[rfc] bug targeting in Launchpad

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

Jonathan Lange writes:

 > > Probably the other place where it makes sense to target is when it's a
 > > bug that's perhaps not critical, but it is almost done or in review or
 > > trivial, and we want to make sure that the small amount of remaining
 > > work does actually get done for this release.
 > 
 > This does make sense, but it's something of a slippery slope. If the
 > milestone is purely used for release blockers, it makes the RM's job
 > easier, without necessarily preventing people from getting their
 > patches in.

No, it doesn't make sense.  He didn't use the word "release blocker",
but that is the semantics of "we want to make sure that the small
amount of remaining work does actually get done for this release."
The way to make this work is to insist that the release manager
announce a deadline for getting patches in, and not release before
then.  That's not very hard.<wink>  Then if the small patch really is
a release blocker, call it such.

If under that policy, patches that really ought to go in according to
the above criterion are not getting in, that is not the RM's problem.
That is the developer's problem, and the project manager's problem.