launchpad-dev team mailing list archive

[Karl Fogel <karl.fogel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Danilo Šegan <danilo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
>  * Many Ubuntu-related mailing list requests, which should instead live
> on lists.ubuntu.com

What if we

  a) Put a big notice there reminding people to create Ubuntu lists at
     lists.ubuntu.com, and

  b) If a list has ubuntu in its name, interpose a warning+confirmation
     screen, and

  c) For the few mistakes that still happen, just do post-facto review
     and move them over to ubuntu.com as needed.

?

>  * Reduce spam — I am not sure how spam is possible otherwise (can list
> owner subscribe people without them wanting to be on the list?), and we
> can probably stop worrying about this one

(Spam appears not to be an issue, as per later mails in this thread.)

> In general, any mailing list request should not wait for more than 1
> working day as is right now.

The difference between "instantaneous" and "any delay at all" is
infinite, and is a real problem.  When someone is doing a multi-part
task, if we introduce a delay to *any* part, we've effectively stopped
the task until that person next gets time to work on it.

This makes Launchpad unfriendly to opportunistic collaboration.  And
since the task itself might be part of some larger group activity, these
delays can cascade through the system, affecting many people.

As much as possible, Launchpad should do what the user requested the
instant the user requested it -- we can clean up the mistakes later in
most cases.

So, prioritizing a "no delay" philosophy: can we let users create
mailing lists directly?  I think so.  A clear notice should stop most of
them; a warning screen will catch most of the rest; and we can clean up
the mistakes.  This would be a big improvement in user experience.

(And for the future: do we have any general policy on adding new
approval-requiring features to Launchpad?  Like "Don't do that"? :-) )

-Karl