Re: Proposal of new admin pseudo BTS package

2004-09-28 Thread Joel Baker
On Tue, Sep 28, 2004 at 01:46:00PM +0100, Colin Watson wrote:
 On Fri, Sep 24, 2004 at 03:32:56PM -0700, Don Armstrong wrote:
  On Fri, 24 Sep 2004, Adam Heath wrote:
   On Fri, 24 Sep 2004, Christian Hammers wrote:
I therefore propose to create a pseudo bug packages for mail
issues (and/or maybe one for general admin topics) like the
existing lists.debian.org or www.debian.org.
   
   That's not how it works.  You can't create a new place for those who
   do work to check for things to do.  That'll just increase their
   load.
  
  In this case, wouldn't making the appropriate admin(s) the owner of
  the pseudo package make it so that they wouldn't have to check the bts
  pseudo package specifically?
 
 Sure, but it still absolutely requires their consent.

Who have a demonstrated and persistant lack of interest in anything so
openly reviewable, according to past actions, statements made in this
thread, and other observations.

Take that as you will.
-- 
Joel Baker [EMAIL PROTECTED]


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Re: Bug#210879: marked as done (constitution.txt: revise odd language -- K Developers... not integers)

2003-12-05 Thread Joel Baker
On Fri, Dec 05, 2003 at 09:43:56AM +, MJ Ray wrote:
 
 I don't want to debate whether there is a functional difference 
 because I think I will be accused of more esoteric math[s] talk and 
 it's not relevant. The phrasing in question here seems accurate and 
 clear enough that you can understand it in its present form. I don't 
 see why having studied for maths degrees should disqualify my request 
 for accuracy.

I am able to understand it, yes; I also have a strong foundation in doing
formal mathematics, though I haven't used such (in any practical sense) for
some while. The phrasing is accurate, and concise - and I *did not advocate
changing it*.

What I advocated was considering the possibility of adding an explanatory
footnote for those who do *not* have such training, outside the formal text
in question (potentially in another document entirely, probably one without
the strict controls necessary for revising the Constitution).

 At least I am a user of the affected package, which should count for
 something.

As am I. I fail to see your point; were you trying to imply that only a
DD should have an opinion? Perhaps you're right; unfortunately for the
assertion that would imply (no DDs have an issue with it), I am one. Which,
presumably, means that I count for precisely as much as you do, on the
matter.

Unless you meant something else, in which case I would ask that you
clarify what you did mean.
-- 
Joel Baker [EMAIL PROTECTED],''`.
Debian GNU NetBSD/i386 porter: :' :
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Re: Bug#210879: marked as done (constitution.txt: revise odd language -- K Developers... not integers)

2003-12-04 Thread Joel Baker
On Thu, Dec 04, 2003 at 03:00:44AM +, MJ Ray wrote:
 On 2003-12-04 00:52:17 + Joel Baker [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 
 Frankly, I'd wonder if the most suitable answer isn't simply an 
 annotation
 of some form, to the effect of [1] Since one can't have fractional
 developers, and the rule is 'at least', we always round up to the next
 integer.
 
 As previously explained (by Andrew Suffield, I think), that is not 
 what happens.

Then I would have to say that we have, in fact, gone far enough into the
realms of esoteric math (or pedantry) to have utterly lost any casual
reader.

In what was are the statements at least real Developers are required,
and the one above functionally different? Can you present any number
for which one is true, and the other isn't? Or is this arguing over the
pedantry we don't round up, which could be rephrased in a number of ways.

As someone else pointed out, a requirement of 2/3 majority (or 2/3 quorum,
or any other count) doesn't bring the world to an end when the number
is not divisible by 3 - but if you're going to claim that this does not
have exactly the same effect as applying an integer comparison against
ceil(quorum), then I want to know where we departed from the math I grew
up learning, or where you came up with a fraction of a developer.

Annotations are frequently separated from a document precisely so that
the document can be explained in casual terms (for this case, read: not
in formal mathematics), without diluting the actual document itself with
the explanations. Thus, talking about effectively is not unreasonable;
perhaps you would prefer we effectively end up rounding upwards to the
next integer? That, at least, would satisfy pedantry while still conveying
useful information to the casual reader.
-- 
Joel Baker [EMAIL PROTECTED],''`.
Debian GNU NetBSD/i386 porter: :' :
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Re: Bug#210879: marked as done (constitution.txt: revise odd language -- K Developers... not integers)

2003-12-03 Thread Joel Baker
Looks to me like the only reasonable next step, since the user considers it
sufficiently important to ask for it to be open/wontfix (which might not be
unreasonable), and others insist that it be closed completely (which also
might not be unreasonable), is to ask... well, I'd guess the tech-ctty,
except that this isn't really a *technical* bug, exactly...

FWIW, while I'm not sure if I agree with the assertion that it is a
problem, I do think the submitter deserves some level of justification for
why it isn't left open/wontfix, since that is, in fact, what the default
state for can't agree on whether it's a bug is really supposed to be,
according to my reading of the relevant documents.

Remember, it takes two people to play tennis (or, in this case, what
appears to be one person, and a whole chorus line on the other side of the
court, but the point remains). I really fail to see a compelling reason,
for my part, as to why:

severity wishlist
tags +wontfix

won't result in a compromise that is, if not perfect, at least within what
we say we'll do.

Failing that, the only other answer to resolve it (in any truly final
sense, if anything could be final about it) would be for the submitter to
convince enough DDs to get a GR into the voting process, for the change.
(Okay, that would have to happen anyway, at least before a change could
be made, but since the submitter has, in fact, expressed a willingness
to compromise on something less wasteful of everyone's time than either
probably-spurious GRs, or bug tennis, I find the reply in rather bad form).

Frankly, I'd wonder if the most suitable answer isn't simply an annotation
of some form, to the effect of [1] Since one can't have fractional
developers, and the rule is 'at least', we always round up to the next
integer. That might also be excessive, but as a footnote which explains
the math, rather than as part of the core text, it would make more sense.
However, that way may lie the madness of a cluttered document, since the
Constitution isn't meant to be a textbook.

Maybe we need the Commentaries? Actually, that may not be such a bad idea,
given recent issues over things like the DFSG, and the fact that it has
taken years for the origional author to clarify the intent while they were
being written.
-- 
Joel Baker [EMAIL PROTECTED],''`.
Debian GNU NetBSD/i386 porter: :' :
 `. `'
   `-


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