Gregorio Guidi posted <200507072305.54276.greg_g@gentoo.org>, excerpted
below, on Thu, 07 Jul 2005 23:05:53 +0200:
> On Thursday 07 July 2005 22:15, Duncan wrote:
>> Simon Stelling posted <42CD7920.7060305@gentoo.org>, excerpted below, on
>>
>> Thu, 07 Jul 2005 20:49:04 +0200:
>> >
>> > What about changing the description for the severity field rather than
>> > jelling at users? Honestly, if a bug prevents you from using your
>> > favourite app, wouldn't you select
>> >
>> > "Blocker: This bug prevents a software application from testing and
>> > use."?
>> >
>> > Or what about "Critical: The software crashes, hangs, or causes you to
>> > lose data."?
>> >
>> > Perhaps I should file a blocker bug about this ;)
>>
>> Well, not blocker <g>, but ...
>> http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=73181
>
> I must add:
> http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=92492
>
> Also, it would be easier for user to avoid selecting Bugzilla as product if
> the form was a bit friendlier, something like this...
> http://dev.gentoo.org/~greg_g/enter_bug/enter_bug-report.html
I /like/ the new product selector page! MUCH, MUCH easier to use! The
only nag I have on it now is the note at the top:
GENTOO LINUX IS WHERE YOU PUT EBUILD BUGS.
To a me as a new bugzilla user, that would cause me to think I somehow got
the wrong page, and I needed to find another one to file the Gentoo Linux
bugs. What about this:
Use the GENTOO LINUX section, below, to file EBUILD BUGS.
Or:
The GENTOO LINUX section, below, is where EBUILD BUGS go.
Or:
File EBUILD BUGS in the GENTOO LINUX section, below.
Hmm... I think that last one sounds best to me. In all three cases,
however, it's apparent that the GENTOO LINUX choice is below, so the user
doesn't get confused and think he's on the wrong page.
Other than that, as I said, I LIKE it! The HUGE TYPED description for the
Gentoo Linux section is /perfect/. Likewise with the pointers in the
other sections to it Altho I suppose /some/ might argue it's a bit
overdone, now, and I could see their point, that's NOT an argument I'm
willing to make, as I /do/ see their point, I just don't agree. <g>
The only other consideration is how it looks in links/lynx. Text size
won't show up there.
I just loaded it in lynx, and the BOLD stuff shows up in red, so it's
noticed. That means the "Bugs related to ebuilds belong in 'Gentoo
Linux'" things are in red, and look the same as the "If you're unsure
where your bugs go, then file them here." note. I'd suggest BOLDing the
entire description, and putting a *** in front of it, which will make it
stand off from the others in lynx.
Links puts bold in brite-white, not color. Again, it does stand out, but
there's nothing making the Gentoo Linux selection particularly stand out.
Again, the *** in front and/or bolding the entire description for that one
would probably do it.
....
On the severity thing... Note that both links and lynx show only the
single-word severity, not the description that goes with it. For that,
one follows the link to the general descriptions (A Bug's Live Cycle) page.
BTW, note that the life cycle severity descriptions are about as
short as, but do not match, the descriptive labels shown in graphical
browsers. I'd suggest they either match, or a longer description be used
on the life cycle page.
Also note that the "blocker" label-description
"This bug prevents a software application from testing and use."
doesn't seem to me to be proper English. I'm not an English major or
professor, so I'm not going to describe what's wrong, but it just doesn't
sound quite right to me. Perhaps
"This bug prevents a software application from /being/ tested our used."
Or:
"This bug prevents testing and use of the software application."
However, if the intent is for "blocker" to apply to the entire product
(Gentoo Linux in this case), not just the application/ebuild in question,
then as both bugs suggest, something about the system left unusable or
unbootable might be better than current wording in either location (the
label descriptions and the life cycle page). OTOH, if the intent is for
"blocker" to apply to that individual package, then current wording is
usable, but /will/ result in more "blocker" bugs being filed, because if
it can't be emerged, it's certainly blocking that package, particularly if
there's no indication it's a special case. IOW, I believe the confusion
here is on what the labels apply to, the entire distribution, or the
individual package. If that can be cleared up in as effective a way as
was done with the product selector page, it'll go a /long/ way toward
straightening out the confusion surrounding Gentoo bugzilla in the present
and past.
I'm VERY glad this is being worked on, tho. It's certainly needed it for
awhile, and while I've always fought a bit with any Bugzilla I've had to
use, Gentoo's was DEFINITELY the worst in terms of usability, I've EVER
come across, when I started. If the product selector changes are anything
to go by, however, that situation is finally changing for the better, so
keep up the good work!
--
Duncan - List replies preferred. No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master." Richard Stallman in
http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2004/12/22/rms_interview.html --
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