[rfc] BB: -1 is not too heavy?

[Martin Pool]

On 17 Nov 2006, Aaron Bentley <aaron.bentley at utoronto.ca> wrote:
> Alexander Belchenko wrote:
> > I see that in BB any -1 completely vetoed patch.
> > I think this make -1 too heavy. May be it's right.
> > But it's force to use -1 too guardedly.
> 
> It's based on how we have behaved in the past.  The idea is that
> consensus is important, so if anyone is strongly against a patch in its
> current form, it shouldn't go in.  I think Martin's original
> descriptions are useful:
> 
> > We can use a numeric scale
> > of -1, -0, +0, +1, meaning respectively "really don't want it in current
> > form", "somewhat uncomfortable", "ok with me", and "please put it in"

Despite appearances, they're not really numeric votes that can be summed
up, just shorthand for those statements.
 
> In BB, marking it as vetoed means that it goes off the "pending" list,
> so that we can stop worrying about it until the author submits a revised
> version.  I think that this is useful.
> 
> > I just want to understand our current arithmetic about voting.
> > 
> > +1 -1 +1 => still veto?

Yes, that's how it's meant to work in bug buddy or elsewhere: -1 means
the person has read it and has serious concerns.  It doesn't mean the
patch has to be permanently dropped but either the person has to (be
persuaded to) change their mind, or an updated patch should be sent.

-- 
Martin