JSR348-84: Should Mailing List be a defined term?

[apastsya]

Jira issue originally created by user pcurran:

In a comment on http://java.net/jira/browse/JSR348-59 lightguard suggested:

"would it not make more sense (and to a point future proof) to drop the mailing list requirement and term it communication, or something similar? Especially in light of new group communication mediums such as the now defunct Google Wave project do we want to mandate that communication must happen through an email list?"

One way to deal with this suggestion would be to make Mailing List a defined term, and to define it generally in terms of the features such a communication mechanism should provide (allow public subscription, provide a searchable archive, etc.)

This would be somewhat similar to the suggestion that we define Issue Tracker.

[apastsya]

Comment created by pcurran:

I can't think of a suitable term.

Be that as it may, if we choose to implement this suggestion the definition should probably read something like this:

Whatever: a mailing list or similar communication mechanism (for example, a discussion forum or Wiki) that allows a group of people to communicate with each other electronically."

Instead of supplying a formal definition we might simply want to say, the first time we use the term: "mailing list (or similar mechanism such as a discussion forum or Wiki)"

[apastsya]

Comment created by starksm64:

I do think it helps the transparency effort to define a mailing list somewhat abstractly as you have done in the "Whatever" ter, and that the definition should include that it must be archived so that history is preserved.

[apastsya]

Comment created by pcurran:

[Line numbers reference the September 9 draft]

Replace the existing section 1.1.1 with this

1.1.1 PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS

Expert Groups may choose to keep purely administrative matters private but all substantive business must be performed in a manner that allows the public to observe their work and to respond to it. All proceedings, discussions, and working documents must be published, and a mechanism must be established to allow the public to provide feedback. One common way of meeting these requirements is through the use of one or more mailing lists, but other alternatives such as blogs, Wikis, and discussion forums may be preferred. Whatever communication mechanisms are chosen, these must include an archiving function so that a record of all communications is preserved. Archives must be readable by the public."

Line 190: change "mailing lists" to "communication mechanisms"

Lines 410-411: change "Comments on the JSR should be sent to the JSR's public feedback mailing list" to "Comments on the JSR should be sent to the EC's public feedback mailing list"

[apastsya]

Comment created by eduardo:

Latest changes have been incorporated (except that in the case of lines 410-411 the term mailing list was replaced by communication mechanism, as was obviously the intention.

[apastsya]

Comment created by pcurran:

Closed, as agreed at the September 21 Working Group meeting.

[apastsya]

Issue was closed with resolution "Fixed"