[உபுண்டு_தமிழ்] Improving this mail-list: Users post & discuss problems/bugs, solutions and suggestions

[K. Sethu]

*Dear friends

I think  it would be fruitful if we keep a thread for discussions of any 
technical problems experienced while using this list and its  archives  
and also for entertaining suggestions by members for improvements.

That is,  sort of like discussions on nut and bolts issues in using the 
list, which would also have the list admin offering comments / guides 
whenever necessity arises.

If admin or anyone else wants to suggest and change my chosen subject 
title (as it is for this posting) so as to be more precise and clear, 
please do so; but lets all agree on a subject title soon for this type 
of postings.

Here I go now..

Suggestions:

1. In making a response to a list posting, we all should stick to 
keeping to the subject meant to be discussed and not drift away to other 
independent issues.

For example in the recent times : " "Need a proper guide for Keyboards 
and Layouts"  - on this subject commenced by the first posting of 
Ramdoss, every  subsequent  responses to it did not include any 
discussions relevant to the subject of Keyboards/Layouts and Guides for 
them, but they were all or mostly about translations.

If we keep to subject matter intended by the subject field then it will 
be useful for all of us including future newcomers, when archives would 
have to be searched for looking at past discussions on particular issues.

2. The list info page 
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-l10n-tam introduces the 
mail list as a forum for Ubuntu tamil users to exchange their opinions. 

 >>
*

இது உபுண்டுவின் தமிழ் குழுமம். உபுண்டுவின் தமிழ் பயனர்கள் தங்களின் கருத்துக்களை 
பரிமாறிக்கொள்ளும் கேந்திரம்.

<<

My suggestion is to add a line or two informing about the major subject 
fields for  discussions.

During a private chat few days back with Ramadoss, on my request to be  
clarified as to whether the purpose of the list is to discuss only 
translation issues he informed me that the intention is dual purpose :  

i) Tamil Translation for l10n and 
ii)  Usage in Tamil


The second category,  "Usage in Tamil"  apparently to include all 
technical issues - input schemes, rendering, applications behaviours 
etc; and our discussions of how to set them for tamil usage, the 
problems and the solutions.

My suggestion thus is an addition of an appropriate line or two in the 
list info page to inform above major scope for discussions .

3. It appears the "mailman" system does not provide details such as 
total number of members, number of messages etc.. Perhaps a once a month 
posting by admin to the list on some of these basic stats would be useful.


Now Problems found:

a. In archives, my message (in August) 
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-l10n-tam/2006-August/000022.html 
is not legible - seems to have got all  messed up.

Gedit is unable to open the "2006-August.txt"  file from the Gzip'd 
archive but firefox can and I see in text file also same message had 
become not legible.

b. My message 
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-l10n-tam/2006-October/000527.html 
in archive has lost about half (bottom half) - my message in full can be 
seen quoted in Ravi's response: 
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-l10n-tam/2006-October/000529.html

Interestingly there is no message #528 in between.

Then a chance look into "2006-September.txt" reveals me that the missing 
part from my message has been added at the end of that file like the 
following:

> From bogus at does.not.exist.com  Fri Sep 29 12:35:41 2006
> From: bogus at does.not.exist.com ()
> Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 11:35:41 -0000
> Subject: No subject
> Message-ID: 
> <mailman.106.1162284793.29604.ubuntu-l10n-tam at lists.ubuntu.com>
>
> community coucil, any changes to their logo is not allowed. Ravi, does
> the functioning of our group comes under this community council
> framework you quoted and we are bound by those rules?
[I am snipping here for brevity - sethu]
> If Ramadass is reading this wishing you to get well and hope you will
> participate in the IRC meeting or anyone on your behalf will bring
> forward your poitns of view
>
> Anbudan
> ~Sethu
What has happened ?

I bring to your notice these problems mainly to point out that we 
probably cannot assume that the archiving system is fool proof and we 
need to monitor it  regularly. If the above problems can be solved well 
and good but lets not assume the archiving we have is sound and fine.

~Sethu