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Re: Reporting Bug

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On 23.10.2015 14:00, Brian wrote:
> On Fri 23 Oct 2015 at 00:03:02 +0300, Piyavkin wrote:
>
>> On 22.10.2015 17:03, Brian wrote:
>>> On Thu 22 Oct 2015 at 16:15:27 +0300, Piyavkin wrote:
>>>
>>>> I agree with the topic starter: the Debian's bug reporting process is
>>>> horrible and not userfriendly from user's viewpoint. If an organization
>>>> cares about usability and effectiveness of bug reporting process, it
>>>> shouldn't be like that.
>>> If a user cares about the usability and effectiveness of the bug
>>> reporting process, more detail to back up the complaint would be
>>> welcome.
>>>
> [...]
>
>> As it could look in my view. Bug tracking system is a web-service with such
>> reporting interfaces as application (~thick client), web-page, mail.
>>
>> /Web-page/
>>
>> Web-page is most convenient and most reliable way to report for user. On the
>> mentioned above web page instead of wall of text there is placed a huge red
>> button «report a bug» and few links below to pages with short descriptions
>> of alternative ways (app, mail) and «more details» in those.
>>
>> There is a standard form to fill. User is asked to fill just needed fields,
>> and fills only those ones that he can, bug reporting system provides hints
>> and examples straight in the form (or through «more details»). Selections
>> from drop-down list are presented whenever possible.
>>
>> The process of reporting can be partitioned in steps: a) common information
>> (what reportbug collects from user now, plus contact information); b)
>> description according to template; c) system specific technical information
>> («run such command, copy results here»). When every step is finished,
>> provided data is recorded in database. Even if the process is not fully
>> completed and there is no sufficient information to solve the problem, there
>> is still information for analysis on types of bugs, their intensity, etc. In
>> some cases user can be contacted through provided contact information and
>> asked to give more details.
> This sounds suspiciously like a Bugzilla type process.

In the part of web-interface: kind of. Why not?

> The chances of
> Debian going that route are vanishingly small. Also see bug #277744:
>
>    https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=277744
>
> The reason for the 'wontfix' is at
>
>    https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2007/03/msg00381.html
>
>     Any such frontend must not be worse than reportbug at actually
>     gathering information and providing real contact information for the
>     submitter. I personally don't think one for submission will ever be as
>     useful as reportbug, which is why I've never worked on it myself, and
>     why I've marked #277744 wontfix.
>
> The thread with msg00381 starts at
>
>    https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2007/03/msg00362.html
>
> It is worth a read to get some feeling for the issues involved. As far
> as I can determine the project was not completed, which might be an
> indication of the complexity in realising it or a lack of consensus on
> whether a web frontend for reporting bugs to the BTS is needed.
>
> [...]

Thanks for the info. I've read the thread, and mentioned bugs.

March 2007… Well, I'm glad that the topic has been already rised by a 
specialist in usability (~10 years ago), many good points added in 
discussion by others too. I support the initiative from user's 
viewpoint. I see no sound arguments against that either (just can guess 
about motives).

Actually the point is wider then just web-interface. It's about 
usability on the user's side. I have nothing against reportbug kind apps 
as itself. And why web-interface should compete with reportbug app, I 
wonder, if it already coexists with mail-channel (manually sent mail 
reports) and web-page based access to the base (I suppose with some 
elaborated CMS functionality).

Anyway, I see that developers are aware about the need. It is good. And 
I'm hardly able to do something more on that beyond just wistfully 
expressing my personal opinion.

Thanks again.

Piyavkin

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Thread

Reporting Bug Adrian O'Dell <crimsonmane@gmail.com> - 2015-10-22 08:40 +0200
  Re: Reporting Bug Ondřej Grover <ondrej.grover@gmail.com> - 2015-10-22 09:20 +0200
    Re: Reporting Bug Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2015-10-22 14:20 +0200
    Re: Reporting Bug Piyavkin <piyavkin@gmail.com> - 2015-10-22 15:20 +0200
      Re: Reporting Bug Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2015-10-22 16:10 +0200
        Re: Reporting Bug Piyavkin <piyavkin@gmail.com> - 2015-10-22 23:10 +0200
          Re: Reporting Bug Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2015-10-23 13:10 +0200
            Re: Reporting Bug Piyavkin <piyavkin@gmail.com> - 2015-10-23 16:40 +0200
  Re: Reporting Bug Jude DaShiell <jdashiel@panix.com> - 2015-10-22 09:20 +0200
    Re: Reporting Bug Adrian O'Dell <crimsonmane@gmail.com> - 2015-10-22 21:20 +0200
  Re: Reporting Bug Sven Arvidsson <sa@whiz.se> - 2015-10-22 16:30 +0200
    Re: Reporting Bug Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2015-10-22 20:00 +0200
      Re: Reporting Bug Sven Arvidsson <sa@whiz.se> - 2015-10-22 21:00 +0200

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