[ Forgot to CC gcc@ in my initial message, thanks Andrew. ]
I would like to propose the creation a new mailing list:
gcc-newbies@gcc.gnu.org.
The purpose of this list is to attract and help new GCC developers who
might feel lost and intimidated by the more arcane traffic at gcc and
gcc-patches. In this list, no question regarding GCC development should
be considered offtopic nor treated with "RTFM" responses.
The idea is to give new developers a place where to hang out and ask all
those questions they feel may be too silly for the main list. GCC has a
reputation for being a difficult environment to work in and new
developers are sometimes driven away by the terseness and/or perceived
hostility in the main lists.
The other goal of gcc-newbies is to provide a list of janitorial and
relatively simple projects that are always floating around and nobody
seems to get to. The GCC wiki already has a list of such projects, some
of which should be a good start for anyone wanting to join.
Or maybe this is not a good idea, but I have certainly seen some folks
that complain about our less than friendly practices.