<quote name="Brad Jorsch" date="2013-05-06" time="15:32:19 -0400">
One other plan that was discussed in February, if I recall, was something like this:
week0, Thursday: Deploy wmf1 to test and mw.org week1, Monday: Deploy wmf1 to first-round wikis week1, Thursday: Deploy wmf1 to remaining wikis and wmf2 to test and mw.org. week2, Monday: Deploy wmf2 to first-round wikis week2, Thursday: Deploy wmf2 to remaining wikis and wmf3 to test and mw.org. etc.
That has the advantage of preserving the separation of test+mw.org from the more user-focused wikis, as Sumana mentioned.
Yep, Robla's creating that sample calendar now.
My reasoning for removing that initial separation that may be faulty:
We're running automated and non-automated tests against betalabs, and that has started producing results (bugs reported and fixed before it was ever included in a wmfXX branch). Also, the majority of bugs that are in the Highest/Immediate priority level (from my gut assessment, I don't have the data here) are found after a deploy to non-WP projects.
Thus, in a way, the non-WP projects really are our betatesters in all practicalities. That's my opinion at least. I'll work with Andre to get some numbers on this, if we can (date blocker bugs reported against our historic deploy calendar).
I'm pretty sure this email will have a mid-air collision with Robla and his writeup of the proposal you outlined, Brad.
Greg