We’re seeing a beautiful thing happen in bugs proposed as release blockers for the Fedora 14 Alpha–people are quoting and referencing specific sections from the Fedora 14 Alpha Release Criteria as justification.

There was discussion at the first Fedora 14 Alpha Blocker bug review meeting about whether a bug should be a blocker when there was no existing criteria it matched.  Some felt that there should always be a place for egregious bugs to become blockers without needing to describe them in the release criteria.

Sometimes it takes extra time and effort to describe and document situations that appear obvious or hard to describe.  We should at least try.  Failing to do so keeps all the power and decision making with the people who know. Then a select group of people become gate keepers, blockers if you will, and everyone has to go through them to divine the right answer.

By continuing to refine the release criteria and document, even in broad terms where necessary, we can help less experienced community members grow into people who know.  Everyone benefits this way.