157668 - keyword for tracking bugs w/ notes that could be used for new or updated documentation

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(bugzilla.mozilla.org :: Administration, task)

Description

[Alex Vincent [:WeirdAl]]

In recent discussions in n.p.m.documentation, I brought up the idea of adding a
docs maintainer e-mail address to Bugzilla, similar to the QA field.  However,
advice from Ian Oeschger and Gervase Markham strongly suggests a keyword for
such bugs would be far better.

This is a bug requesting a "docnotes" keyword be added to Bugzilla, to track
bugs where notes relevant to documentation can be found.

Perhaps also a "docnotes+" keyword to indicate a bug where the appropriate
documentation has been completed.  If new information comes to light in the bug,
a person with appropriate permissions could revert the keyword to the original
"docnotes" keyword.

Opinions?

Comment 1

[timeless]

can you provide a news url and a bit more explanation of proper usage for this keyword? i'll take a look at them and get back to you by monday hopefully.

atm, i don't see a need for a docnots+ given that you could just as easily check to see whether the bug is resolved or unresolved.

Comment 2

[Ian Oeschger (gone)]

The keyword should be something more in the form of an imperative, like
"createdoc." I think Asa and Steve and I talked along these lines.

For me, "docnotes" doesn't make it clear that someone should take up the bug and
make new documentation, and that's really what we want: to exhort people! to
inspire them!: you! write the doc inside this bug like rodin pulls statues out
of blocks of stone.

Comment 3

[timeless]

updatedoc?

Comment 4

[Ian Oeschger (gone)]

I don't know if I'm with the summary change, timeless, since it may be that the
bug will be about something for which there is no documentation yet at all. How
about "keyword for tracking bugs w/ notes that could be used for new or updated
documentation"?

Comment 5

[Alex Bishop]

Relevant news thread:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=3D311511.6050506%40pacbell.net&rnum=1

Comment 6

[Brian Heinrich]

I've been thinking for a while now that we need some sort of way to mine
Bugzilla for relevant material to help create, maintain, and up-date documentation.

This is definitely better than a boot to the head, but I'm wondering if Ian
could perhaps elaborate somewhat on just how such an implementation has worked
in-house.  After all, we need some sort of way of implementing this that won't
swamp people and won't leave material buried.

Even assuming that 2/3 of bugs filed are duplicates, evangelism bugs, &c, that
leaves an awful lot of bugs.  There's got to be a way to a) keyword a bug, and
b) if necessary have a d11n assignee.  But who determines this? the bug's
assignee? -- and under what circumstances?

I certainly don't want to make this over-whelming, but I'd like to have some
idea as to whether this is workable before adding keywords.  Any thoughts? Ian?
anyone?

/b.

Comment 7

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

these flags are not likely to (at least initially) be used by more than a small
handful of people so it doesn't necessesarily need a definition and spelling
enforcement provided by keywords. You could just as easily agree among
yourselves which flag to use and put it in the status whiteboard. If this effort
takes off and the consumers of this flag grow to such a level that a description
in bugzilla becomes necessary then we could always create a keyword. 

Keywords, status whiteboard flags, trackign bugs, web pages with lists of bugs,
all can be easily maintained and all have their place. I don't see that this
particular flag requires the features that keywords offer above whiteboard or a
webpage, at least at the early stages.

Comment 8

[timeless]

i'd suggest using a meta bug with an alias, imo it will be considerably more
flexible and useful than a keyword, give it a try.

Comment 9

[Alex Vincent [:WeirdAl]]

Heh, ok, then this bug, as currently filed, is probably a WONTFIX.  :)  We just 
need to decide what to do.  Newsgroups, everyone?

Comment 10

[Hixie (not reading bugmail)]

->me

Comment 11

[Hixie (not reading bugmail)]

Use the status whiteboard for now. If it turns out that this is useful, file a
new bug with a more concise request.