Re: debbugs-gnu-bugs shows unanswered bugs as handled

[Michael Albinus]

Tino Calancha <address@hidden> writes:

> Hi Michael,

Hi Tino,

> Unfortunately, i don't see that the field 'owner gets always a value.
> AFAICT it never gets a value.  Why this field is not always updated?
>
> If each time that one maintainer answer one bug, the field
> 'owner would be updated (adding get his/her name if still not there)
> then it would be trivial to classify one bug as 'new or 'handled.

The idea of `owner' is different. It is not set automatically. But
everybody is allowd to declare herself as owner of a bug, by sending an
appropriate control message to the debbugs server, see the section "3.3
Control Messages" of the debbugs user guide. With this a developer
declares publicly, that she is working on the bug, and nobody else needs
to care about.

This would be a valuable information. Sadly, as you have observed, this
is used rarely. I have done it for some few bugs (4604,6850,8860).

> Wouldn't be ok if 'owner gets as value one list of maintaneirs?
> I would suggest the value of 'owner to be all the maintainers
> answering such bug.

No, because if somebody is answering to a bug it doesn't mean she feels
responsible for that bug.

> Regards,
>
> Tino

Best regards, Michael.