Core Developer Handbook draft

[Ian Clatworthy]

Martin Pool wrote:

> Good point - I previously suggested to Ian to instead put these into a
> section of the overall developer guide, about how to get changes into
> Bazaar.  If people really feel it ought to be separate I'm open to it,
> but the HACKING document last I look did already talk about processes
> as well as code.
> 
> I don't want to overemphasize "these people are the core and everyone
> else isn't" - and indeed people who you might not call "core"
> sometimes do very useful reviews for example.
> 

Sure - putting a barrier between normal developers and core developers
wasn't the intention. In fact, by documenting the "magic" which core
developers know, the intention was precisely the *opposite* - increase
the number of contributors at all levels!

As for the precise role naming, other projects and documented workflows
use names like "integrators", "gatekeepers", "senior developers", etc. I
don't have a preference - I was using the recent "is he coreworthy or
not" thread to suggest a role title.

Practically, there is a barrier - you either have merge access to the
trunk (via PQM) or you don't. It's far more inclusive than projects
based on central VCS, but there is still a gate - even if it is mostly a
social one instead of a technical one.

Ian C.