Is it really a bug?

Sometimes there are quite a few forums posts, or even bug tickets filed, reporting issues that aren’t really bugs. So to me, the first step in reporting a bug is determining if it is actually a bug or not.

I’m sure you already know this, but to clarify, a bug means there is something wrong with the program itself. If you are having issues installing the program itself, this is not a bug. It means you missed a step somewhere or your server has an issue you need to track down.

Another common issue is not knowing how the program works by default. There is an assumption that anyone using MU has at least rudimentary knowledge of Wordpress and is generally familiar with running a server and mucking about in configuration files. So, before asking in the forums or filing a ticket you need to research if this issue is default behaviour.

One example is registering users. In Mu, users have to register on the main blog, then they can be added to sub-blogs. This is different from regular Wordpress where users can sign up directly to that blog. This is also not a bug.

A lesser complaint is that the program doesn’t do what you wanted or expected it to do. MU is a blog farm. It does it quite well. It can be convinced and massaged to do plenty of other things or act similar to other software, but it is not a CMS, and it is not a social network. Not really, not out of the box.

The best-case scenario for finding a bug is on a fresh or recently updated working install, you’ve clicked a box, uploaded a file, pressed a button and… poof. White screen of death. Congratulations! You’ve found an actual bug!

So now we’ve determined that our problem is not default behaviour and our expectations are in line. The next step is to search the forums to see if anyone else had the same issue. If we’re lucky, we may find that other people have had the same problem. Read each thread to see if soloutions are offered. If it becomes a known issue, and is confirmed as a bug, someone may post that a trac ticket has been filed. If it’s really a good day, there may even be a fix in trac and you can update your install with the fixed file and move on.

Of course, you too can be a part of development if you’ve found a new bug. Now file that trac ticket!

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