[Nautilus-list] Enabling "QA Contact"/"Verifier" in Bugzilla. Thoughts?

[Eli Goldberg <eli eazel com>]

Hi!

    Unlike most Bugzilla installations that I've seen, Nautilus hasn't
used the "QA Contact" field. Originally, this was because until 8 weeks
ago, there weren't any QA contacts on the project. ;)

    The "QA Contact" field is a person who owns the testing (or
sometimes, just the bug-handling) of a particular feature, just as an
engineer owns the coding of the feature. So, a QA contact would be
responsible for verifying bugs in their component, as well as helping
the developer, such as with bug reproduction.

    Now, there are two people testing services (Beraj & Albert), along
with Josh Barrow (Search & builds), myself, Will (a bit of everything
;), and a lot of other people testing the client whose names are eluding

me, along with Victor (who does a bit of testing of everything.)


    I'd like to suggest that we enable the QA Contact/Verifier field on
the following basis:

    * It's currently difficult for people to keep up with bugs in the
components in which they specialize, since bugs are often reported
without their knowing.

    * Sometimes, engineers need help on a bug, and testers don't know
about it, since we're not automatically CC'd.

    * It provides an entry point for people interested in testing to
plant a stake in Nautilus and get have personal ownership and
responsibility for a feature area.

    e.g. after Joe Tester is involved for a few weeks and decides he's
having fun and would like to proceed beyond playing with Nautilus and
verifying occasional bugs, he could take over de facto ownership of a
feature or two he wished to test.


    Reasons why this might not be such a good idea to do yet:

    * One can just as easily keep up with new bugs in particular
components by using queries. We don't need an extra form field for that.

    * If an engineer really needs help, they know to CC: a tester.

    * There's still only one full-time tester on Nautilus. Most people
interested in testing Nautilus are still getting their feet wet, and
trying to build the darned thing, let alone actually work with it. ;)
Perhaps we should wait another month or two?

    Thanks,

    Eli