Re: Opposing strict time limits

[Wouter Verhelst <wouter@debian.org>]

On Sun, Oct 24, 2021 at 03:53:38PM -0500, Richard Laager wrote:
> On 10/24/21 2:01 PM, Wouter Verhelst wrote:
> > 6. The project leader may, at any point in the process, set the
> >     discussion period to any length between 1 and 3 weeks, except that
> >     they may not do so in a way that causes the discussion period to end
> >     within 48 hours of when this change is made, unless that would
> >     require them to set a discussion time beyond three weeks.
> 
> What is the purpose/intent of the "unless" here? If the discussion period is
> coming right up on (< 48 hours) 3 weeks, can the DPL truncate it using this?

It was never my intention to allow the DPL to override a time extension.
I see now that that is indeed not forbidden in my proposal; this is an
oversight that I will need to remedy. Thanks for pointing that out.

The wording I use allows the DPL to reduce and then lengthen the
discussion time to any point between one and three weeks.

If the DPL reduced the discussion time to, say, two weeks, and then
through the other process the discussion time is lengthened to 3 weeks
minus a day, then in the time window between 3 weeks minus 48 hours and
when the discussion time is now scheduled to end, the DPL would not be
allowed to lengthen the discussion time again to the maximum of three
weeks. I think that would be suboptimal.

But I realize now that the "causes" in that sentence already covers
that, so I can probably drop that "unless" cause and leave the paragraph
as-is.

> > 10. When a time extension has received the required number of seconds,
> >      the discussion time is extended to end 72 hours from when the
> >      extension was first proposed.
> 
> This wording might need some tweaking for clarity/anti-abuse. Specifically,
> if I ask for and receive an "extension" when there was more than 72 hours
> left already, what happens?

Two things:

- The DPL will not be able to reduce the discussion time to less than
  the 72 hours your extension gives you
- You will not be able to ask or second another extension.

... but nothing beyond that. Specifically, the discussion time will not
be extended beyond the original time, because your extension falls
entirely within the existing discussion period.

-- 
     w@uter.{be,co.za}
wouter@{grep.be,fosdem.org,debian.org}