[Python-Dev] Consolidating channel of record [was: 581 (Using GitHub issues for CPython) is accepted] (original) (raw)

Stephen J. Turnbull turnbull.stephen.fw at u.tsukuba.ac.jp
Fri May 17 09:06:34 EDT 2019

Chris Barker - NOAA Federal writes:

Frankly, multiple long meandering threads in s single mailing list are not s very good archive either.

True, but I have no idea how to address that administratively, except to have a very strong moderator.

Ideally, the PEP is updated with a summary of the issues discussed as the discussion unfolds.

The point of "channel of record" is not that it would replace the PEPs themselves. It's that PEP authors are people with time limitations, too.

For example, there's at least one person currently requesting a review on a PEP who has in the past loudly and publicly announced their unsubscription from python-ideas and IIRC even python-dev. I think it's a good idea to have one place that is the principal source for PEP protagonists who don't have time for or simply dislike participating in some (or even all) of the channels du jour. With a designated channel of record, if discussions take place elsewhere, the PEP protagonist may, but would be under no obligation to, follow them or search for them. In the current situation, there's an implicit obligation for the protagonist to check all the channels, maybe even to do a Google search. Or at least some of the posters seem to feel that way.

As the community seems to be moving to a wider variety of fora, this will become all the more critical.

It would also be possible, I suppose, for the PEP protagonist to designate a channel in the PEP. That has its problems too (they can choose a channel that is inconvenient for the majority of interested participants, for example), but with a designated channel system of either kind the problems are predictable and bounded.

Steve

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