On Sunday 2025-02-02 22:38, Karl Berry wrote: >On another front ... Automake's HACKING file says that "micro releases", >e.g., 1.17.1, should not add any new features. Does anyone know if there >is a technical reason for this?
It is a social contract between producer and consumer that the product meets certain expectations. In particular, parties are recognizing that humans are fallible and can fail to deliver on the expectation, micro releases are a construct for the producer to remedy their failings and once again come into compliance with the expectation. Adding more elements than absolutely necessary bears the risk of not meeting the expectation once more. And that's why subreleases are made. Projects which do not want to have such a social contract do not make subreleases.
