[Mailman-Developers] Preferred Feedback Pipeline

[Barry A. Warsaw]

>>>>> "BB" == Ben Burnett <benwa@ocentrix.com> writes:

    BB> Hey Barry,

Hey Ben!

    BB> I'm posting this on the list because I think it would be
    BB> relevant for everyone to know.

    BB> What is you're preferred pipeline for feedback on Mailman,
    BB> especially feedback on testing the development releases?  The
    BB> reason I ask is that it seems that there are quite a few
    BB> different places that could be used.

    | The sourceforge site.
    | 	bugs, patches, feature requests
    | 	http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/mailman

    | The discussion lists.
    | 	much and many of everything.
    | 	mailman-users@python.org, mailman-developers@python.org

    | The wiki.
    | requirements, architectural directions, component designs, more
    | http://www.zope.org/Members/bwarsaw/MailmanDesignNotes/FrontPage

    BB> Did I miss any?

That's about got it.

    BB> Perhaps you'd prefer a different venue and format for
    BB> different types of feedback.  While I don't expect to be able
    BB> to have 100% of all feedback redirected perhaps if we put your
    BB> preferred methods in the FAQ, README, and the devs.html,
    BB> bugs.html, and todo.html pages of the Mailman site a good
    BB> portion could be redirected.

    | feature request: sourceforge?
    | bug report: sourceforge?
    | patches: sourceforge?
    | usage questions: mailman-users?
    | development questions: mailman-developers, wiki?
    | praise: ?
    | rant's, demands, whining: /dev/null?
    | money: ?

    BB> Am I making an issue out of a non-issue?

Here's how it currently works.  Occasionally individuals will send me
email directly if they notice a small bug or typo.  This is probably
the most dangerous way to report problems because it's easy for them
to get buried in my inbox.  You can increase the chances of me seeing
it by putting "Mailman" in the subject though. :)

For problems with the current development version (i.e. 2.1 alphas),
mailman-developers is probably the best place to report them.  I've
been bad about killing off SF bugs and patches, but intend to do a
thorough sweep before 2.1beta1 and during the beta cycle.  Once 2.1
goes beta, then I think SF is a valid place to report bugs.

For most patches, SF is definitely the way to go.  Please try not to
post either patches or bugs anonymously (not logged in), because if we
need to have a conversation about it, it's very inconvenient to reach
you unless you've posted the bug/patch while logged in.

Simple feature requests can be discussed on mailman-developers, and
probably eventually logged into SF.  I'd like to migrate away from the
TODO file (aka todo.html), it's too unweildy and doesn't allow that
nice conversational rhythm to develop.  However, so far we haven't
taken much advantage of the SF feature request tracker.

The wiki is probably the best place to capture more elaborate design
proposals and issues.  If we need to discuss, we can move to
mailman-developers, but we should probably capture them back in the
wiki eventually.  I'd like to use the wiki for roadmaps and other
longer term design and architectural documentation.

Usage questions, mailman-users please.  I must regretfully admit that
I don't get to read much of mailman-users.  I tend to drop in and out
depending on how much other stuff I have to do, and it's the first
stuff that I give up on and scoot off to a backwater inbox.  I'm
hoping and trusting you guys to bring important mailman-user issues to
my attention.

Rants, whinings, demands: Tim Peters <wink>.

All offers of money, both large and small, of any denomination and
national guarantor, or renumeration in kind (tasty beer the more
ethnic the better, fast cars, new houses, 2GHz Pentiums running
dual-headed 18" flat panels) can be sent directly to me, but only if
it's shiny, crisp, roomy, foamy, or speedy. :)

Plug: serious interest in funding more focussed work on or with
Mailman, through Zope Corporation is welcome.  It worked great IMO
recently with Control.com and it can work for your mega-$$$
corporation too! :)

Let's see, have I missed anything?

Well, it does seem a bit fractured.  But, other than me being the
bottleneck, is the system really broken?

-Barry