Re: Using VC for change descriptions

[Richard Stallman]

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  > >    > I suggest that we temporarily experiment with a real GNU
  > >    > project: that is, we issue a special dispensation just for that
  > >    > project, where it can try out the proposed guidelines for a few
  > >    > months, and then we look at how well the proposal worked in that
  > >    > project.
  > > 
  > > I don't see how that experiment makes sense.  What aspect we would try
  > > to observe and judge?  How would we reach a conclusion?

  > We would look at the effect on overall maintenance effort under the 
experimental 
  > guidelines. One way to do that would be to ask maintainers how well it all 
  > worked, compared to the existing guidelines.

Let's see if I understand.  Here's what I think you are proposing.

* For a few months, write commit entries with lists of entities changed.

* For a few months, write commit entries without those lists.

* Judge the comparison.

If I understood wrong, please set me straight.

Supposing I understood right, here's why that won't be useful.

The cost of writing certain data in commit messages appears when
you make the commit.  The benefit, however much that may be,
appears much later.  Often years later.

Therefore, this comparison woulld compare the costs only
and not the benefits.



-- 
Dr Richard Stallman
President, Free Software Foundation (https://gnu.org, https://fsf.org)
Internet Hall-of-Famer (https://internethalloffame.org)
Skype: No way! See https://stallman.org/skype.html.