Re: Unable to close a bug in the tracker.

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>]

>> I think it may be a cultural difference. Emacs bugs have always been
>> reported and discussed by email. All the tracker really does is hook
>> that up to a database so that things don't get forgotten about.

> It is a cultural difference, sure.  But I'm claiming one of these
> cultures is now dominant, so expecting developers to learn this other
> culture is unrealistic.  Yes, *some* existing developers have learned
> these ropes.  But the bug tracker is off-putting to *most* developers,
> and (I'd bet) to the vast majority of potential new developers.

Kalr, please look at it from the other side: not that long ago, all the
bug handling was done on a mailing-list and nothing else.  That means
bug-lossage-galore and the only "web-interface" was the email archive.

The current web UI is clearly not as good as we'd like it to be, but
compared to what it was before Debbugs, there's no question that
it's improved.  Given the rate of evolution of Emacs development
practice, I think we're doing fairly well.  There's hope that within
a year or two, the web UI will be usable.

Personally, I'd be even more interested in a good debbugs-mode.
And that would be useful for all Emacs users, rather than just
for developpers.


        Stefan