[Python-Dev] backporting stdlib 2.7.x from pypy to cpython (original) (raw)

Stephen J. Turnbull stephen at xemacs.org
Thu Jun 14 03:31:07 CEST 2012

Cameron Simpson writes:

This approach has its own problems. Is the proposed list, like many lists, restricted to accept posts only from subscribers? If that is the case, when someone CCs the VM list, everyone honouring the CC in replies needs to be a VM list member if they are not to get annoying bounce messages.

Mailman has a feature called "sibling lists", which seems to include cross-checking membership on posts, although I'm not sure if it is tuned to exactly this purpose.

In any cases, if the proposed list is not a discussion list, it can be configured not to send bounce messages just because somebody honored CC. For example, by keying on the Reference and In-Reply-To headers, and discarding the message if they are present (possible by ordinary configuration of the spam filters). For bonus points, bounce such messages when python-dev is not present among the visible addressees. (Might require a special Handler, but it wouldn't be a big deal to write it because it can be installed only for the new list.)

+1 to this, but how to keep this etiquette maintained?

A filter on the new list, implemented as above. It's pretty much trivial for those with the know-how.

And (premised on my concern above), do people wanting to CC: the VM list for the heads-up purpose need to join it first?

Probably not, but this is hardly burdensome; many people with the background to know when to CC: may want to subscribe anyway even if they are subscribed to python-dev, and traffic should be quite low. If even so that's a bother, they can set their subscription to no-mail.

Conversely, some of this discussion mentions that people don't subscribe to python-dev; do they need to subscribe to chime in when the bat signal goes off?

Maybe not: I believe it's possible to post to python-dev via Gmane if you're not subscribed. Even if they need to be subscribed, there is a wealth of options, including Gmane and the archives, for reading traffic without receiving it as mail (ie, by subscribing and then setting the no-mail flag).

Hackish idea: suppose there were a special purpose mail forwarder, like a write-only mailing list? It would require special Mailman hackery,

Not that special.

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