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	docs: Improve instructions for reporting bugs.
- Create a dedicated "Reporting bugs" page to learly document
where and how bugs should be reported.
- Drop "Reporting issues" section from the Contributing guide.
- Delete "Bug report guidelines" page.
(cherry picked from commit 052a109ba4)
			
			
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						Alex Vandiver
					
				
			
			
				
	
			
			
			
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			@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@ needs doing:
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**Non-code contributions**: Some of the most valuable ways to contribute
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don't require touching the codebase at all. For example, you can:
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- [Report issues](#reporting-issues), including both feature requests and
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  bug reports.
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- Report issues, including both feature requests and bug reports.
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- [Give feedback](#user-feedback) if you are evaluating or using Zulip.
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- [Participate
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  thoughtfully](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/latest/contributing/design-discussions.html)
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@@ -314,29 +313,6 @@ experience, these are the best predictors of success:
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[great-questions]: https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/latest/contributing/asking-great-questions.html
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## Reporting issues
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If you find an easily reproducible bug and/or are experienced in reporting
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bugs, feel free to just open an issue on the relevant project on GitHub.
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If you have a feature request or are not yet sure what the underlying bug
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is, the best place to post issues is
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[#issues](https://chat.zulip.org/#narrow/stream/9-issues) (or
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[#mobile](https://chat.zulip.org/#narrow/stream/48-mobile) or
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[#desktop](https://chat.zulip.org/#narrow/stream/16-desktop)) on the
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[Zulip community server](https://zulip.com/development-community/).
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This allows us to interactively figure out what is going on, let you know if
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a similar issue has already been opened, and collect any other information
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we need. Choose a 2-4 word topic that describes the issue, explain the issue
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and how to reproduce it if known, your browser/OS if relevant, and a
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[screenshot or screenGIF](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/latest/tutorials/screenshot-and-gif-software.html)
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if appropriate.
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**Reporting security issues**. Please do not report security issues
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publicly, including on public streams on chat.zulip.org. You can
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email [security@zulip.com](mailto:security@zulip.com). We create a CVE for every
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security issue in our released software.
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## User feedback
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Nearly every feature we develop starts with a user request. If you are part
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@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
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# Bug report guidelines
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Please include these elements in your bug report to make it easier for us to help you.
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- A brief title
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- An explanation of what you were expecting vs. the actual result
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- Steps to take in order to reproduce the buggy behavior
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- Whether you are using Zulip in production or in the development
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  environment, and whether these are old versions
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- Whether you are using the web app, a desktop app or a mobile device
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  to access Zulip
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- Any additional information that would help: screenshots, GIFs, a
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  pastebin of the error log
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Further reading:
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- [How to write a bug report that will make your engineers love you](https://testlio.com/blog/the-ideal-bug-report/)
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- [How to Report Bugs Effectively](https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html)
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@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@ reviewable-prs
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code-reviewing
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review-process
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zulipbot-usage
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bug-reports
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reporting-bugs
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licensing
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```
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										155
									
								
								docs/contributing/reporting-bugs.md
									
									
									
									
									
										Normal file
									
								
							
							
						
						
									
										155
									
								
								docs/contributing/reporting-bugs.md
									
									
									
									
									
