API stability level «Locked» is inaccurate

[ChALkeR]

Atm, these modules are listed in the documentation as being Locked: assert, modules, timers.

Update: assert was successfully unlocked in #11304. 🎉
Update: timers was successfully unlocked in #11580. 🎉

Locked is defined as:

Stability: 3 - Locked
Only fixes related to security, performance, or bug fixes will be accepted.
Please do not suggest API changes in this area; they will be refused.

Still we have those changes recently landed (~ 1 year):

• assert: Consistent error messages in all modules #3374, assert: introduce deepStrictEqual #639, assert: use util.inspect() to create error messages #668, assert: throw when block is not a function #308 (ok, that one is present since 1.0.0), borderline features/bug fixes: assert: respect assert.doesNotThrow message. #2407, assert: accommodate ES6 classes that extend Error #4166, assert: support arrow functions in .throws() #3276, assert: don't compare object prototype property #636,
• modules: module: preserve symlinks when requiring #5950, module: prioritize current directory for local lookup #5689, src: fix module search path for preload modules #1812, module: restore and warn on require('.') usage with NODE_PATH #1363, module: fix require('.') #1185, lib: remove broken NODE_MODULE_CONTEXTS feature #1162,
• timers: timers: Fail early when callback is not a function #4362, Consistent error messages in all modules #3374, net: throw on invalid socket timeouts node-v0.x-archive#8884.

And more proposed: #10282, #3384, #6165, #4550 (ok, the last two are not documented).

How Locked is defined does not fall in line with what's actually going on there. It looks more like stability level Stable should be used instead:

Stability: 2 - Stable
The API has proven satisfactory. Compatibility with the npm ecosystem
is a high priority, and will not be broken unless absolutely necessary.

Perhaps we should remove Locked stability level whatsoever?

/cc @nodejs/ctc

[Fishrock123]

This has been discussed before. As much as I don't like it, we kinda need to strongly signal we don't take much in terms of features so some modules.

Locked basically means: avoid PRing additions or breaking changes. (In a strong way.)

It's mostly to keep people from willy-nilly proposing anything.

[Fishrock123]

That being said, timers is the least locked in the bunch, but we won't normally take features for it.

[ChALkeR]

@Fishrock123 Well, it doesn't work. It should be either followed, reworded in the docs, or removed completely.

[Fishrock123]

Only fixes related to security, performance, or bug fixes will be regularly accepted.
Please do not suggest API changes in this area; they will probably be refused.

@ChALkeR that wording work for you?

[jasnell]

Only modifications related to security, performance, and bug fixes will be accepted.
Requests for new features or API changes will not be considered.

[ChALkeR]

@jasnell For example, #639 was clearly a feature, and what's going on with module are API changes.

[a0viedo]

Rewording in order to reflect more accurately the current flow seems like an improvement for me. @nodejs/documentation