Get final merges in to Ubuntu Docs

[Kevin Godby]

On Fri, Sep 13, 2013 at 11:08 AM, Benjamin Kerensa <bkerensa at ubuntu.com> wrote:
> The MP route is not optional it is a convention of open source development
> and a process in Ubuntu that all teams follow.

Whether MPs are mandatory or not is determined by each individual
project. Neither Launchpad nor bzr impose such a constraint. It's a
matter of policy.  Not all teams use MPs.  For example, the Ubuntu
Manual project allows all contributors to commit directly to the bzr
branch without mucking about with MPs.

> This is not something we can ignore. This was not something was ignored any
> previous cycle even when Jeremy was reviewing all the MP's single handedly.

And we've seen the result of that.

Here are some numbers that I think disprove your case:

raring: 212 commits, 6 merge proposals
quantal: 203 commits, 1 merge proposal
precise: 157 commits, 20 merge proposals
oneiric: 85 commits, 6 merge proposals
natty: 653 commits, 4 merge proposals
maverick: 592 commits, 1 merge proposal

As you can see, merge proposals are a rare occurrence for ubuntu-docs
and appear to only be used by contributors that are unable to commit
directly to the repository. The vast majority of the commits are made
directly to the repository, bypassing the MP process.

To be clear, I think using MPs is a good practice in general, but at
the moment it will only be a hindrance and result in poorer quality
documentation for Ubuntu 13.10.

—Kevin