This is sort of a meta-support question, but this seemed the best place to ask it. :-)
I periodically respond to support items in the issue queue. As an issue, it can and should have its status set to "fixed" when the issue has been resolved, one way or another.
Who decides when it's resolved, though? Should I set a support issue to fixed when I feel I've answered the question? Should I wait for the questioner to close it himself? Close it for him after he posts a "thanks that worked" post (which often doesn't happen)? Should a support ticket be a special case that auto-closes after X days of no activity?
Judging by the fact that magico recently went through and closed dozens, possibly over a hundred, stale issue queues, it seems that whatever should be done isn't. What should be done?
On 1/20/07, Larry Garfield larry@garfieldtech.com wrote:
I periodically respond to support items in the issue queue. As an issue, it can and should have its status set to "fixed" when the issue has been resolved, one way or another.
<snip>
done isn't. What should be done?
If I think I've provided a fix for the problem I like to mark it "Fixed" and put in the comment "If it's not fixed, please change the status back." I like keeping issue queues that I'm responsible for as small as possible. Open issues keep me awake late at night! But I also don't want to shut an issue that isn't solved (hence I only close them if I think I've done it) and I also want the submitter to feel alright when they re-open it if I thought I provided a solution but really it didn't help.
Greg
Answers between...
On 1/21/07, Larry Garfield larry@garfieldtech.com wrote:
This is sort of a meta-support question, but this seemed the best place to ask it. :-)
I periodically respond to support items in the issue queue. As an issue, it can and should have its status set to "fixed" when the issue has been resolved, one way or another.
Who decides when it's resolved, though?
Anyone. Because anyone also can open any issue.
Should I set a support issue to fixed when I feel I've answered the question?
Yes. Because the person that asked for that certainly will see and mark as active if needed.
Should I wait for the questioner to close it himself?
No. Because there are hundreds of issues that are never closed because the questioner never "had time" to close them.
Close it for him after he posts a "thanks that worked" post (which often doesn't happen)?
A questioner rarely thanks for the effort after it was solved. In fact a questioner, most of the time marks the issue as a *bug* instead of *support request*!
Should a support ticket be a special case that auto-closes after X days of no activity?
Of course it should! I have a rule: I close all support requests with 1 month. (NOTE: I'm asking for this for a quite some time now)
Judging by the fact that magico recently went through and closed dozens, possibly over a hundred, stale issue queues,
It's an hard job, but someone must do it. *One thousand and hundred* issues already analyzed, re-classified, patches submitted, owners contacted, features rediscovered, old bugs fixed....
it seems that whatever should be done isn't. What should be done?
I'm glad, that you are offering your time to do an even better job, and help in this hard task. Perhaps you can do an audit to my job, so everyone can be assured that I'm doing the right thing?
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Fernando Silva -
Greg Knaddison - GVS -
Larry Garfield