There are multiple cases when I open the issue on GitHub and there is no single reaction. The issue then is closed automatically. It happens with all categories - front, docs, core etc.
The closure of github issues section could be also considered as the option (at least you don’t spend time to raise an issue).
Upd. Found similar topic as 2022 WTH. 2 years have passed, but there is no any change :(.
It gives you 7(?) days warning to reply in the issue to keep it open. This is up to you. It can be as simple as replying “Still an issue on version x.y.z”.
Is this the best triage?
No, but it certainly helps with people opening an issue then abandoning it. Home assistant is repairing all sorts of things with every release. So check if your issue is fixed and if not reply to the bot to keep the issue open. Also consider what extra information you can supply, debug info, system logs, things you’ve tried, etc…
I’ve had issues open for months before they were fixed. A lot of integrations do not have code owners and the small core development team can take a while to get through them all.
I agree with OP.
It’s not about abandoning. It’s about the issue is not picked (do not confuse it with not fixing) by devs ever.
I myself was re-activating such issues for more than needed. But there are some limits. And no - after several years, those issues are still not fixed.
I don’t know why a reporter has to be responsible for tracking its issue potentially till eternity, having no chance for serious dialogue with devs.
Home assistant is repairing all sorts of things with every release.
it’s not HA repairing. Devs are who do that. With a better process of linking issues (which unfortunately requires picking them up promptly, not waiting for the bot close them) it wouldn’t be an issue to close raised issues when fixed in another issue.
On a side note, it’s about respect.
The same way devs invest own time to develop HA changes, a reporter contributes his own resources reporting an issue. From time needed for investigation to attachments to issue description. If such tasks is not even looked by devs, we cannot say about respect, it’s even hard to give respect to devs after that.
I was referring to the team not the software.
All of the issues I’ve opened have eventually been fixed.
Have some patience.
It’s one of the downsides of an open source project. Integration owners fix what they have time for, and (let’s face it…) what grabs their attention. Some integrations have effectively been abandoned by their owners, often I’m sure for very good reasons. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s what users sign up for by choosing open source.
I know many open source projects without so drastic policy (closing issue after a month or so without even being looked up by devs).
Also, Open Source doesn’t mean that everyone is doing what he wants (or must not mean). Project organization and priorities depend on project strategy and its management and are not determined by open source fact alone.
I understand that HA while being open source, is led by a person or organization which can influence priorities.
Saying that I 100% disagree that it’s the result of being an open source.
There is literally no other project in the open source world that compares in size, number of PRs, and number of issues. Comparing the logistics of HA to any other open source project does not help your point of view as well as you think it does.
HA simply needs more people to handle issues and PRs. Claiming this is a “respect” thing between devs and users is a bit misleading.
It’s open source, lots of opportunity to contribute. Updating docs, triaging integrations you have skill with, or learning python and fixing stuff.
Or maybe we can have a “year of fixing issues” instead of shiny new things that end up creating more issues that the devs don’t have time to fix?
the development of HA has been decidedly in the trajectory of appealing to the non-techie users and now you are asking the new non-techie user base to learn the inner workings of HA and fix issues?
I’ve been a user of HA almost 8 years and am a fairly experienced user and I couldn’t do that. If nothing else than time since I actually do have spouse and a day job too.
I find the discussion too technocratic. In my opinion, it belongs in the realm of User Experience. As a Home Assistant (HA) user, if I notice something isn’t working properly, I have two options:
For the second case, the current solution is not very user-friendly. There are many people who just want to use HA. For them, operating HA through the UI is already a challenge. At best, they’ve heard of GitHub. Some might make it as far as the forums. But I highly doubt that a non-developer would ever find their way to Discord.
From my perspective, the whole topic of “support” needs to be more transparent and structured. There’s the documentation, the forum, Discord, and GitHub. But in many cases, “normal users”—of whom there will soon be more than us nerds—are confused or even deterred by the different paths with their specific rules and conventions.
In short: The user experience in support cases could be improved.
And this also includes that a user shouldn’t constantly have to manage (reanimate) their issues. Instead, they should be able to submit them and trust that someone will take care of them. And “someone” in this case means a person. That person can then decide to close the issue, but automatic closing after 7 days is not particularly user-friendly from a UX perspective and creates an odd feeling, which can impact the acceptance of the product.
This aspect becomes increasingly important as HA aims to make its way into “normal” households.
A clearer division into support levels might help with this, ensuring that unnecessary issues are filtered out earlier.
The Help page lists the various places one can turn to but provides little structure. It assumes that everyone knows where to direct their specific problem. It would be better if the page described the path to a solution, ensuring that a problem is routed to the correct channel from the start.
This would likely result in fewer issues overall.
And that is one of the reasons behind this whole WTH month. To allow people to report issues they are having without having to tackle GitHub. It’s as easy as posting a topic. The down side is that it is not tracked like a GitHub issue.
Exactly. But from a user’s perspective, it’s just another loose puzzle piece. You have to assume that not everyone is familiar with the evolved culture of the HA community. If I told my dad, “Hey, just post it as a WTH…” when he encounters a problem, he’d probably ask me if I’m still taking my meds… 
Point him to the Blog post that explains it then.
You really can’t get much simpler than this.
What’s the goal of a discussion like this?
Is it about being right, or is it about thinking together about how we, as a community, can improve?
My criticism is precisely that it’s difficult for new users to find a quick path to a solution for their problem because there are too many loose ends.
This topic is specifically about the perceived lack of response to raising an issue on GitHub and failing to keep it open. Perhaps it’s best if you open your own WTH topic to discuss your ideas for improvement.
I’m quite confident that you could edit the docs and make them better. You have so much useful knowledge.
Oh sorry. I’ve edited some docs in the past.
They were either rejected outright or reverted after they were accepted. Kind of put me off trying to make edits.
I was mostly speaking about integrations and such.
But thanks for the kind words.