Re: More metaproblem

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2014 16:14:47 -0500
> From: "Eric S. Raymond" <address@hidden>
> Cc: Paul Eggert <address@hidden>, address@hidden,
>       address@hidden
> 
> > > For commit 
> > > e820f16c06a5a6be4bc87910b349c7c3c6eca0f4, for example, your ChangeLog 
> > > entry was "* files.el (file-tree-walk): Lisp translation of ANSI 
> > > ftw(3).", and that one-liner should have been the git commit message, too.
> > 
> > Yes, but please lose the "*" part, it just wastes precious real estate.
> > 
> > >      In vc, abolish the dir-status method.
> > > 
> > >      *  vc.el, all backends: API simplification: Abolish dir-status.
> > >      It's replaced by dir-status-files.
> > 
> > Likewise here: no need to keep the asterisks.
> 
> I realize you both mean well, but have you actually thought about the
> effect of adding more edge cases to commenting rules that are already
> rather fussy?  (And undocumented.)

If you don't want to do the above, feel free to ignore.  I promise I
won't be mad at you, and won't revoke your write access.  It was just
a suggestion (that I personally follow, Paul does with his).  Many
people here don't follow them (though many do), so it's not a disaster
if you don't, either.

> The overhead from all these picky requirements adds to big ones like
> "you must execute a copyright assignment" in ways I don't think people
> here understand. What looks reasonable and easy to you, from long
> practice, is a wilderness of brambles to outsiders.
> 
> Once I've finished cleaning up and extending VC mode I'm going to
> clean out the dusty attic in /etc (RMS and I discussed this and
> basically agreed on a plan about 11 month ago).  If you don't see how
> that's relevant, stop and think until you get it.

The main requirement is to make a point of including ChangeLog-like
entries in the commit log message, all the rest is wishlist.  I'm
allowed to have that, am I?

> For Emacs to attract new developers, its code and the culture need to
> be discoverable.  As part of this, practice rules need to be *clear*,
> *documented*, and *minimal*.  Right now they fail all three tests.

Feel free to contribute the missing documentation, and thanks in
advance.