Re: Proposal for reorganisation of the bug system

[Ian Jackson <ijackson@chiark.chu.cam.ac.uk>]

Bruce Perens writes ("Re:  Proposal for reorganisation of the bug system"):
> Ian Jackson, on using virtual mail addresses for bug reports:
> > * server: used to manipulate bug reports.  Commands will be:
> 
> It's cleaner to use <nnnn>-control@bugs.debian.org, which would interpret
> commands for bug report nnnn. 

I don't think this is such a good idea.  It's important to be able to
manipulate many reports with a single message.  Having two versions
of the command interpreter, one which requires bug numbers in the
commands and one which gets the number from the address, is going to
be excessively confusing.

I like the name `control', though.  How about if I call what I was
going to call `server' `control' instead ?

I've also noticed that I forgot a command - namely
      index                 send an index of bug reports (parameters
                            may qualify the index).

I was thinking that it might be a bad idea to have users using the
`control' address, as they'd (a) get confused by all the extra
facilities and (b) might be tempted to try to use them :-).

I could have a separate address, intended for users, which only
supported `send', `index' and `help'.  How about `server' or `request'
for that address ?

The `control' address would have these facilities too, and the
`request' address version of the help file would tell you to mail
`control' if you wanted to manipulate bug reports rather than just
inspect them.

Ian.