										Normal file
									
								
							@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
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# Reporting bugs
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The are several ways to report bugs (or possible bugs) you encounter in Zulip.
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- If you have a concrete bug report with steps to reproduce the behavior, [file an
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  issue](#filing-a-github-issue) in the appropriate GitHub repository.
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- If you are not sure whether the issue you encountered is a bug, or how to
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  reproduce it, [start a
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  conversation](#starting-a-conversation-about-a-possible-bug) in the Zulip
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  development community.
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- To report a possible security issue, contact Zulip's security team at
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  [security@zulip.com](mailto:security@zulip.com). _Do not_ report security issues
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  publicly (in GitHub or in the Zulip development community). We create a CVE for
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  every security issue in our released software.
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- If reporting a bug requires sharing private details about your
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  organization, email [support@zulip.com](mailto:support@zulip.com).
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No matter where you report the bug, please follow the instructions below for
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what to include in a bug report.
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## What to include in a bug report
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1. **Describe** what you were expecting to see, what you saw instead, and steps
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   that may help others reproduce the surprising behavior you experienced.
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   Include screenshots and/or screen captures (see [recommended
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   tools](../tutorials/screenshot-and-gif-software.md)) if they help
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   communicate what you are describing, but avoid posting long videos.
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1. Indicate the **[version](https://zulip.com/help/view-zulip-version)** of the
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   Zulip app where you encountered the bug. It may also be helpful to note your
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   operating system, whether you are using the web app or the desktop app, and
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   your browser if using the web app.
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## Filing a GitHub issue
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Filing a GitHub issue works best when:
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- You are confident that the behavior you encountered is a bug, not some quirk
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  of how a feature works that may turn out to be intentional.
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- You can describe clearly what you were expecting to see, and what you saw instead.
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- You can provide steps for someone else to reproduce the issue you encountered.
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  This is important for developers to be able to fix the bug, and test that
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  their fix worked.
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If all of the above accurately describe your situation, please file an issue!
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Otherwise, we recommend [starting a
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conversation](#starting-a-conversation-about-a-possible-bug) in the Zulip
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development community, so that the problem you encountered can be discussed
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interactively.
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Steps and best practices for filing an issue:
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1. Report the issue in the **appropriate [Zulip
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   repository](https://github.com/zulip)**. The most commonly used repositories
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   are:
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   - [zulip/zulip](https://github.com/zulip/zulip/issues) for issues with the
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     Zulip web app or server. A good default if you aren't sure which repository
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     to use.
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   - [zulip/zulip-mobile](https://github.com/zulip/zulip-mobile/issues) for
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     issues with the mobile apps.
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   - [zulip/zulip-desktop](https://github.com/zulip/zulip-desktop/issues) for
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     issues that are specific to the Zulip desktop app, and _do not_ occur in
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     the web app.
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   - [zulip/zulip-terminal](https://github.com/zulip/zulip-terminal/issues) for
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     issues with the terminal app.
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2. Do a **quick search** of the repository to see if your issue has already
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   been filed. If it has, you can add a comment if that seems helpful.
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3. If you are aware of a related discussion in the Zulip development community,
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   please **cross-link** between the issue and the discussion thread. [Link to a
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   specific
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   message](https://zulip.com/help/link-to-a-message-or-conversation#get-a-link-to-a-specific-message)
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   in the discussion thread, as message links will still work even if the topic is
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   renamed or resolved.
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To encourage prompt attention and discussion for a bug report you have filed,
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you can send a message in the Zulip development community with the key points
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from your report. Be sure to [link to the GitHub
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issue](https://zulip.com/development-community/#linking-to-github-issues-and-pull-requests).
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See the following section for advice on where and how to start the conversation.
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## Starting a conversation about a possible bug
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If you are not sure whether the issue you encountered is a bug, or how to
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reproduce it, we highly recommend reporting it in the [Zulip development
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community](https://zulip.com/development-community/). It's the best place to
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interactively discuss your problem.
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Steps and best practices for starting a conversation:
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1. [**Join** the Zulip development
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   community](https://zulip.com/development-community/) if you don't already
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   have an account.
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2. Pick an **appropriate stream** to report your issue:
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   - [#issues](https://chat.zulip.org/#narrow/stream/9-issues) for issues with
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     the Zulip web app or server. A good default if you aren't sure which stream
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     to use.
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   - [#mobile](https://chat.zulip.org/#narrow/stream/48-mobile) for issues with
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     the mobile apps.
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   - [#desktop](https://chat.zulip.org/#narrow/stream/16-desktop) for issues
