"MF" == Markus Fleck
writes:
MF> I agree with this. What would be helpful would be (i) a web MF> interface for multiple-moderator moderation (which I believe MF> Mailman already provides), and (ii) some rather simple changes MF> to the list-to-newsgroup gateway to do some header MF> manipulations before posting each approved message to MF> c.l.py.a. This is doable in Mailman, but I'm not so sure how much it will help, unless we make a further refinement. I don't know enough about the Usenet moderation process to know if this will work, but let me outline things here. There's two ways a message can get announced, first via email or first via Usenet. Here's what happens in each case: - A message is sent to python-announce@python.org. This is the preferred email address to post to. These messages get forwarded to clpa@python.net, which I believe is just a simple exploder to Markus and Vladimir. Obviously with the Starship current dead, this is broken too. I don't know what happens to these messages once Markus and Vladimir get it, but I assume that Markus adds a magic approval header and forwards the message to Usenet. Perhaps Markus can explain this process in more detail. - A message is sent to python-announce-list@python.org. This is not the official place to send announcements, but this specific alias simply forwards to python-announce@python.org so see above. Note that the other standard Mailman python-announce-list-* aliases are in place, and python-announce-list is a functioning Mailman mailing list. This list gates from Usenet, but not /to/ Usenet because of the forwarding described above. When it sees a message on c.l.py.a, it sucks the messages off the newsgroup and forwards it to all list members. Obviously those messages must have already been approved by the Usenet moderators. - A message is sent directly to c.l.py.a. From what I understand, the Usenet software itself forwards to the moderators, who again, do their magic and forwards the message to Usenet. So, given this arrangement, the messages never arrive unapproved at a mailing list. What it sounds like Markus is proposing is that the official Usenet moderator address would be a mailing list. It would be a closed mailing list whose members are approved moderators, with a shared Mailman alias. Any message posted there would be held for approval, and once approved, it would be injected directly into Usenet, with the appropriate magic header. I think I know what I'd need to add to Mailman to support this, though it'll be a little tricky. I need to know exactly how approved messages should be posted to Usenet. Does someone have a URL reference to this procedure, or is it easy enough to explain? -Barry