Change Proposal HowTo

From Yadis

Doing protocol development by wiki is somewhat of a novelty. Here are some ideas how to best make a proposal for a change or addition to the spec, without creating more disruption than necessary. This proposal scheme is not yet tried and tested, so we may have to change it a bit if we discover shortcomings.

How to make a change proposal

• When proposing a change to the Yadis Specification, please propose specific text changes.
• Try to keep each proposal limited to fixing one problem at a time: Do not mix issues. This makes it easier to focus on the issue at hand and keeps discussion on-topic. If your proposals have interdependencies, indicate this on the proposal page. Make more than one proposal and link each to the other(s) with wiki links.
• Avoid proposing extensions for the core Yadis specification that could be defined as services.
• Give your proposal a name.
• Go to Change Proposals and assign yourself the next change proposal serial number.
• Edit the Change Proposals page and add a link for your proposal.
• Identify the clause (s) of the Yadis Specification your proposal affects.
• Save the edited Change Proposals page, click on the link you added and create a wiki proposal page.
• Clearly say why you are making the proposal and which shortcoming it solves. (Maybe you want to start by explaining the existing shortcoming and why it needs solving.)
• Send a message to the Yadis Mailing list with a link to your proposal page.
• Make sure you monitor the Discussion page or your proposal page and the mailing list for comments on your proposal.
• If you do not get a response to your proposal from the editor, howl.
• Don't edit other people's proposals unless the changes are agreed by the proposer. Instead, create derived proposals. Do add a link from the other proposal page to your new proposal page. Make sure to indicate on your new proposal page that your proposal is based upon another proposal rather than one the current draft specification.

How to comment on a change proposal

• Use the wiki Discussion pages to summarize your key points.
• Use the Yadis Mailing list to ask questions about the proposal.
• Use the mailing list to argue about the proposal to your heart's delight.
• Use the wiki Discussion pages to record key points that come up on the mailing list.

Back to Change Proposals.