[Biopython] suggestion: moving to the discussion list to Google groups

[Chris Fields]

On Dec 16, 2009, at 11:07 AM, Peter wrote:

> On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 4:49 PM, Istvan Albert <iua1 at psu.edu> wrote:
>> Hello Everyone,
>> 
>> I applaud the move to Github, I think it was a great decision that
>> will allow more people to contribute to the project.
>> 
>> Yet at the same time a community is built on communication and the
>> current mailing list feels extremely antiquated. The way of
>> interaction is tedious: sending emails to an address, then one reads
>> one message at a time, messages are not displayed in a threaded form
>> where multiple messages are shown at the same time. There is no of
>> search,  etc. and it all feels like a throwback to the 90s.
> 
> A lot of that is down to your email program - I find none of
> those issue apply to how I use the list (in GoogleMail).
> 
> You are specifically talking about browsing the mailing list
> archive? There yes, things are a bit rudimentary, and search
> isn't as good as in GoogleMail. But on the other hand it is
> clearly a read only archive.
> 
>> Personally I think a choice of mailman is a choice of deliberately of
>> limiting access to all but the most hardcore - and for example that's
>> why the main Python-dev uses it, it is a more of  a mechanism to
>> keep people away. Of course python has comp.lang.python and it
>> is a nice and thriving group.
>> 
>> The alternative such as Google groups would be far superior in
>> attracting and building a community of developers and users as
>> well. Is this an idea that  the owners of the list would entertain?
> 
> It is something that the OBF may consider - but there are a
> lot of concerns about reliance on third parties, advertising, loss
> of brand control etc (see also Hilmar's email).
> 
> Peter

I agree with peter and hilmar.  Nabble and Gmane both archive the open-bio lists, at least for bioperl, but I would assume biopython as well.  For a painful example of how bad third party mail lists can be (painful at least to me), see the gmod lists at Sourceforge.

chris