Github Pull Requests for OCaml development - a field report, by Gabriel Scherer

On 2014/01/30, we started an experiment allowing users to submit and discussion patches to the OCaml distribution on its Github mirror rather than through the existing Mantis bugtracking system. The experiment is time-bounded and the decision is due to be revisited in late July. The main goal of the experiment is to evaluate whether Github makes maintainers life easier, by streamlining the patch submission and review process and, in particular, encouraging non-maintainers to participate in the patch evaluation process. There were also claims of usability benefits for the patch submitters themselves, and the more subjective aspect of sending a signal that the development is more open that sometimes perceived.