making Mailman CAN-SPAM compliant (was Re:[Mailman-Developers] Hashing member passwords in config.pck)

[JC Dill]

Adrian Bye wrote:

>>	If someone wanted to pay large sums of money to make an 
>>open source Yahoo! Groups-beating package, and pay people to 
>>work on that as their full-time job, we might be able to 
>>change this situation -- in time.
>>
>We've previously had conversations about some Yahoo groups functionality which
>you said wasn't possible:
>
>http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/faqw-mm.py?req=show&file=faq04.039.htp
>
>Yesterday I contributed patches which enables Mailman to have this exact
>functionality which we borrowed from Yahoo Groups.  Yet I've seen no response
>from you yet, and only one half dismissive response from another mailman
>developer.
>  
>
Sometimes the key developers are busy on other things (the recent 
security issues obviously screwed up their work schedules) and patches 
aren't immediately evaluated.  You should give them more than just one 
day before you determine if your patch is appreciated and accepted etc.

>Mailman CAN be as good - and better - than Yahoo Groups.  It doesn't have to
>take lots of money and resources.  Just being willing to accept our code a piece
>at a time, and encouraging those who contribute will go a long way towards
>getting there.
>
>There may be some disagreement on the unsubscribe styff, but the header/footer
>handling only benefits everyone.  I certainly hope that the mailman team will be
>responsive, and accept these patches and integrate them into the codebase.  From
>my side we'll do whatever it takes to make that happen.  Just tell us what we
>have to do.
>  
>
Right now, I would suggest being patient.  I suggest you give it a week 
for Barry and the other key developers to to find the time to start 
looking at new code after they dig out from their present schedule 
overload caused by the recent security incident.

I don't know what Brad's key focus is on this list, but I can share with 
you that *I* am not a developer in that I don't write code.  My role 
here is that I help in a product management type role, helping 
prioritize, helping define, helping with documentation (FAQ entries 
etc.), enter feature requests, etc.  And I help with the day-to-day 
management of the mailman -users and -dev mailing lists so that the key 
developers can focus their time on code instead of running the lists.  
Sometimes when we have list management related email threads it takes 
the key developers more than a week to chime in on something too....

jc