Improving the release notes for 12.10

[Kate Stewart]

Hi,
   With UDS just last week, why am I starting a note off about the
release notes for 12.10 you ask?  ;)    Because this is the time we're
all putting together our blueprints, and the best opportunity to get
some standardized formats in place,  so we can get a bit smarter about
generating our release notes for this upcoming cycle.  :D

   Historically the release notes are pulled together manually as we 
go through the cycle.  This tends to involve a lot of last minute
reminders and a bit of a scramble to get the editing and summarizing
done.   This cycle,  based on the discussions at UDS[1],  we'd like to
try something different:  basically using a standard section in the
blueprint to capture the release notes, and then automating them being
copied to the right products WIKI pages when the blueprint is marked
done.

   Some teams will also be experimenting this cycle with using even more
standardized format for the whiteboards in the blueprints[2],  of which
the "Release Notes:", section will be part of.  

   My request for 12.10, is that if you have a feature you're working
on,  that needs to go in the release notes for 12.10,   Please add a
"Release Notes:" section to the end of your blueprint whiteboard.  Once
the blueprint is approved, we'll be setting up the cross linkage from
the blueprint to the ReleaseNotes and TechnicalOverviews for 12.10 over
the next week ( using topic-quantal-XXXXX-release-notes blueprints), and
see if we can figure out some good patterns of automating that part next
time. ;)

   When the feature is complete,  and you're ready to make the release
note visible,  mark the blueprint done,  and the release note text will
be copied to the right places.

Thanks for your help with getting this prototyped.  :)   

Please let me know if you have questions. 

Kate

[1] https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/other-q-release-notes
[2] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BlueprintSpec