We have instituted a new system, starting now, where those
who file bugs will be notified when any of their filings
changes status (say, getting assigned to high priority, or
to a different categorisation of bug).

The same notification will also be given when a bug is finally
resolved for whatever reason. The top three reasons are:
1) this was not a bug,
2) this was a duplicate (somebody else already filed it), and
3) the bug was fixed.

The entire text - every single letter - of your original bug
filing will be repeated to you, to help you remember what the
heck we're talking about when we tell you your bug is fixed!


PLEASE!
-------
Take this opportunity to review how you file bugs. Bugs should
be two things:

- a complete, full, letter-by-letter, excruciatingly-detailed
report of every single thing that would be needful to
understand and reproduce the bug; and

- as absolutely short as possible.


BUG DONTS
---------
Please never say "please fix soon" or "please fix."
We know you want it fixed. Really.

Please never say "Hi, this is myname and I have what I
think is a bug. Here are the details"
We already know who you are, and we don't need you
to tell us that you think it's a bug. YOu are filing
a bug report, aren't you?


ANOTHER DONT
------------
Please don't say "This may be a bug, or this may not be
a bug, and somebody else told me to file it, and you
can write me if you have questions" or any other stuff
like that.

We know it might be a bug, or might not. We don't care
who told you to file it. We know we can contact you
if we have questions.

YET ANOTHER DONT
----------------
We also don't need to know the time or the date or where
you are, because that is automatically part of every bug,
unless it was a long way away, or a long time before,
whenever you actually file.


WHY?
----
Everything extra in your bug is just so much noise we
have to skip to get to the meat of the bug. It's a waste.
It slows us down as we try to understand what the problem
is. I have seen - literally - multiple lines of disclaimers
and introductions, and urgings to fix it, and rants
telling me how unjust things are - before I ever saw any
details about the bug.


DETAILS
-------
We really do need details. Every letter of every relevant
command. Every letter of every message you saw. It's SO
important! Don't say "I hit the guy and he fell and now
he can't get up." Who did you hit? how? What were you
wielding? What was the exact, precise, complete command
you used to hit him? How do you know he fell? What message
did you see? How do you know he can't get up?


CARRY ON
--------
We know you can do it. Let's get bugs as short as they
possibly can be, with full detail where needed!

Penned by my hand on the 8th of Lupar, in the year 454 AF.