Re: [boost] Languishing review requests

From: Jake Voytko (jakevoytko_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-06-05 12:23:31

> -----Original Message-----
> From: boost-bounces_at_[hidden] [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]]
> On Behalf Of John Phillips
> Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 9:17 AM
> To: boost_at_[hidden]
> Subject: [boost] Languishing review requests
>
>    Has anyone (other than Tom and Ron) looked at the review queue lately?
>
>    There are some nice looking library ideas sitting there that can't be
> reviewed because no one has volunteered to manage the reviews. It has
> become a problem we shouldn't ignore.
>
>    The lifeblood of boost is the time donated by the authors of new
> libraries. However, for some of these authors, nothing has been done
> with their submissions for months as they wait for someone to volunteer
> to run the review. This has to be addressed.
>

As a first time developer for the Boost community (I am working on the
GSoC project "Visualization of STL Containers", it is disconcerting
that the submission that I'm going to spend my entire summer working
on may never get a chance to make it into Boost! And apparently this
is not a concern that is unique to me:

http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lib.boost.devel/155019/match=summer+code

Though there was some discussion on fixing this problem:
http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lib.boost.devel/155176/match=soc

I haven't heard anything about the eventual fate of my project. When I
get some more experience I wouldn't mind taking on a review now or
then, but there's apparently no guarantee I'll ever get the
experience.

I am happy so far with the Boost community.. all of the people that
I've dealt with so far are very kind and helpful, and I've had a lot
of fun doing the work, which is not something many people can say
nowadays. However, I'm worried that the work that me or the rest of my
GSoCers do won't ever come to light.

It looks to me like the "trainee review managers" idea is similar to
the current practice, as per the following page:
http://boost.org/more/formal_review_process.htm#Review_Manager

It looks like the bar for being a review manager is fairly low so long
as you are knowledgeable in the field. All of the steps in the duties
of the review manager seem simple and straightforward (just time
consuming!). The "Review Wizards" appear like they are in place to
help out the managers with questions about process, etc.

Jake