What Is To Be Done [or, 2.0.0/2.0.1 keyword/pseudo-milestones and the punt/no-punt list]

[Luis Villa <louie ximian com>]

So, I've migrated Havoc's punt/no-punt list into bugzilla. The
only sane way to do this in milestones; unfortunately we have no
cross-GNOME way of doing milestones [as discussed in
http://lists.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-list/2002-April/msg00433.html] So as discussed in that email, I've added GNOME2.0.0, GNOME2.0.1, and GNOME2.0.x keywords that will function as pseudo-milestones. Please learn and love these milestones :) If you're committed to 2.0.0, they should be your guidelines from here on out, I hope.

The good news: Only about 25 2.0.0 can't punts remain from Havoc's
list.[1] 

The bad news: I'm not entirely sure where Havoc got his 'complete list'
from (probably me somehow :/ but it was missing more than 100 GNOME2
[Immediate|Urgent|High] bugs. :/ So even with extremely conservative
marking of 2.0.0 bugs the list is now at more than 60 bugs, plus more
that maintainers have added themselves.

The list <drum roll here>:

http://bugzilla.gnome.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&keywords=GNOME2.0.0%2C+triaged&keywords_type=allwords

This is it! The one, true, list. The list of remaining 2.0.0 bugs,
mainly from Havoc's list, with feedback from Sander and myself, plus
things added from the bugs Havoc's list didn't cover. 

Note that at least one maintainer has already increased their list of
2.0.0 bugs by using the new milestones. This was /on the understanding
that they personally/ will be able to fix them all in time. I'd urge
that other maintainers do this only after very, very carefully
considering the implications. Ideally other maintainers will do it only
after fixing all of their other 2.0.0 bugs first. Doing it now runs the
risk of introducing serious confusion between personal goals and
community/project goals and risking that confusion is not something I
think is a particularly good idea right now. So, basically, I'd hope
they not do it at all :) 

This is the list of bugs punted to 2.0.1 for now:

http://bugzilla.gnome.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=NEW&bug_status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&keywords=GNOME2.0.1%2C+triaged&keywords_type=allwords

Comments: 

Obviously, all of these are basically subject to maintainer review: if
you're a maintainer and you don't think something can or should be done,
or you really think it should be 2.0.0 despite it being marked 2.0.1,
reassign it to another milestone, please, and add a comment on why.
However, please take the community's judgment (as expressed via this
list and comments via bugzilla) into account; for 2.0 big-picture as
expressed by this list and the new schedule can and should mean a lot. 

Also obviously, anyone can come to the table *via bugzilla* and add
their two cents as to why something should or should not be part of
2.0.0. HOWEVER: don't say 'I won't use 2.0.0 if it still has this bug.'
Be as explicit as possible as to why it will impact not just you but a
large number of people, and as to exactly how it effects your workflow.
If you don't, you're likely to get ignored. Similarly, don't post your
comments to this list unless they are meta comments; if they aren't in
bugzilla they are likely [I hope] to be ignored. 

Final note: obviously, this is a very top-down method of doing things.
I'm not a big fan of that. But I really think that at this point in the
process we all need to set aside some of our personal issues and solve
an agreed upon set of bugs. I hope this list /is/ that agreed upon set
of 'what must be done for 2.0.0' and can serve as our guideline for that
in the next month.
Luis

[1]I'm sorry, but I didn't find/start the 'we need directional
keybindings in pager' nor one for the fonts/appearance capplet problems,
though there are lots of individual bugs about the second part. Havoc,
if you want to open bugs about those in the appropriate places after
talking with those maintainers, please do.