Greg, Is this an official board position? I think just about all the Java code I've seen has @author tags. Is this a commandment to remove them all in all projects?
(Personally I'd prefer to see the names, but not the email addresses) Stephen > from: Greg Stein <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "Nicola Ken Barozzi" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >... > > I would like to add, that maybe we should allow for author tags for > > stuff submitted by external developers. I don't yet know if it's a good > > idea, please let me know what you think. > > Actually, that is probably worse than just leaving all the tags in. The > code is built and managed by the Avalon PMC. The PMC has to be fully and > entirely responsible. Inserting people's names (*especially* those of > external developers) into the code is detrimental to that goal. > > In HTTPD and APR, we list contributors in a CHANGES file (for example, see > http://cvs.apache.org/viewcvs.cgi/httpd-2.0/CHANGES?rev=HEAD). Those > people also get their name in the commit message, by listed their > name/email in the "Submitted by:" field. > > In Subversion, we acknowledge external contributors only in the commit > messages. Our CHANGES file is a summary rather than as detailed as that of > HTTPD/APR. > > IMO, @author tags have little real purpose. In httpd, we've explicitly > disallowed names in the code (well, maybe not *written* but it is > certainly explicit in the culture; a commit with an author-tag like thing > will quickly be reviewed with a reply of "not acceptable"). But despite > the lack of author tags, each of the committers *knows* who knows the > various areas the best. I don't need a tag to know who to ask. I simply > know them because I'm familiar with what they've done. If I'm not familiar > with who originally wrote some piece or is currently most intimate with > it, and I need to know, then I've already answered my own question: I'm > not familiar enough with the code and should discuss it on the list before > whacking on it. > > Seriously, if you find an author tag, will you mail that person directly, > or will you just mail avalon-dev anyways? > > If some John Doe out there with a copy of the code in hand sees that tag, > then who do you think they will mail? Just how big do you want your > inbox? :-) > > Then there is that whole thing about subverting the notion that the PMC > wrote the code rather than individuals. I think this is the weakest > argument of the lot, but it is one that the ASF itself would want to make. > > And note: when I say "the PMC writes/manages the code", that is because > they *really* should/do, and that is why it is important to have it > comprised of the active committers. > > Cheers, > -g > > -- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
