Subject: Re: bug#19296: [PATCH] Package archives now have priorities.

From: Jorgen Schaefer <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2014 17:10:02 +0100

On Sun, 7 Dec 2014 07:55:20 -0800 (PST)
Drew Adams <[email-masked]> wrote:

> > > Why is that good?  Why should MELPA be given a lower priority?
> > 
> > MELPA provides unstable versions of packages.
> 
> Baloney.  Please stop pushing this myth.
>
> MELPA provides *packages*.  Whether a package is "stable" or
> not, as far as one can tell from the outside, is only something
> (optionally) claimed by its developer.

MELPA actively discourages package authors to have a "stable" branch in
the recipe:

https://github.com/milkypostman/melpa/pull/1129#issuecomment-27156539

MELPA strongly prefers "snapshot" releases, and suggests that users use
the "MELPA stable" package archive if they do want officially released
versions.

When I raised this issue in the past, I was told that the "E" in
"MELPA" originally stood for "Experimental":

https://github.com/milkypostman/melpa/pull/1129#issuecomment-27156209

> Repository priorities can be expressed in a normal way,
> using a list or assigning priority values - with *no built-in
> prejudice*

This patch does not add any built-in prejudice. As the patch
description says, this *allows* the user to set it up like that. It
does not force anyone to do anything, and does not change default
behavior at all.

Could I ask you to be a bit more courteous and civil to possible
contributors in the future? Thank you.

If you require further responses, please do specify in what official
capacity you are speaking. I seem unable to find you on the list of
maintainers for Emacs.

Regards,
Jorgen