Subject: Re: bug#21998: Run 'make change-history' on release branch

From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 06 Mar 2016 10:47:46 +0100

Eli Zaretskii <[email-masked]> writes:

> So I'd say let's go back to maintaining a ChangeLog (a single file in
> the top-level directory), if we want a ChangeLog in the releases.  And
> if we don't do that, let's decide there will be no ChangeLog files in
> the release tarballs at all, and stop worrying about these issues.
> What we have been trying to do -- both eat the cake and have it --
> simply doesn't work.

I agree, and I think we should ditch the ChangeLogs.  I think the
ChangeLog "style" encourages less informative commit log messages.  The
normal, free-form commit style encourages people explaining, in their
own words, why they do changes, and what they hope to achieve with
them.

The ChangeLog style, on the other hand, pretty much uselessly lists all
files and functions affected, and after getting all that formalism in
place, many people don't have more stamina left than to add "Fix bug".  :-)

The back-and-forth-and-back-again formalism we've gone for (add things
to ChangeLog and then make vc.el reformat it) is a hindrance to people
being able to contribute to Emacs development.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no