[Mailman-Developers] Browser ID integration with Mailman

[Barry Warsaw]

On Feb 22, 2012, at 03:49 PM, Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:

>We do, I think.  I think the core DB should be constant across
>Mailman installations, and restricted to fields useful in "forum"
>administration (ie, not restricted to mailing lists, although that
>will be the main purpose of Mailman 3 at its initial release).  The
>web UI DB storage would be optional and flexible.  But all fields and
>tables available to the web UI should be accessed by the same APIs in
>developing an instance of the web UI.
>
>Also, some fields of the core DB may be provided by a third party in
>vegetative state (eg, a personnel department).  We may want to allow
>the web UI to augment, edit, or override some of those fields in
>presentation.

The counter argument is that the core's database should only contain the data
that is needed to do its function.  A leaner core schema means it will be
easier to migrate and maintain as time goes on.  It also reduces bloat in the
REST API, even if we provided a generic key/data API (which frankly I don't
like).

E.g. if personnel department were central to the core's functionality, by all
means, let's add it to the schema and expose it in the right places within the
REST resource model.  If not, then it really shouldn't be part of the core's
schema.

Cheers,
-Barry