[Tools-discuss] Re: Automated mail on call for adoption and working group last call

[Bob Hinden <[e-mail]>]

Hi,

> On Aug 22, 2025, at 3:23 PM, Robert Sparks <[e-mail]> wrote:
> 
> Chairs -
> 
> The IESG asked that the datatracker send email automatically when a group puts a document into the WG state of "call for adoption issued" or "working group last call issued". That change was part of yesterday's datatracker deployment. It surprised at least one chair, for which I apologize.
> 
> To see the details, look at
> 
> https://github.com/ietf-tools/datatracker/issues/9142 (the request from the IESG)
> 
> and
> 
> https://github.com/ietf-tools/datatracker/pull/9322 (the PR from a volunteer that added the functionality).
> 
> If you have use cases like the one Bob Hinden ran afoul of (going and adding the state to the datatracker long after the actual call had been issued) for which the current implementation will cause you trouble, please open an issue or send mail to tools-discuss. I'll make sure the IESG follows the discussion.
> 

As Robert mentioned this change caught me by surprise.   I had no idea that changing the state for a draft in the datatracker would automatically generate an adoption call email to the working group mailing list.

In this case, we had already done an adoption call, so it was both redundant and wrong.

It seems to me that datatracker changes that affect how working group chairs use the data tracker should be discussed on the w.g. chairs list.   For this change, I can think of some improvements:

 - Make it clear it going to happen in the UI.
 - Be able to set the length of the adoption call.   Many times around holidays we make it longer.
 - Make it optional.  That is, ask if it should be sent.

Bob

p.s. I read the request from the IESG, but that did not include any reason why this change was needed.