Re: Barriers between packages and other people

[Gioele Barabucci <gioele@svario.it>]

On 21/12/24 15:32, Tobias Frost wrote:
> On Sat, Dec 21, 2024 at 02:09:28PM +0100, Gioele Barabucci wrote:
> > On 21/12/24 10:15, Pirate Praveen wrote:
> > > We could use collab maint list, which was specifically created for this
> > > https://wiki.debian.org/CollaborativeMaintenance
> >
> > Good idea.
> >
> > To sum up all suggestions until now:
> >
> > Some packages will be maintained in a default-open way and outside a
> > specific team, with an ethos similar to that of
> > https://wiki.debian.org/LowThresholdNmu (= feel free to fix bugs and
> > imperfections, but talk with the others before big changes).
> >
> > Technical aspects:
> >
> > * Maintainer: Debian contributors <collab-maint-devel@lists.debian.org> [1]
> > * Uploaders: the DD and DMs that have more experience with this package (but
> > not "responsible")
>
> The "not responsible" part... IMHO The people in Uploaders should feel
> responsible for the package, otherwise noone will be feeling reponsible,
> and then the package is just like an orphaned package pretendig to be
> maintained.

This branch of the discussion started by pointing out the fact that some 
maintainers _do_ in fact orphan their packages to remove the "feeling of 
being responsible", and then go on maintaining these packages.

It also makes sense to remove pretty much all responsibilities from the 
listed uploaders. If someone is uploading a package with changes that I 
have not reviewed, why should I be held (or feel) responsible for it?

We have a mechanism for when you feel responsible: "Maintainer: $me".

What is being discussed here is a mechanism for shared, collective, 
diffused responsibility: "If this package is in bad shape, the whole 
Debian project should be held responsible. Either it gets fixed by 
someone or it gets RM'd by someone."

Regards,

--
Gioele Barabucci