Generate hierarchical release notes

[enisoc]

There is an effort underway to generate release notes from PRs, grouped by SIG and area labels. As the release team, we should engage with them to help test the tool and give feedback.

kubernetes/release#434
kubernetes/release#435

[xiangpengzhao]

ack. will join in the effort :)

[Bradamant3]

This effort can really help only after we get better written release notes. I'd like to start with the content that the sigs produce in the first place. Editing after the fact, as previous releases have shown, is a great deal more work.
I'll add Nick Chase as an assignee after I learn his GH handle ...

[enisoc]

@Bradamant3 That makes sense. What do you think is a good first step for improving the content? Publicizing a guide?

One way this hierarchical tool could help us improve content is by giving us a snapshot into the current relnotes, in a form that we can take to each SIG and give specific recommendations. For example, we could flag some sample relnotes as Good or Needs Improvement for each SIG, to show what we mean by quality content. The SIGs can then start to burn down their respective Needs Improvement lists. What do you think?

[Bradamant3]

cc @nickchase

[nickchase]

@enisoc Editing after the fact can indeed be more work, but without this we'd need to do the writing from scratch anyway -- and without pre-sorted clues as to what's been accomplished -- so I think this can only help. But I agree that this is a good way for us to have something to go back to the SIGs with. It will also help us to see where we're either getting too many or too few release notes, IMO.

[Bradamant3]

@enisoc @nickchase On my TODO list is putting together a guide, with template. (Here's a larger writeup, in case y'all haven't seen it): https://docs.google.com/document/d/17af5ZkRX83ISvizml9FKPc9TCtCIp9PecXpNGh324M8/edit#heading=h.ypeaydkz068g
I'll try to get something short and usable together in the next day or two, then maybe we can review and discuss the best way to take to sigs. I think probably the best we can do is get some subset of sigs on board for 1.9, and then go full out with better support with Jaice's ideas for 1.10.

[xiangpengzhao]

BTW, the release note process of the bot has changed, I send two PRs to update PR template and docs:
kubernetes/kubernetes#54114
kubernetes/community#1221

@Bradamant3 PTAL. Thanks!

[enisoc]

Hierarchical release notes were generated and used to seed the initial draft of the hand-curated notes.