On Thu, 2009-11-12 at 14:43 -0500, Robert Haas wrote:
> > Not all contributors are fluent English readers and writers.
> >
> > I certainly do not discourage those people from reviewing, but I can
> > understand how it might be more frustrating and less productive for
> > them. An important part of review is to read the relevant mailing list
> > threads and try to tie up loose ends and find a consensus.
>
> Unfortunately, those people's patches also typically require more work
> from other community members. Discussions are longer and more
> confused, and someone has to rewrite the documentation and comments
> before commit. If anything, people whose patches require more help
> need to find ways to contribute MORE to the community, not less. I
> understand that's not easy, but it's necessary.
Keep in mind that many of these people may also be regional contacts,
translators, local conference (or user group) organizers, and provide
support to users in languages other than English. They may even organize
development efforts in languages other than English.
I think the best policies encourage people to help in the ways that they
are most effective, and/or enjoy the most. I know that's a general
statement, and it doesn't translate (excuse the pun) easily into
policy.
I don't have a good answer for that. But sometimes the policy
discussions here seem a little abstract, and I have a hard time seeing
how they apply in real situations. It seems like you have a few
"freeloaders" in mind, but I have a hard time imagining it's more than a
couple people. Maybe they just need a nice reminder to be a more helpful
community member if they want timely feedback on their work?
Regards,Jeff Davis