[wp-hackers] When to send bugs to wp-hackers

[Owen Winkler]

I've seen more than two bugs go by in the last batch of list messages I 
checked.  These bugs should have been reported to Trac, not to this 
list.  Not only is this a waste of resources for the list's subscribers, 
but a nonvolatile record of the bug where devs can review it will not 
exist if it's not in Trac.

Here's how I view this list in terms of bugs:
1) The list is an escalation point for serious issues that are already 
in Trac that merit public discussion.
2) The list is a discussion platform for coders who are implementing 
fixes for bugs in Trac.
3) The list is a place to discuss implementation methods of existing 
features or proposed changes.  ("Why does feature X do it way Y when it 
could do it way Z?" or "Why doesn't feature X also do Z?")

A bug should never be submitted blindly to this list, but instead to 
Trac (http://trac.wordpress.org).  All of our documentation should say 
this, and I think it does.

It should be noted somewhere that this list is not for submitting bugs.

On the other hand...

I can't quantify a new #4 for the list above that includes those cases 
where a significant support question arises.  For example, a recent 
referral from the forums by Podz:
http://comox.textdrive.com/pipermail/wp-hackers/2005-July/001883.html
To this forum post on Server Load: http://wordpress.org/support/topic/38792

This type of forum post merits referral directly, but I'm not sure how 
to quantify it.

Can we update the Codex page (http://codex.wordpress.org/mailing_lists) 
with this information so that we don't start getting an influx of bug 
reports here?

Anyway these are my thoughts this morning, what are yours?

Owen