Re: To 350792@bugs.debian.org 2006-05-11 <20060512033552.GA8750@df7cb.de>
> +with a tool known as <prgn>mia-query</prgn>.
> +Use <example>mia-history --help</example> to see how to query the database.
^^^^^^^
Updated patch attached.
Christoph
Index: developers-reference-3.3.7/developers-reference.sgml
===================================================================
--- developers-reference-3.3.7.orig/developers-reference.sgml 2006-05-09 16:16:26.000000000 -0500
+++ developers-reference-3.3.7/developers-reference.sgml 2006-05-12 15:24:14.000000000 -0500
@@ -5097,11 +5097,9 @@ maintainers who are deemed Missing In Ac
QA group contacts an inactive maintainer or finds more information about
one, this is recorded in the MIA database. This system is available
in /org/qa.debian.org/mia on the host qa.debian.org, and can be queried
-with a tool known as <prgn>mia-history</prgn>. By default,
-<prgn>mia-history</prgn> shows information about every person it knows
-about, but it accepts regular expressions as arguments which it uses to
-match user names. <example>mia-history --help</example> shows which
-arguments are accepted. If you find that no information has been recorded
+with a tool known as <prgn>mia-query</prgn>.
+Use <example>mia-query --help</example> to see how to query the database.
+If you find that no information has been recorded
about an inactive maintainer already, or that you can add more information,
you should generally proceed as follows.
<p>
@@ -5136,15 +5134,16 @@ about the maintainer in question as poss
non-Debian mailing lists or news groups.
</list>
<p>
-One big problem are packages which were sponsored — the maintainer is not
+A bit of a problem are packages which were sponsored — the maintainer is not
an official Debian developer. The echelon information is not available for
sponsored people, for example, so you need to find and contact the Debian
developer who has actually uploaded the package. Given that they signed the
-package, they're responsible for the upload anyhow, and should know what
+package, they're responsible for the upload anyhow, and are likely to know what
happened to the person they sponsored.
<p>
It is also allowed to post a query to &email-debian-devel;, asking if anyone
-is aware of the whereabouts of the missing maintainer.
+is aware of the whereabouts of the missing maintainer. Please Cc: the person
+in question.
<p>
Once you have gathered all of this, you can contact &email-mia;.
People on this alias will use the information you provided in order to
@@ -5158,12 +5157,16 @@ cannot dedicate all of our time to Debia
circumstances of the person who is involved. Perhaps they might be
seriously ill or might even had died — you do not know who may be on the
receiving side. Imagine how a relative will feel if they read the e-mail
-of the deceased and find a very impolite, angry and accusing message!)
+of the deceased and find a very impolite, angry and accusing message!
<p>
On the other hand, although we are volunteers, we do have a responsibility.
So you can stress the importance of the greater good — if a maintainer does
not have the time or interest anymore, they should "let go" and give the
package to someone with more time.
+ <p>
+If you are interested in working in the MIA team, please have a look at the
+README file in /org/qa.debian.org/mia on qa.debian.org where the technical
+details and the MIA procedures are documented and contact &email-mia;.
<sect id="newmaint">
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