Re: Official Freeze Date for 7.5: July 1st, 2004

Lamar Owen wrote:

>On Tuesday 01 June 2004 22:15, Andrew Dunstan wrote:
>
>
>>Lamar Owen wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Well, it should not have surprised anyone. We have targeted June 1 as a
>>>beta freeze date for several versions, not just 7.5. In fact, looking
>>>back through last year's pre-7.4 discussion, it's deja vu all over
>>>again....
>>>
>>>
>>I confess that as a newcomer I was not around before the 7.4 cycle, so
>>saying that people should have known the freeze date because it is
>>following past patterns doesn't help me much. Are people supposed to
>>obtain this info by trawling mailing list archives years back, or by
>>some sort of divine revelation? Other OS projects manage this whole
>>process better, IMNSHO. I'm not trying to point fingers, but to get
>>future improvement.
>>
>>
>
>There is a reason I wrote the message a long time ago (that, I think, is still
>in the Developer's FAQ) about how to get started in PostgreSQL development.
>The first thing a developer should do before getting too involved in the
>process is to get a feel for the development culture. The PostgreSQL
>development is not like other open source projects, and does depend to some
>extent on tradition and precedent. So skimming through the archives and
>following [HACKERS] for six months is really required before getting
>seriously involved in the process. You need to see how the process really is
>handled, and to see how the 'Release Manager' and 'Patch-o-matic' get in gear
>late in the cycle. The pieces really do fit together, we really do have
>somewhat of a project management structure, but we are really laid-back in
>our approach. This is the culture of this project, and I for one don't think
>it should change. It certainly has worked this far.
>
>One doesn't just start writing code for a project this size.
>
>Having said that, I don't know very many who have actually followed that
>advice.... :-)
>
>But following through a cycle or two in the archives provides ample evidence
>for the 'laid-back' model used here. It's ready when it's ready. We try to
>schedule, but the schedules are pretty flexible.
>
>And while most discussion happens here on [HACKERS], not all of it does. Some
>happens on IRC, some in [CORE], and some by telephone. And it's been that
>way for a while.
>
>PostgreSQL is not a 'release early, release often' project. And that's OK.
>
>

If it were true that June 1 was the expected Beta data, then perhaps
that should be in the FAQ too, as a counterweight to the gratuitously
patronising advice which, had I followed it, might have resulted in my
not making a number of contributions.

But it is not true. I have already pointed out what Tom said on March
31: " There's not really a plan at the moment, but I had June in the
back of my head as a good time". IOW, June was a possible month,
nothing was settled, certainly not a definite day. So ISTM your premise
is simply wrong.

All I have asked for is a) reasonable clarity and b) reasonable notice.
I do not see that either of those conflict with being laid-back or
anything else above.

cheers

andrew