Is there any standard or default on addressing the comments and applying them into the RFC? Sometimes, I struggle when I am coming up with the document and I have 2–3 ways I think we can solve that issue and wanted to know what my peers think. Is it okay to put the 3 options in the RFC, iterating over the comments, and remove the other options once the team agrees on one? Also, currently, my team uses Confluence and I find it kinda hard to keep track of the history of the changes made to the RFC, is this something that we should keep in mind, or the only valuable thing in the RFC perspective is the latest version?
I think it’s not a bad idea to include multiple solutions in the same RFC. It makes it easier to navigate and compare the pros and cons. The author can outline all three solutions, compare their advantages and disadvantages, and then suggest the one they are leaning toward, explaining why.
When the whole team is aligned on the alternatives, it enables a meaningful discussion. Sometimes, during the discussion, someone proposes a completely different solution, which can turn out to be better than the initial options. I consider that a big win.
Regarding keeping RFCs in Confluence: we also use Confluence. It can be a bit awkward if people miss notifications on comments and replies, but that’s just how it is. So far, we haven’t had a need to go back to previous versions. We also don’t keep RFCs up to date as solutions evolve. RFCs primarily serve to align the team and make decisions. Keeping them continuously updated would be too much work.
Is there any standard or default on addressing the comments and applying them into the RFC? Sometimes, I struggle when I am coming up with the document and I have 2–3 ways I think we can solve that issue and wanted to know what my peers think. Is it okay to put the 3 options in the RFC, iterating over the comments, and remove the other options once the team agrees on one? Also, currently, my team uses Confluence and I find it kinda hard to keep track of the history of the changes made to the RFC, is this something that we should keep in mind, or the only valuable thing in the RFC perspective is the latest version?
Great questions!
I think it’s not a bad idea to include multiple solutions in the same RFC. It makes it easier to navigate and compare the pros and cons. The author can outline all three solutions, compare their advantages and disadvantages, and then suggest the one they are leaning toward, explaining why.
When the whole team is aligned on the alternatives, it enables a meaningful discussion. Sometimes, during the discussion, someone proposes a completely different solution, which can turn out to be better than the initial options. I consider that a big win.
Regarding keeping RFCs in Confluence: we also use Confluence. It can be a bit awkward if people miss notifications on comments and replies, but that’s just how it is. So far, we haven’t had a need to go back to previous versions. We also don’t keep RFCs up to date as solutions evolve. RFCs primarily serve to align the team and make decisions. Keeping them continuously updated would be too much work.