There has been some (followup) discussion in T268 //specifically// about the "Needs Volunteer" priority field value in Phabricator. As T268 is/was generally about the Priority field values and as all the other values are not debated, let's focus on "Needs Volunteer" here.=== Problem ===
I've copied the CC list from T268.There has been some (followup) discussion in T268 //specifically// about the "Needs Volunteer" priority field value in Phabricator. As T268 is/was generally about the Priority field values and as all the other values are not debated, Feel free to unsubscribe if you are not interestedlet's focus on "Needs Volunteer" here.
Several comments pointed out that using a name heterogenous to all the other priority levels, in lowest rank, and containing the "volunteer" word, is
* degrading/not nice/anti-engaging for volunteers: T268#787946, T268#840749, T268#847537, T417#4432
* logically weak ("1, 2, 3, 4, APPLE". APPLE > 1? APPLE < 1?): T268#785698, T268#847537, T417
* unable to convey meaning: T268#785759, T268#843635, T417#4432, T78617#853809
* actively disruptive of volunteer developers' workflow: T268#835928
* overlapping with the aim of keywords: T417#4432
There seem to be four options: current priority level understandings are documented in [[https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Phabricator/Project_management#Priority_levels | mw:Phabricator/Project management#Priority levels ]].
=== Options ===
* Keep the status quo by keeping the current name "Needs Volunteer"1) Remove "Needs Volunteer" entirely and **merge** "Needs Volunteer" into "Low", if maintainers/developers in practice do not see a need to differentiate between "Low" and one level lower
** See above for disadvantages** Use the #need-volunteer tag to signify the maintainers/developers are actively looking for a volunteer.
* Rename "Needs Volunteer" to "Wishlist" to potentially avoid the confusion created by the word "volunteer" brought up.* Optionally convey the same meaning in another way like "Stalled, Needs Triage", to signify the report has not yet been prioritised/fully assessed.
2) **If** there is a need for differentiating:
** Same logical issues as "Needs volunteer", see above. ** 2.1) **Keep** the status quo by keeping the current name "Needs Volunteer"
** It was called "Lowest" in Bugzilla but that's potentially derogatory for reporters *** See above for disadvantages.
* Remove "Needs Volunteer" entirely by merging "Needs Volunteer" into "Low", if developers in practice do not see a need to differentiate between "Low" and one level lower ** 2.2) **Rename** to "Wishlist" to potentially avoid the confusion created by the word "volunteer" brought up.
** No known disadvantages*** Same logical issues as "Needs volunteer", see above.
** Optionally create a keyword to signify the maintainers are actively looking for a volunteer. ** 2.3) **Rename** to "None". T78617#852409
** Optionally convey the same meaning in another way like "Stalled, Needs Triage", to signify the report has not yet been prioritised/fully assessed.* Could both be interpreted as "This is no priority" and "This has no priority set/decided yet" (which is "Needs Triage")
* Rename "Lowest" ** 2.4) **Rename** to "None". T78617#852409Lowest".
** No known disadvantages* Potentially derogatory for volunteer reporters who spent time to help making Wikimedia better but their task "only" receives the lowest available priority of all.
=== Data ===
* Tasks with //Open/Stalled// status and //Needs Volunteer// priority: 1331
* Tasks with //Open/Stalled// status and //Low// priority: 5909
Tasks with //Open/Stalled// status and //Low// priority: 5909
* Actual configuration at https://github.com/wikimedia/operations-puppet/blob/a87adae3e33d725260a00b3b8e5e38c701180903/modules/phabricator/data/fixed_settings.yaml