Re: NM frustrations...

[Drake Diedrich <Drake.Diedrich@anu.edu.au>]

On Thu, Feb 22, 2001 at 10:11:41AM +0100, Nils Lohner wrote:
> 
> The gist of this thread has been to follow the procedure and provide 
> the info your DAM needs, and if that doesn't work, maybe see if another 
> DAM could be assigned.  Or go to the NM list and ask what the problem 
> is, or offer to help improve the process.

   The DAM is James Troup.  The AM is one of the many application managers. 
There are several processes in place to fairly assign and if necessary
reassign AMs.  There is nothing a new maintainer can do (and nothing any
other developer or AM can do) if the DAM doesn't respond or responds in an
apparently capricious manner. The AMs never see each other's full reports,
so we don't know what makes the difference (if it's in the reports - mine
have been similar and yet have varied from a week to many months). What's
needed is more DAMs to even out the process.  Only James or Wichert can
delegate the necessary authority.  Volunteers for the positions have 
stood up in the past and been refused or ignored.

> 
> As far as Debian's reputation goes, I'd like to see some more detailed 
> information on the 'badly damaged' reputation.  Among whom?  The 'want 
> to be new maintainer' crowd?  I don't see this as affecting more than 
> that.

   I think it reflects badly on Debian for an official to confuse these
terms and then based on that confusion to unfairly criticise the NM and the
AMs.  Among at least one AM.