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

[Peter]

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