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     that are specific to the Zulip desktop app, and _do not_ occur in the web
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     app.
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   - [#zulip-terminal](https://chat.zulip.org/#narrow/stream/206-zulip-terminal)
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     for issues with the terminal app.
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   - [#production
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     help](https://chat.zulip.org/#narrow/stream/31-production-help) for issues
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     related to self-hosting Zulip. See the [troubleshooting
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     guide](../production/troubleshooting.md) for additional details.
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3. **[Start a new topic](https://zulip.com/help/starting-a-new-topic)** for
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   discussing your issue, using a brief summary of the issue as the name of the topic.
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If you aren't sure where to post or how to name your topic, don't worry!
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Moderators can always rename the topic, or move the thread to another stream.
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Once a possible bug is reported, members of the development community will jump
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in to discuss whether the report constitutes a bug, how to reproduce it, and how
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it can be resolved. The initial reporter can help by monitoring the discussion,
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and replying to any follow-up questions. If the report is determined to be a
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reproducible bug, a GitHub issue will be filed to keep track of it (see below).
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## Managing bug reports
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This section describes our bug management process. All community members are
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encouraged to help make sure things run smoothly, whether or not they originally
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reported the bug.
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Whenever a bug is tracked in GitHub and also discussed in the development
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community, be sure to cross-link between the issue and the conversation. [Link
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to a specific
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message](https://zulip.com/help/link-to-a-message-or-conversation#get-a-link-to-a-specific-message)
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in the discussion thread, as message links will still work even if the topic is
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renamed or resolved.
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- If you encounter a definite bug with a clear reproducer and significant user
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  impact, it is best to both file a GitHub issue, and immediately start a
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  discussion in the development community. This helps us address important
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  issues as quickly as possible.
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- For minor bugs (e.g., a visual glitch in a settings menu for very long stream
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  names), filing a GitHub issue is sufficient.
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- If a potential bug discussed in the development community is confirmed to be
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  an actual, reproducible bug, anyone can help out by filing a GitHub issue to
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  track it:
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  - In some cases, especially if we're planning to fix the issue right away, the
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    issue description can be a quote from a message with a link to the
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    discussion -- no need to stress over making it perfect.
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  - [Use Zulipbot](../contributing/zulipbot-usage.md) to add the appropriate
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    labels, including “bug” and at least one area label; leave a comment if you
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    don't know what area labels to use.
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  - You can add the “help wanted” label (and claim the issue if you like) if
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    that is appropriate based on the discussion. Note that sometimes we won't
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    mark a reproducible bug as “help wanted”, e.g., if we want a core
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    contributor to take it on, if the fix will happen as part of a larger
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    project, etc.
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  - Don't forget to cross-link between the issue and the discussion.
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- If a bug report in GitHub is not sufficiently clear, Zulip maintainers will
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  often encourage the reporter to discuss it interactively in the development
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  community.
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@@ -176,15 +176,15 @@ The Zulip community feels strongly that all the little issues are, in
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aggregate, just as important as the big things. Most resolved issues
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do not have any of these priority labels.
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We welcome participation from our user community in influencing the
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Zulip roadmap. If a bug or missing feature is causing significant
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pain for you, we'd love to hear from you, either in
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We welcome participation from our user community in influencing the Zulip
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roadmap. If a bug or missing feature is causing significant pain for you, we'd
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love to hear from you, either in
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[chat.zulip.org](https://zulip.com/development-community/) or on the relevant
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GitHub issue. Please an include an explanation of your use case: such
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details can be extremely helpful in designing appropriately general
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solutions, and also helps us identify cases where an existing solution
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can solve your problem. See [Reporting
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issues](../contributing/contributing.md#reporting-issues) for more details.
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GitHub issue. Please an include an explanation of your use case: such details
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can be extremely helpful in designing appropriately general solutions, and also
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helps us identify cases where an existing solution can solve your problem. See
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our guides for [reporting bugs](../contributing/reporting-bugs.md) and [giving
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feedback](../contributing/contributing.md#user-feedback) for more details.
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## Client apps
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@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ Collective](https://opencollective.com/zulip).
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## Help improve Zulip
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* [**Report
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  issues**](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/contributing/contributing.html#reporting-issues),
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  issues**](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/contributing/contributing.html),
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  including both feature requests and bug reports. Many improvements to the
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  Zulip app start with a user's suggestion.
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		Reference in New Issue
	
	Block a user