Discussions and Issues for Specify 7

[grantfitzsimmons]

Important

Members of the Specify Collections Consortium (SCC) community are strongly encouraged to create feature requests and report issues in the appropriate categories on the Speciforum:

• Issues: Submit Issues or Request Help Here
• Feature Requests: Submit Feature Requests Here

This approach removes barriers to entry for users, as they will not need a GitHub account to submit requests or report issues.

Overview

As we continue to enhance Specify 7, it's important to clarify how we will use GitHub Issues and Discussions to manage community feedback, enhancement requests, and feature proposals.

Our Approach to Enhancement Requests

To streamline our workflow and ensure that enhancement requests are handled appropriately, we will adopt the following approach:

1. Initial Submission: Members of the Specify Collections Consortium (SCC) community are encouraged to create feature requests and report issues in the appropriate categories on the Speciforum.

2. Merging Requests: User-submitted feature requests will be placed on the GitHub Discussions board by a member of the SCC team, while issues will be added to the Issues section as needed. This allows us to properly merge and respond to these requests and issues before they are added to our GitHub repository.

3. Formalization: Once we decide to tackle or implement a requested change, we will translate the discussion post into a GitHub Issue (which can be done directly from the discussion side) and add the appropriate requirements from there.

GitHub Issues

GitHub Issues are designed for tracking specific tasks, bugs, and feature requests that require formal attention. They are typically used for:

• Bug Reports: Documenting errors or unexpected behavior in the software.
• Feature Requests: Formal proposals for new features that have been clearly defined and require a more structured approach.
• Task Management: Assigning and tracking work items that need to be completed in milestones.

Characteristics of Issues:

• Formal Status: Issues are considered formal requests that require a clear definition, prioritization, and resolution.
• Tracking Progress: Issues allow for tracking the progress of tasks and can be assigned to team members.
• Labels and Milestones: Issues can be categorized using labels and milestones to organize and prioritize work.

GitHub Discussions

GitHub Discussions, on the other hand, provide an opportunity for more open-ended conversations, brainstorming, and enable us to continue engaging the community. It is important to note that community feedback primarily takes place on the Speciforum, while discussions in this repository are largely internal. However, we will actively add to this repository as we hear from members.

Characteristics of Discussions:

• Informal Format: Discussions are less structured and allow for open dialogue among members, and the requirements can be in active development.
• Feature Requests: Enhancement requests will be categorized under "Feature Requests" in Discussions until they are formally defined.
• Community Feedback: We may be actively discussing a new feature with the community in Discourse, allowing us to collect feedback and insights without the pressure of formal issue tracking or milestones.

Conclusion

If you have any questions, please send a message to [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in Specify 7 and for being a member of our community!