[Mesa-dev] [PATCH v2] docs: Document GitLab merge request process (email alternative)

[Mathias Fröhlich]

Hi,

On Thursday, 13 December 2018 17:40:49 CET Jason Ekstrand wrote:
> On Thu, Dec 13, 2018 at 9:56 AM Ilia Mirkin <imirkin at alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> 
> > On Thu, Dec 13, 2018 at 10:52 AM Alex Deucher <alexdeucher at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > On Wed, Dec 12, 2018 at 3:42 AM Samuel Pitoiset
> > > <samuel.pitoiset at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Personally, I will continue to use the list, at least for a simplicity
> > > > point of view. I'm not sure if using a new tool will improve quality
> > and
> > > > code review process.
> > > >
> > > > Though, if the majority reports that is really nice to use, I will
> > > > probably change my mind. Not a strong reject.
> > >
> > > I agree.  We've been using the MR interface for xf86-video-amdgpu and
> > > I find it awkward compared to the mailing list.  Maybe it just takes
> > > getting used to.  I also feel less inclined to do drive by patch
> > > review if I have to explicitly delve into the browser to look at the
> > > outstanding MRs.  Over email, sometimes I see a patch set in my in box
> > > that piques my interest and I find some time to review it when I might
> > > not have otherwise if the bar were higher.
> >
> > FWIW I also do a lot of drive-by reviews. Perhaps those aren't
> > valuable -- dunno. Either way, if it's not in email, I won't end up
> > seeing it.
> >
> 
> I find this commentary on drive-by reviews interesting.  Personally, I
> don't find going to the web interface to be a problem at all but that may
> be because my e-mail is also in my web browser and it's as easy as clicking
> a link.  Also, since I'm an active contributor who's likely to be making
> MRs and commenting on various MRs on a regular basis, I'm already on the MR
> page looking at it.  If you randomly scrolled through the MR list in the
> same way you randomly scroll through the mailing list, would you be equally
> inclined to give drive-by reviews?  That's an honest hypothetical question.

Initially it seemed to me that I am about the only one sticking with mailing lists.
And I personally feel like a too small contributor to really try to influence your
decisions too much. But these recent hand full of mails all tell me that I am not
that alone. I personally did contribute to several projects during the past years.
All that only in part time, thus it had to be *very* efficient for myself. And that is
something that I achieved by a consistent 'interface' to all those projects. Just
my widely used and highly convenient mail client. So, all that worked in a sufficiently
efficient way because I could combine this kind of 'work' even with my private mail
that I could handle in between with that single 'interface'. So going to any web site
there is already a detour and having multiple of them for each such project gives an
even longer detour. Okay today it's mostly mesa that is left as well as a communication
middle end used in vizsim applications. But going away too far away from a mailing list
will be mostly a loss of efficiency for me.
As I said, my two cents, that should not keep you all from doing changes that finally
increase your all efficiency ...

best

Mathias