Use of dev/ branches in Gitlab and GSOC

[Carl Sorensen]

Developers,

In the past we used to have lots of dev/ branches in our git repository as
a place to store work in process.

IIUC, when we moved to GitLab as our main repository, we moved to a mode of
only putting up dev/ branches when they were ready for a merge request,
which prevented accumulation of old dev/ branches.

Jason has just started his GSOC work and is jumping right into it.   He's
put up a branch dev/ljyip/gsoc2023-autobeaming
<https://gitlab.com/lilypond/lilypond/-/tree/dev/ljyip/gsoc2023-autobeaming> on
Gitlab.  But it's not ready for a merge request.

I've not made any merge requests since the move to GitLab.  I've reviewed
the CG, and looked at
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2023-01/msg00262.html
and https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2022-09/msg00000.html

After reading all of this, I believe I should recommend to Jason that he
not have his gsoc repository be on the main GitLab repository for two
reasons:  1) We really want the dev/ branches on GitLab to be used only for
merge requests; and 2) We want the dev/ branches on GitLab to be temporary,
but GSOC wants a permanent repository of the student's work.

Am I making a mistake in giving Jason this advice?  I'd welcome any
comments.

Thanks,

Carl