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Date:      Wed, 29 Nov 2000 18:33:00 +0000
From:      Nik Clayton <nik@freebsd.org>
To:        Rich Morin <rdm@cfcl.com>
Cc:        freebsd-doc@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: draft article, for review
Message-ID:  <20001129183258.A38444@canyon.nothing-going-on.org>
In-Reply-To: <p05001907b64af5f12a68@[192.168.168.205]>; from rdm@cfcl.com on Wed, Nov 29, 2000 at 10:14:10AM -0800
References:  <p0500191eb6485fe68c33@[192.168.168.205]> <20001129144252.A23325@canyon.nothing-going-on.org> <p05001907b64af5f12a68@[192.168.168.205]>

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On Wed, Nov 29, 2000 at 10:14:10AM -0800, Rich Morin wrote:
> Back to the original thread of the discussion, I still haven't heard
> anything that I can use to modify my article.  Please, folks, tell me
> if I need to change anything at final edit!

At the very least, something about the fact that the marvellous thing
about FreeBSD is that end users have the power to submit changes, see
them acted on, and, if they do it often enough, get handed the power to
make these sorts of changes directly.  make.conf(5) is a very good
example of this (ideally, including the URL to the PR, which was in my
previous message, would be good).  Also, note that I committed explanatory 
text to make(1) earlier today which explicitly points to the location of the
Pmake tutorial on the system.

So you can make a difference.  It just (generally) happens faster if you
send PRs with patches.

[ Note, I say "generally" because I am well aware that there are a
  number of PRs assigned to -doc which have patches in them, and the 
  question is then "Well, why haven't these been committed quickly
  then?".  The answer is because a committer still needs to review the
  patch, and make sure it's appropriate.  In some cases (if it's a typo,
  or something like that) this process is very quick.  In other cases
  (for example, if the documentation is incorrect about a feature in a
  program, but it's unclear whether it's the documentation that should
  change or the program) this process can take longer.

  Also, anyone that follows the PR list knows that it's not unknown for
  myself, and others, to take the time once a month or so to sit down
  and work through the PR list, patching and applying as many as
  possible in one go.  Sometimes that's the only way to work through it.

  Interested non-committers, who are looking for something to do, would
  greatly benefit the project by going through the PR database looking
  for PRs which have no patches, and writing patches, and submitting
  them to the same PR -- alternatively, if a PR has a patch attached to
  it, take a look at it.  If it applies cleanly, and you think it makes
  sense (or if it doesn't apply cleanly, or there's something wrong with
  it) say so in the PR (details are on the web site).  This makes the
  committer's lives much easier, and is a good way to get noticed so
  that someone @freebsd.org asks you to join the ranks of the 
  insane^H^H^H^H^H^Hcommitters. ]

N
-- 
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