Re: Official Freeze Date for 7.5: July 1st, 2004

Lamar Owen wrote:

>On Tuesday 01 June 2004 22:15, Andrew Dunstan wrote:
>  
>
>>Lamar Owen wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>Well, it should not have surprised anyone.  We have targeted June 1 as a
>>>beta freeze date for several versions, not just 7.5.  In fact, looking
>>>back through last year's pre-7.4 discussion, it's deja vu all over
>>>again....
>>>      
>>>
>>I confess that as a newcomer I was not around before the 7.4 cycle, so
>>saying that people should have known the freeze date because it is
>>following past patterns doesn't help me much. Are people supposed to
>>obtain this info by trawling mailing list archives years back, or by
>>some sort of divine revelation? Other OS projects manage this whole
>>process better, IMNSHO. I'm not trying to point fingers, but to get
>>future improvement.
>>    
>>
>
>There is a reason I wrote the message a long time ago (that, I think, is still 
>in the Developer's FAQ) about how to get started in PostgreSQL development.  
>The first thing a developer  should do before getting too involved in the 
>process is to get a feel for the development culture.  The PostgreSQL 
>development is not like other open source projects, and does depend to some 
>extent on tradition and precedent.  So skimming through the archives and 
>following [HACKERS] for six months is really required before getting 
>seriously involved in the process.  You need to see how the process really is 
>handled, and to see how the 'Release Manager' and 'Patch-o-matic' get in gear 
>late in the cycle.  The pieces really do fit together, we really do have 
>somewhat of a project management structure, but we are really laid-back in 
>our approach.  This is the culture of this project, and I for one don't think 
>it should change.  It certainly has worked this far.
>
>One doesn't just start writing code for a project this size.
>
>Having said that, I don't know very many who have actually followed that 
>advice.... :-)
>
>But following through a cycle or two in the archives provides ample evidence 
>for the 'laid-back' model used here.  It's ready when it's ready.  We try to 
>schedule, but the schedules are pretty flexible.
>
>And while most discussion happens here on [HACKERS], not all of it does.  Some 
>happens on IRC, some in [CORE], and some by telephone.  And it's been that 
>way for a while.
>
>PostgreSQL is not a 'release early, release often' project.  And that's OK.
>  
>

If it were true that June 1 was the expected Beta data, then perhaps 
that should be in the FAQ too, as a counterweight to the gratuitously 
patronising advice which, had I followed it, might have resulted in my 
not making a number of contributions.

But it is not true. I have already pointed out what Tom said on March 
31: " There's not really a plan at the moment, but I had June in the 
back of  my head as a good time". IOW, June was a possible month, 
nothing was settled, certainly not a definite day. So ISTM your premise 
is simply wrong.

All I have asked for is a) reasonable clarity and b) reasonable notice. 
I do not see that either of those conflict with being laid-back or 
anything else above.

cheers

andrew