Before they merge a change in, they must also consider how it will be received by other contributors and users. Bigger projects often use a formal “request for comments” (RFC) process to allow communities to discuss these changes before they are merged. In Python, for example, these requests are called Python Enhancement Proposals (PEPs),68 while in Go, another programming language, a formal proposal is called a “design document.”69 On smaller projects, the RFC process might just look like an informal discussion thread on an open pull request.

