[Biopython] Merging Biopython & -dev mailing list; retiring -announce list

[Peter Cock]

Hello all,

I have heard no objections to the plan outlined below to merge
the biopython-dev and biopython mailing lists, nor comments
about also retiring the biopython-announce list. If you have
concerns, please reply to the main biopython list and CC me.

The OBF still intends to migrate to a paid hosted mailman, but
in the meantime, after further reconfiguration at the start of the
year, the OBF mailman server seems to be running stably again.

However, to achieve this required making an important change:
Any emails sent to the list from a non-subscribed address are
now SILENTLY DISCARDED. Sadly due to spam abuse returning
an automated bounce message is not longer practical.

If you have multiple email addresses (or email address aliases),
and only some of them are subscribed, this may regrettably cause
confusion.

Peter
(Here writing as both a representative for the Biopython
developers, and the OBF Board)

On Sun, Dec 10, 2017 at 11:47 PM, Peter Cock <p.j.a.cock at googlemail.com> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> (For reasons which the following should explain, I have
> also BCC'd various people active in the Biopython community)
>
> This email may never arrive, but in case it does, the OBF is
> currently having difficulties with its mailman server buckling
> under the strain of spam filtering:
>
> https://news.open-bio.org/2017/11/12/mailing-list-outage-and-public-board-meeting-update/
>
> The OBF is considering moving a small number of active
> mailing lists to paid hosting, and to that end it would be
> expedient to merge the biopython (users and discussion)
> and biopython-dev (development) mailing lists, and also
> to shut down the biopython-announce mailing list.
>
> [We would seek to preserve the decade public long mailing
> list archives during such a migration.]
>
> Given most of our development discussion now happens
> on GitHub, I think we could happily combine the main
> biopython and biopython-dev lists without objection.
>
> I'm curious how many people would miss the annoucement
> mailing list, mainly used for release notices which also go
> out via Twitter and the OBF blog, see:
>
> https://twitter.com/biopython
>
> https://news.open-bio.org/category/obf-projects/biopython/
>
> Any objections, please reply to the main Biopython list
> and/or the biopython-dev list (and CC me in case the
> mailman server never passes it on).
>
> Thank you,
>
> Peter
> (Here writing as both a representative for the Biopython
> developers, and the OBF Board)