Re: [PATCH] net: add new QCA alx ethernet driver

[Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org>]

On Thu, Aug 09, 2012 at 06:49:25AM +0000, Ren, Cloud wrote:
> 
> Please calm down. I will follow rule of sending email from now on. Sorry for causing
> your trouble. Luis has ever asked joe for adding as a Signed-off-by. At that time joe agreed
> with it. If joe prefers his name not be listed as a Signed-off-by, I will respect his decision.
> alx driver is innocent. Please help review.  Thanks

I'm curious, did Luis ask on list or off? When I ask someone for a
Signed-off-by tag, I always ask them to post it to the list, even when
they have given it to me privately. I like others to see that someone
explicitly gave me their permission, as I would never add a Signed-off
tag for someone else.

The Signed-off tag has some legal bindings (all other tags are for
credit/info only). It is that person saying that the changes they made
to a patch are theirs and are giving the right to distribute it. It is
also used by those that take the changes and insert it into the
repository.

>From Documentation/SubmittingPatches:

  The sign-off is a simple line at the end of the explanation for the
  patch, which certifies that you wrote it or otherwise have the right to
  pass it on as an open-source patch.

Joe, If you actually modified part of the code in the patch, you do have
the right to add a signed-off-by tag. If you just made suggestions or
reviewed, then a 'Suggested-by' or 'Reviewed-by' tag would be more
appropriate.

  The Signed-off-by: tag indicates that the signer was involved in the
  development of the patch, or that he/she was in the patch's delivery
  path.

-- Steve