Issue Tracker Etiquette

Looking for work

The issue tracker no longer assigns new issues to any particular person, they go to "unassigned" instead. This means that anyone is welcome to pick up an issue and decide to work on it. But when is it the right time to do so? And how do you know anyone else isn't working on it? If everyone follows a few simple rules, it will be clear.

1. If you wish to work on an issue, make sure you are ready to do so before assigning it to yourself. If you think you might work on it later, add a comment indicating your interest but leave it unassigned so that someone else may be able to work on it sooner. If you really feel you are the one to do the job, then go ahead and assign it to yourself. There is a quick link on the issue viewing page to assign one to you.
2. Once you begin work on an issue, you can mark it "in progress" so everyone else will stay out of the way while you get the work done. Just click the "Start Progress" link while viewing an issue that is assigned to you and off you go! Everyone can easily view "in progress" issues with a filter or dashboard portlet. When done, you can stop the progress by either resolving the issue or by turning it off with the "Stop Progress" link.
3. If you are not going to work on an item assigned to you, or self-assigned. Then assign it back to "unassigned" so that others may pick it up.
4. Feel free to comment on other issues to help clarify them, to add thoughts on implementation, and to add other problem cases.

Working with Versions

1. Issues can be assigned to versions meaning that you are intending to complete them by that time. Some times the project admins or component leads will place them in a version that they feel they need to be completed by.
2. Issues are placed in versions via the "Fix Versions" field when editing an issue.
3. If you place an issue in a version, be sure you are ready to meet the scheduled date.
4. When picking up an issue to work on that is assigned to a version, be sure you are ready to commit to the scheduled date.
5. All versions should have a target date listed when viewing the roadmap within a project.

I'm a component lead!

• All component leads get notifications for issues marked for their component. So if you are a component lead, make sure you are listed as such by e-mailing Jayson, Darby, or Gavin. This allows the lead to "hear" what is happening with issues in their area.