can be >> kept as is, unless he/she agrees to remove the name. >> 4) Agreed with Tim to keep a name list of contributors if their names >> are removed; >> 5) I support to remove all the occurrences of my name in all the >> files, no matter if there is a new contributor of not. >> >> Thanks, >> xiaofeng >> >>> Seems to me it's better to have a "contributors" page, for example as in: >>> >>> http://commons.apache.org/email/team-list.html >>> >>> Much easier to manage - and better visibility too. >>> >>>> Dan Lydick >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >> >> >> -- >> http://people.apache.org/~xli >> >
