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+# End-of-Life Policy on Issues
+
+_jetsam (n): the part of a ship, its equipment, or its cargo that is cast overboard to lighten the load in time of distress_
+
+Finite resources demand some level of pruning. This document describes
+the basic principles used by the Containers team to identify and close
+stale issues.
+
+------
+
+## Definitions
+
+[**stale**](https://github.com/containers/podman/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+sort%3Acreated-asc+label%3Astale-issue): open, but no activity in the last thirty days.
+
+**crickets**: closed due to lack of response from reporting party.
+
+[**jetsam**](https://github.com/containers/podman/issues?q=is%3Aissue+label%3Ajetsam+is%3Aclosed): closed without being implemented. A deliberate decision made in recognition of human limitations.
+
+------
+
+## Process
+
+In order of judgment, from least to most.
+
+#### → stale
+
+Issues are marked with the label *stale-issue* by a [github action](https://github.com/containers/podman/blob/main/.github/workflows/stale.yml) that runs daily at 00:00 UT. This also triggers an email alert to subscribers on that issue.
+
+Judgment: typically a team member will skim the issue, then decide whether to:
+
+* remove the label; or
+* close the issue (see below); or
+* do nothing.
+
+This is informal: there is no guarantee that anyone will actually do this.
+
+#### → crickets
+
+Typically done by a team member after receiving a *stale-issue* email.
+
+Judgment:
+
+* there is not enough information to act on the issue; and
+* someone on the team has asked the reporter for more details (like NEEDINFO); and
+* the reporter has not responded.
+
+There is no actual *crickets* label. There is no automated way to
+find issues that have been closed for this reason.
+
+#### → jetsam
+
+Last-resort closing of an issue that will not be worked on.
+
+Factors:
+
+* issue has remained open for over sixty days; and
+* reporter is responsive, and still wishes to have the issue addressed (as does the team).
+
+Judgment:
+
+* the issue is too difficult or complicated or hard to track down.
+* decision should be made by two or more team members, with discussion in the issue/PR itself.
+
+When such an issue is closed, team member should apply the *jetsam* label.
+
+------
+
+## Grayer Areas
+
+`stalebot` isn't perfect. It often misses issues, and we end up with
+some that have been open a long time and do not have the `stale-issue` label.
+
+These are hard to find manually. There is no defined process for identifying
+or acting on them. If and when someone finds these, they should be handled
+through the process defined above.