Fwd: BUG #18784: Bugs and BugTracking

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: VASUKI M <vasukim1992002(at)gmail(dot)com>
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2025 at 15:26
Subject: Re: BUG #18784: Bugs and BugTracking
To: pgsql-bugs(at)lists(dot)postgresql(dot)org <pgsql-bugs(at)lists(dot)postgresql(dot)org>, Tom
Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us>, <alvherre(at)alvh(dot)no-ip(dot)org>
Cc: Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us>, pgsql-bugs(at)lists(dot)postgresql(dot)org <
pgsql-bugs(at)lists(dot)postgresql(dot)org>, <bharatdb(at)cdac(dot)in>

*Thank you for the feedback!

*I understand the community's strong preference for maintaining the
mailing list as the primary platform for discussions. My proposal does not
aim to replace or disrupt the workflow of the mailing list. Instead, it
seeks to provide a transparent and organized way to access bug-related
data, which can be particularly helpful for new contributors or those
outside the community. Currently, there is no centralized system to track
the status of bugs, nor is there a dedicated GitHub repository for
PostgreSQL bugs, as the main Git repository does not allow issues to be
posted.

*Let me explain the workflow, and I welcome feedback and suggestions:

*--Bug as the Main Issue with Comments in Chronological Order:*
Each bug from the pgsql-bugs mailing list will be added as a main
issue in the GitHub repository, with all subsequent replies organized as
comments in chronological order.[Currently, viewing an entire discussion
requires navigating the thread link in the mailing list. This proposal
ensures that bugs and replies are always presented in an organized and
accessible manner.]
**Automatic Updates: If a new reply is logged for an
existing bug, it will be automatically added to the corresponding issue's
comments. Labels will also update dynamically. For example, if a previously
closed bug is reopened, its label will change to "Open."

*--Bug Status Identification:*
Bug status will be categorized as "Open," "Closed," or
"Unresponsive" using NLP techniques such as Sentiment Analysis, Keyword
Analysis, and Time Heuristics based on the content and tone discussed.
**Any suggestions for improvements or alternate methods for
identifying bug statuses are greatly appreciated.

*--Maintaining the Mailing List Workflow:*
This system will not serve as a discussion platform. Instead, it
maintains a systematic flow and status of bugs posted on the pgsql-bugs
mailing list in a more readable format.
**If anyone wants to discuss a bug based on the status in the
GitHub repository, they can refer to the date posted and continue the
discussion on the mailing list. Any updates from the mailing list will then
be reflected in the GitHub repository.

*As Álvaro suggested earlier, if there is a way to collaborate with the
CommitFest app or integrate this proposal with the mailing list more
directly, please share the relevant code or guidelines. Such collaboration
would be a valuable addition.

Thanks and regards,
Vasuki M
C-DAC,Chennai,India
mail: bharatdb(at)cdac(dot)in, vasukim1992002(at)gmail(dot)com
phn:+91 6374605133

On Tue, 28 Jan 2025 at 15:17, Bharat Database <bharatdb(at)cdac(dot)in> wrote:

>
> > On 01/25/2025 1:05 AM Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us> wrote:
> >
> >
> > =?utf-8?Q?=C3=81lvaro?= Herrera <alvherre(at)alvh(dot)no-ip(dot)org> writes:
> > > I described what I see as working during last year's pgconf.dev
> > > developer's meeting, namely a system very similar to our patch
> > > tracker^W^W commitfest app, which would contain links to pgsql-bugs
> > > threads.
> >
> > Yeah, given our existing workflow (which no one seems in a hurry
> > to change), what we fundamentally want is an index to mailing list
> > threads about bugs, plus status information.
> >
> i totally understand it
>
> > > Why do I think this would be successful? Many years ago, there was a
> > > proposal that would use Debian's bugtracker, which is essentially a
> > > glorified mailing list with per-bug archives, plus a lot of smarts to
> > > know when to close a bug. This had the most traction among this
> > > community, but the idea died down when it was clear that 1) the Debian
> > > community was not really open to sharing their stuff, and 2) nobody
> > > offered to maintain this.
> >
> > Even more years ago (roughly around 2000 IIRC), we actually did try
> > to use a bug tracker, but the experiment only lasted a few weeks.
> > It failed because (a) that tracker was not adapted to mailing-list-
> > based workflow, and (b) we didn't have people who were interested
> > in moderating/curating the tracker's contents. If you don't have
> > some people who will keep status entries up-to-date, close out junk
> > bugs, and such, the tracker descends to uselessness very quickly.
> >
> > Our community was far smaller then than it is today, and I bet
> > finding people for (b) would be easier. But we still need
> > something that meets criterion (a), and GitHub ain't it.
> >
> > regards, tom lane
>
>
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