[phobos] Upping the number of bugzilla votes from 10 to 100

[Andrei Alexandrescu]

On 12/9/10 1:02 AM, Don Clugston wrote:
> On 9 December 2010 01:16, Andrei Alexandrescu<andrei at erdani.com>  wrote:
>> I don't really understand the stiff opposition to this. This is not the time
>> and the place to criticize the past and present of our process, but instead
>> to take steps to improve it. Part of improving the process, now that fixing
>> bugs is a major focus, is to figure out a good ranking function for bugs.
>> And I believe that increasing the number of votes per user would contribute
>> to that. Could we please push this through? Let's make it happen.
>
>
> Let me explain the stiff opposition.
>
> This change DESTROYS THE EXISTING STATISTICS.
> When you make a radical change like this, you have to wait for at a
> least a year or so before the statistics are meaningful again.
> It took a couple of years to get them to the level they are at now. Seriously.
> As one of the very few people who actually *uses* the vote statistics,
> to determine which bugs to fix,  I'm quite annoyed about this.

OK. Since I don't feel strongly about this and you do, I withdraw my 
suggestion. Brad, could you please change the parameters back?

> You also made this statement on the newsgroup:
>> Right now the process of choosing which bug to fix next is unstructured.
>
> I think this indicates a misconception.
> Over the last six months, nearly 90% of fixed bugs were patches. I
> think it's entirely appropriate that bugs with correct patches get
> high priority.
> And since they are community-driven, there's not  much control over
> which bugs they are.
>
> Half the patches are mine. I follow a definite priority in choosing
> which bugs to patch.
> 1.  Wrong-code regression
> 2.  ICE regression
> 3.  wrong code bugs marked 'blocker' or 'critical'
> 4. Compiler segfault
> 5. Missing line number
> 6. ICE or wrong code, non-obscure situation
> 7. Regression, non-obscure (most recently introduced get highest priority)
> 8. ICE or wrong code, more obscure situation
>
> Bugs with votes jump a couple of places up the list. There *ought* to
> be categories below those I've listed, where votes and age would play
> a big role,  but there have just been too many bugs in the top
> priority categories.
>
> I also patch a few bugs which aren't on that list, mostly when they're
> very easy, or when I hit them myself. I also do CTFE bugs, because I
> feel I've taken ownership of that part of the compiler.
>
> Note that people don't tend to vote for ICE and wrong-code bugs,
> because you don't notice them until after they've wasted days of your
> life.

Great. I wasn't aware of this, and it's reasonable to assume that people 
hanging out on the NG aren't either. Would be great to paste this in a 
response when the topic of bug fixing planning comes about.

Thanks,

Andrei