[aur-general] List for new package announcements?

[Thomas S Hatch]

2011/1/13 Peter Lewis <plewis at aur.archlinux.org>

> 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.
>

My vote is all for this, I think it would be a hugely advantageous place to
discuss packages moving into Arch, and great place to post information about
packages graduating to community.

For what it is worth +1 :)

-Tom Hatch