[theme-reviewers] PressWork 1.0.3

[Doug Stewart]

On Tue, Aug 30, 2011 at 12:32 PM, Chip Bennett <chip at chipbennett.net> wrote:
> Doug,
> What would you recommend?
> We're doing our best to make the process known to everyone. I've included
> the WPTRT workflow in two WordCamp presentations (KC and STL - video *still*
> pending for both).
> The SVN-Extend synchronization is manual, without even any built-in means of
> notification of Themes that require synchronization. We're doing the best we
> can with the resources/systems we currently have.
> Speaking generally: I think Otto's main point is to be reasonable and
> patient. Asking within a day of the Theme being approved in Trac is neither.
> Asking over a weekend - which is the only time most of us have to spend with
> our families - is neither. We really don't need to put in explicit rules, do
> we? That seems like overkill to me.
> Otto: perhaps we could modify the Trac-approval email message, to that it
> better reflects the workflow?
> Chip
>

Chip:
Two words: expectations management.

Alteration of the Trac message would be a very good place to start,
e.g. "Your theme has been approved. Here's what you can expect: our
theme review moderation team consists of X members who review the
queue at least once every Y days. You should therefore see a wait time
between your theme's approval and 'go live' of at most (2Y - a couple
of hours). If you do not receive confirmation of your theme being
moved to the public WordPress.org repository after (2Y + 1 day),
please email [email address] in order to request an escalation.

Thanks!"

I realize that the WPTRT is doing yeoman's work in getting this
situation under control. However, I've seen a general annoyance
starting to creep in to interactions in re: the repo. Please do try to
remember that, without the end users' submissions, WPTRT would have
nothing to do. Users provide content and the very raison d'être for
the TRT's existence. Do you remember what it was like to submit your
theme to the repo for the first time? Perhaps not.

There's anxiety, there's back-and-forth but then finally (FINALLY!)
you get a Trac message saying that your theme has been approved.
Then... nothing. No indication as to when any action can be expected,
no status emails, just... nothing. "Anti-climactic" would be a good
way of describing it.

We want people to be joyful, to be excited to have their hard work on
display for all the community to see. The last couple of steps need
some greasing in order to make that happen.

-- 
-Doug