Re: controlling how long before archiving?

[Karl Berry]

    ma> It is a global config variable, see /etc/debbugs/config:

I see. Thanks.

    fl> What would be a good timeframe for archiving your bugs, please?

How about six months? A year? Five years?
Any increase would be welcome.

    largely an anti-spam measure. 

I don't understand how the quick archiving helps with spam? Actual spam
filtering surely has to happen in other place(s), not relying on whether
a bug is archived. (Because then spam would come through to all the
current bugs which, thankfully, it doesn't.)

   I would probably prefer a longer delay but 

Well, that's two of us wanting a longer delay :). I'm not sure if any
debbugs users like the current "quick archiving" default.

The main visible change I can imagine is taking longer for bugs to
"disappear" from the online reports -- the disappearance is another
thing I find confusing rather than helpful, but I recognize it's been
that way forever, so change might not be welcome.

   I also never thought it was a big deal.

Indeed.

    Why do you wish to comment on a bug that was fixed? Was the bug
    closed improperly?

Not exactly improperly, but because further issues arise related to the
bug, which can easily happen months or years later, when people try in a
new environment (e.g., a release is made) and the bug+fix needs to be
reconsidered. It seems better to add to the relevant existing bug than
start a new one. --thanks, karl.