> -----Original Message----- > From: Ceki Gulcu [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Monday, 27 April 2009 7:45 PM > To: Log4PHP Dev > Subject: Re: Getting rid of author tags: > > > Hi Christian, > > Author tags have been debated many times in the past. There is no > consensus on > the subject. Given that for many contributors the only reward for their > work is > recognition, I actually think that removing author tags is tantamount to > daylight robbery. The fact that the board has at one time recommended such > a > policy is regretful. > > BTW, I am not a user but a PMC member of the apache logging project.
Hi Ceki, and founder no less :) - and I didn't need to check the code to see that :) I also saw that you helped vote log4php into incubation and sponsor it too, this was 5 years ago. So as you are one that was here first at the start of log4php time here at Apache we are not you dismissing lightly, rather trying to understand and put forward the other side. Having @author tags is great when a program only has that initial author or when one or two more join in his/her efforts. At that stage it is also unlikely that the author uses much in the way of attributing their works in cvs/svn commit messages, issue tracker contributions etc etc. So having the @author tag is a good way of identifying the origins of the code. When it becomes a project that comes with all the maintenance overhead of website, issue tracker, wiki, official releases, documentation as well as the code itself then moving forward I see things differently. Supposing over the next 2 years another 15 committers join the ranks contributing to log4php (well there always hope :) ). We need to look ahead at what will work best. If 6 or so of those new committers contribute code to maybe 10 or so existing files and another 4 or 5 of their own then you suggest they add their names to the @author tags in those files. Apart from having their name in lights as it were in those few files it points out only to other coders that look in those few files that they contributed. It also points out that they did not contribute to the other 200 or so files and so actually it makes them less worthy than those initial contributors that are named in all files. This does not give incentive. Having multiple @authors and contributors named in these files also takes away the limelight from the original @author(s). And what those other than only contribute in terms of documentation and/or applying of patches put into Jira from passers by that contribute a line or two to fix a bug? It can also get messy maintenance-wise into the future. Having said all the above, I do not want to take away from the original author(s) and what it is that they achieved before that CLA was signed handing over all code as donation to the ASF. I (and Christian no doubt) would be extremely happy to see Marco Vassura' name on a page on the main website of log4php somewhere, on the changes-report pages listed with him as having donated the original code along with any other names from the initial import. Other contributors who were not part of the original code import would also be listed on the changes-report page. Perhaps they could also be listed on the main logging http://logging.apache.org/team-list.html or log4php could create its own team-list with all @authors listed in the Contributors section. For the future and moving on, all contributors/committers etc would be listed in the changes-report for any significant code changes that warrant listing on there. Any contributors providing patches will do so via Jira so we will know where that bug fix/feature came from and a committer will mention there name and link to the Jira issue in their commit of that code. Having contributors/committers/PMC Members listed in one place on the website and in the changes-report and in svn commits is I think a better way to show who is/was part of a project. It also gives everyone involved in that project equal limelight, in other words no one contributor should be considered better than another. I think this far better exposure than hiding away in an @author tag that only coding peers are likely to look at -- remember that much software is created for users, users that are comfortable with seeing a how to use manual rather than having to look under the bonnet. As log4php is a project destined to become a sub-project of logging services, it is in our best interests to interact and align ourselves well for the future. It is also in this projects interests to be independent in its own right as far as possible. I'd welcome your thoughts further on what I've said above before we decide and move on towards a first release. Thanks Gav... > > Christian Grobmeier wrote: > > Hi, > > > > I have a commit ready for getting rid of the author tags and would > > like to apply. Since a user complained about this and I am unsure > > about all this legal stuff, I would like to have your "go"s for this > > commit. (Please don't check the patch applied to the bug, I have > > re-created it) > > > > In my opinion it's enough to give credits in the NOTICE file of the > > project. We do this at Commons to. I also think that it is enough to > > credit real names, not names like VXA or something. > > > > See also: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LOG4PHP-1 > > > > If no other opinions occur, I will go ahead and commit it. > > > > Cheers, > > Christian > > -- > Ceki Gülcü > Logback: The reliable, generic, fast and flexible logging framework for > Java. > http://logback.qos.ch > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.557 / Virus Database: 270.12.4/2081 - Release Date: 4/26/2009 > 9:44 AM
