[aur-general] List for new package announcements?

[Peter Lewis]

On Thursday 13 January 2011 18:00:12 Christoph wrote:
> > > Slight OT, thanks for pointing out this package, I now have more font
> > > compatibility than previously =)
> > 
> > Indeed!
> > 
> > Even more OT, wouldn't it be kinda cool if there was a mailing list or
> > something where people could post simply with news of new packages? I
> > can't imagine it would be very high traffic, but it would be interesting
> > to read in order to try new software out.
> 
> "AUR Home" tells me:
> Packages added or updated in the past 7 days: 	2804
> 
> This makes an average of 400 per day, 16 per hour...
> In my opinion that's too many...

Well, that includes every package that's even just version bumped! I don't 
know, but I'd imagine that updates to existing packages make up the vast 
majority of the uploads to the AUR.

I had in mind a list with no automation, just a place where people could post 
notifications about a *new* package upload, not "foo is now at version 2.3". I 
don't think update notifications would be at all appropriate, unless they 
provide significant new functionality that might make someone look anew at a 
piece of software.

A message might look like this:

Subject: AUR/ttf-vista-fonts
ttf-vista fonts is a new package which provides nice new fonts included in 
Windows Vista. Installing this might help with font compatibility in some 
applications.

(or something like that).

Also, it should be totally optional, just a place for useful voluntary 
notices, really. I certainly don't think that it would be high traffic.


On Thursday 13 January 2011 18:34:23 Thomas S Hatch wrote:
> > > I agree, some sort of pipe to talk about the new packages would be a
> > > nice thing to have, while I recognize the scope of adoptions and
> > > package updates
> > 
> > > I still think it is worth consideration.
> > 
> > I agree. Furthermore, I don't think everyone who updates or releases a
> > package would make an announcement, so whilst it may be there are 16
> > submissions per-hour to the AUR, it's very unlikely that there would be
> > 16 announcements per-hour on a mailing list created for the purpose of
> > making such announcements.
> > 
> > Of course, I'm not really in a position to say whether or not the
> > potential level of traffic is too great, but I would like to see such a
> > list implemented if it were at all possible.
> 
> One of my greatest professional advantages is found in software awareness,
> knowing what is out there and what I can leverage, I agree with Joel that
> it would be highly advantageous to the community  to have a place to post
> this sort of stuff. If anything else presenting it as an experiment, I
> think, is worth consideration.

Okay. Let's wait for a few more opinions - this wouldn't have to be just AUR 
either. New stuff in the binary repos could be included too.

Pete.