Re: proposal: guix-mentors@gnu.org list/alias

[Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer@gmail.com>]

Hi Ricardo,

Ricardo Wurmus <rekado@elephly.net> writes:

> Hi,
>
> to help new contributors get their first contribution into Guix I think
> it would be good to do this:
>
> 1. create a new private mailing list or mailing alias guix-mentors@gnu.org
>
> 2. ask for experienced Guix contributors who are committed to helping
> new contributors to subscribe to the list
>
> 3. update the Contributing section in the manual (and the website) to
> suggest Cc-ing guix-mentors@gnu.org for a first contribution.
>
> 4. have subscribers to guix-mentors@gnu.org “claim” a contribution
> within 48 hours, to avoid dilution of responsibilit.  Every contribution
> must be acknowledged.
>
> Mentors would then not merely review the submission but shepherd it,
> making necessary modifications and push the adjusted patches as soon as
> possible.  The goal is not to do the usual review but to create
> quick successes, a great first impression.
>
> I recently contributed my first R package to CRAN, and I received an
> automatic response that a human reviewer would get back to me within x
> days.  This was a great experience, because I didn’t feel like I dropped
> off a package into the void.  Expectations were managed and a process
> outlined that set the course for the whole interaction.
>
> Our track record with regard to review is not great, and that harm first
> contributors more than anyone else.  Having dedicated mentors who agree
> to responding and claiming a contribution within 48 hours addresses this
> problem.
>
> I cannot commit to reviewing enough patches that come in on
> guix-patches, but I sure can promise to join the guix-mentors list and
> take on and shepherd first contributions.

Great initiative!  The merit of it compared to doing the same on
guix-patches seem to be to more easily notice about new contributions,
and have them in smaller volumes so to offer prompter feedback.

We'd have to define what are 'new contributors' clearly so that it
doesn't get flooded/abused though, since the "review" happens behind
closed doors (in private).

Thanks,

Maxim