Re: Regarding unresponsive Debian maintainers (was: Re: Open-Source environments for Java)

["Thijs Kinkhorst" <kink@squirrelmail.org>]

On Mon, May 23, 2005 12:56, Cesar Martinez Izquierdo wrote:
> Remember that Debian maintainers' obligations include to track and solve
> all bugs, not only RC-bugs. If you are in lack of time, please consider to
> accept a co-maintainer or to orphan the package."

I'd like to see it differently: co-maintenance should be the default for
packages, and only with very good reason (e.g.: a very obscure package)
should a package NOT be co-maintained. Co-maintenance is almost always
better than single maintainance, it provides benefits in multiple areas:
someone who takes over when you're busy for a week or two, or when you're
completely unavailable. It spreads the load of replying to bugs. Two
people know more than one, bugs get fixed faster and there's a second set
of eyes to spot problems before a package is uploaded.

So the policy could be changed that at least two maintainers is a must for
packages standard or higher and an "important should" for any other
package.
This would imply that if you want to add a new package to Debian you will
have to look for someone who wants to help you with that first. Not an
unhealthy idea I should say.


regards
Thijs Kinkhorst