On Tue, Dec 21, 2010 at 8:32 AM, zeto28<amf5bp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 02:16:56PM -0800, Andrew Ettinger wrote:
I was thinking we should install / use a listserver for the other
teams, so they don't have to go through LaunchPad...
Finally. However, I already see a big problem emerging: we are getting
too many channels with no clear definition of each one's purpose.
Having to follow both the forum and the lists will become a pain very
quickly, and we should resolve this as early as possible.
I actually totally agree with this- I even thought of it after I
submitted my suggested on Google Groups (but was too busy to
follow-up).
I mean, let's re-cap what we have right now (and I may not even have
everything covered, so please someone correct me if I'm missing
something):
* Launchpad, which includes:
- This mailing list
- Some issue tracking
- Source-code management
- A wiki
- Other items? (Did someone mention a forum?)
* The Reddit Subgroup
* A couple of websites including
- http://www.theosdf.org/ is the new hotness
- Didn't we have something else at one point as well?
The way *I* see it, we're pretty close to being saturated with methods
of communication.
Launchpad and its features are probably the best for the
developer-side of things- dealing with code, managing technical
details, etc. I saw Stacy say that she didn't find Launchpad useful
for project management with designers, but (and it's not my intention
to be rude) I'd suggest that's probably not a flaw in Launchpad-
Launchpad is used in over 6,000 projects[1] including and most notably
Ubuntu http://www.ubuntu.com/ . Chances are if we can't find what we
need for project management in Launchpad, we're probably just using it
wrong.
The only things that speak for a web forum are that less tech-savvy
people can use it more easily and that moderators can move, split and
merge threads. However, it is easy to DDOS, provides only very basic
search functions (no regexps, rate-limited), is insecure (SMF stores
passwords in the clear AND mails them around!), and lacks tree threads
and message-level read management. Mailing lists OTOH are fully
decentralized, searchable on the client-side (reducing server load),
support tree threads, offer far better read management (i.e. one has to
only hit a key to read the next unread message), and official posts can
be cryptographically signed so everyone knows they're genuine. There
will be some reasons that the Linux kernel developers don't use a forum
as the primary means of communication. I for one have developed kind of
an aversion to web forums.
I agree there probably *should* be some sort of forum/mailing-list
barrier between those averse to forums and those averse to mailing
lists. I am certainly in the "I hate forums" camp (because I'm
definitely from the hardcore, low-level Free-Software development
camp). But I will admit that for some general person who *just* wants
to communicate with the rest of the team (and not really contribute in
any other way other than make a post) a forum is the way to go.
The real question is, what do we get from additional forum software
that we don't already get from the rpac subreddit? E.g., do we
*really* need another bit of technology thrown into an already crowded
pool?
If MajorDomo is too arcane, GNU Mailman would be the next best
alternative, I think. There also exists a software called "Syncom"
whose purpose it is to sync Mailman mailing lists and a phpBB forum
using a news server.
<snip>
Google Groups would probably be technically an option, but only for
lists where the public can't post
(<http://ejohn.org/blog/google-groups-is-dead>). Using Google
infrastructure would make me feel uncomfortable, though. We should only
consider that as a last resort option, I think.
See, the extra complication you detailed above was exactly why I
originally suggested Google Groups as it would come pre-built with
those integrated features (and we all tend to be busy- I'd hate us to
commit to some complicated integration that none of us have the time
to complete).
But I'll admit for the same reasons I was uncomfortable automatically
recommending HSBC here
http://www.reddit.com/r/rpac/comments/elqvi/what_bank_should_we_use/c191ztu
, I'm also hesitant recommending Google.
[1] https://bugs.launchpad.net/
---Sam
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