Proposal for handling maintainer/uploaders

[Daniel Baumann]

Hi,

now that the first packages[0] are waiting in the NEW queue[1], I'd like
to discuss the handling of maintainer and uploaders fields.

For the maintainer field, I recommend to set it to the team mailinglist
(forensics-devel at l.a.d.o), rather than to an individual person. This
way, we get all the notices/bugs/$whatever to the mailinglist and
everyone can take care/action about it. This is actually the usual
handling in Debian for group maintained packages anyway.

For the uploaders field, I'd like to cite Frans Pop[2]:

    "Uploaders are people who actually coordinate the package or do
    frequent uploads [...]."

    "[...] I do feel that an for an uploader to be added, he/she should
    actually be considered to be capable of and responsible enough to
    actually _do_ (and thus coordinate) uploads for the package in
    question."

    "The uploader field IMHO is not a "status" field, but a "role"
    field: if you do not have the "role" of uploader, you should not be
    listed."

Means, the person(s) listed in uploaders should be the primary
responsible person for the package and is expected to take care that the
package is in good shape (e.g. be present in testing). But everyone else
should be welcome to just add himself if he does take care about it.
Something like a 'add yourself when it becomes necessary'-way.

Other opinions?

Regards,
Daniel

[0]
http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=forensics-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org
[1] http://ftp-master.debian.org/new.html
[2] http://lists.debian.org/debian-kernel/2007/03/msg00358.html

-- 
Address:        Daniel Baumann, Burgunderstrasse 3, CH-4562 Biberist
Email:          daniel.baumann at panthera-systems.net
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