[Mailman-Developers] Re: [Mailman-Users] Re: MIME messages

[Barry A. Warsaw]

>>>>> "JCL" == J C Lawrence <claw@kanga.nu> writes:

    >> The point is that there's a lot we can do very cleanly at the
    >> Python level, but that the more configurability we expose at
    >> the web/email interface, the less usable it becomes, IMHO.  So,
    >> I'm thinking seriously about ways to preserve the power Mailman
    >> can provide to the Python hacker while employing abstractions
    >> to reduce the cognitive load on the list administrators and
    >> users.

    JCL> One problem with this approach is that you tend to require
    JCL> list admins to have shell access.

It does mean that list admins will be more dependent on the site admin
for customizations beyond the canned themes.  Maybe that won't be good
enough.

If not, then an approach would be an onion-type interface, where
normally the list admin is given a simplified UI, but can drill down
to a more complicated interface if necessary.  One thing I /don't/
think will be appropriate is to allow list admins to upload or write
Python code without vetting from the site admin, because then we're in
the realm of restricted execution, etc.  Going down that road has
serious security implications that will be difficult and time
consuming to get right.

Of course, we /could/ target Zope as the platform, in which case we'd
get a lot of that for free...

just-thinking-out-loud-ly y'rs,
-Barry