Expedited Applications

My plan for expedited applications has two goals:

1. To reduce the backlog in the Project Application issue queue (now up to six weeks) by getting more people involved in the Code Review process.
2. To give people an incentive to get involved.

The target group is people who have projects in the application queue. Since they have submitted an application for full project status, they have some level of technical expertise, and they have a vested interest in helping to reduce the backlog. The basic idea is that if they participate in the process, their own applications will be expedited. These are my initial thoughts on how this would work.

• People can participate at the level of either Screener or Reviewer
• In order to get expedited status, they will have to complete either three screenings or two reviews.
• Expedited status will be indicated by changing the priority of their application from normal to major (and possibly critical for even more participation).
• Reviewers will be asked to review expedited applications first.

There will be a few rules that have to be followed in order to get credit for their work.

• Applicants will need to join this group.
• Reviews will have to be properly documented.
• They cannot just make a few comments and walk away, but will have to stay with the application for a reasonable time in order to resolve issues.

There will also need to be some process for signing up and getting credit for work done. I have two thoughts on this and have not yet decided what I think would be best. We could either have them create a comment in their application issue that links to the projects they reviewed, or we can set up a special page in here where they can sign up and post the links to the projects they reviewed. Actually the sign-up page would be the only real reason to require group membership.

One last thought, we probably need to restrict who can change the priority of the application, so that reviewers know its for real. I'm thinking either group admins or possibly git admins would be the only ones authorized to do this.