Re: [Qemu-devel] Cc'ing emails [

[Anthony Liguori]

On Aug 5, 2014 2:42 AM, "Markus Armbruster" <address@hidden> wrote:
>
> Michael Tokarev <address@hidden> writes:
>
> > 05.08.2014 08:41, Chen Gang wrote:
> >>
> >> Every members have their own tastes, and one working flow may be not
> >> suitable for all members. I can understand, and hope other members
> >> understand too.
> >>
> >> At least for me, next, I shall send patch to the members which I can get
> >> from 'get_maintainers.pl' and only Cc to qemu-devel. And shall skip
> >> qemu-trivial and Michael Tokarev.
> >
> > Why skip both?  It's your call, but I'm curious.
> >
> > What I _think_ wrong is that get_maintainers.pl lists many random
> > "patchers" for a given file by default.
> >
> > Besides, we should probably review role of Anthony Ligory, because
> > he is returned as a sole contact for manu files, but apparently he
> > does not reply to emails anymore.
> >
> > []
> >>>> I'm not sure how people treat these cases or deal with them.
> >>>> We are subscribed to, in particular, qemu-devel@, and active
> >>>> maintainers look there too, so receive more than one copy of
> >>>> many emails.
> >>>
> >>> I believe fighting the established convention to copy is futile.  I
> >>> embrace it instead, and make it help me prioritize my reading.  Copy me,
> >>> and I'll at least skim cover letters and other thread-starters to
> >>> determine whether I need to follow this thread.  Don't copy me, and I'll
> >>> at best glance at the subject in passing.
> >
> > We created some separate mailinglists - for example -trivial@ - especially
> > to get such attention.  This is what I'm talking about, in most part,
> > because main qemu mailinglist traffic become quite a bit high to follow
> > it closely, and it is a good idea indeed to Cc someone when sending mail
> > to address@hidden  But even there, Cc'ing random "patchers" as get_maintainer.pl
> > often suggests is _not_ a good idea.  I think.
>
> I don't disagree with you there.  I take get_maintainer.pl as advice,
> not gospel.
>
> Note that because --git is *off* by default, you get "random patchers"
> only when MAINTAINERS comes up empty.  Which it does far too often,
> because its coverage is lousy: some 1300 out of >3600 files.
>
> We could default --git-fallback to off to suppress "random patchers"
> unless you ask for them.
>
> >>> Automatic filing into folders and marking copies so I don't have to mark
> >>> them read twice helps.
> >>>
> >>> The additional traffic is a drop in a bucket.
> >
> > Which traffic you refer to as "additional"?  The personal emails?
>
> The personal copies compared to the full list traffic.
>
> I count some 1200 messages to qemu-devel for the past week.  32 contain
> the string "address@hidden", which I take as a crude upper bound for you
> getting a copy.  I don't mean to say that's not annoying or a drain on
> your time (who am I to judge?), just that the additional network traffic
> over full qemu-devel delivery is negligible.
>
> > At least in my case it is quite significant because of qemu, and qemu
> > is _far_ from a single project where I actively contributed.  For example,
> > I contributed many things to postfix, but I don't have to worry about
> > it in any way, and I don't receive random personal emails - if something
> > is being Cc'ed to me it really is something important.  Ditto for linux
> > kernel and other areas.
>
> I recommend to set up filters to file away list traffic and copies of
> list traffic separately from your private e-mail.
>
> > In case of qemu, see -- for example, Anthony, who apparently stepped
> > out from qemu.  Almost every email on qemu-devel@ is being Cc'ed to
> > him nowadays, so he receives _whole_ qemu-devel@ in his personal
> > mailbox.
>
> I'd be surprised if he received copies in his personal inbox.  I expect
> him to file them smartly.
>
> >           Is it also a drop in (his) bucket?
>
> I guess it is: 125 of last week's messages contain "aliguori@".

Good email clients can filter with complex rules.  Just filter to:address@hidden and to:qemu-devel into a separate folder.

And yes, 15 emails a day is a drop in the bucket...