General task view improvements

[zeileis]

Format: We have converted the old XML-based task views file now to the new Markdown-based format. Please check the resulting .md file whether everything is in order or some corrections/improvements are needed. See the corresponding documentation for more details.

Update: This would also be a good time to check the entire task whether it is up to date and correct. A write-up of the general goals and content guidelines is now summarized in the workflow for proposing new task views (which was not yet available when you authored your task view). Improving your task view to conform more closely with these goals and guidelines, if necessary, would be highly appreciated.

Co-maintainers: In particular, we strongly encourage that all task views not only have a principal maintainer but also 1-5 co-maintainers in order to get more inspirations for extensions/improvements and share the maintenance workload. So please try to extend the list of co-maintainers, ideally also including female contributors and generally involving persons with diverse backgrounds.

[rociojoo]

Hi @fabian-s We noticed that there have not been any activity so far on your side and we would like to make the repository public as soon as possible. Could you check the .md file and resulting html (running ctv2html("FunctionalData.md")) and make edits if needed? Please also consider inviting co-maintainers and updating the ctv, though the priority is checking the .md file. Thanks.

[fabian-s]

thanks for the reminder -- the md-file and resulting HTML are fine as is, IMO. the content complies with the new guidelines AFAICT, if you disagree I'd appreciate specific pointers on what doesn't.

I'm in the process of trying to recruit co-maintainers (not any of those undesirable white male academic oppressors, though!), no luck in my network yet.

[zeileis]

Thanks for the follow-up Fabian! Two quick comments:

• The note regarding the content checks was posted for all task views after the transition to GitHub. We thought that this would be a good time to ask maintainers for a check and potential update. So we didn't have anything specific in mind for your task view.
• Regarding the co-maintainers: The point about the diversity is not so much "old white men" vs. the rest but could be with respect to many different dimensions - geographical, junior vs. senior, methodologist vs. practitioner, different "schools" of packages, etc. The goal is to have different co-maintainers who will be able to contribute different aspects to the task views. We hope that this makes it easier to keep track of what is going on on CRAN.

Let us know if you need more feedback or comments.

[rociojoo]

Thanks @fabian-s .

• Yes, we don't have any specific comments. And would appreciate if you can update the ctv or confirm that there are no updates.
• I agree with Achim @zeileis about considering the multiple dimensions of diversity, that would enrich the ctv with a different perspective, the community with different contributions and ideas, and them with the experience of being part of this—if it's useful for them. Of course no oppressors is a good filter ;)

[fabian-s]

Good news -- 4 people (Julia Wrobel, Eleonora Anore, Derek Tucker, Giles Hooker) have agreed to help maintain the task view, I'll add them to the repo as maintainers as soon as I know which Github handles they want to use for this.

[zeileis]

That's great news, Fabian. Welcome on board everybody!

I've just turned your repsitory "Public" now and listed it on the main ctv page. I think we can close this issue with that. But, of course, improvements (especially also from the new maintainers) are very welcome going forward.

I have also pushed two small changes in the .md file just now: You, Fabian, should be listed first in the maintainer field to match the e-mail address. And I have used the view(...) function now to link to the TimeSeries task view.

[fabian-s]

ty Achim @zeileis !