The recent correspondence among programmers has shed light on several key issues and decisions being navigated within the community.
Initially, there is a plan to use delvingbitcoin.org for discourse related to machine learning hosting options with a trial period set for the early part of 2024. This decision will be revisited based on its performance during the trial phase.
Several challenges have been identified, including missing images in the current project and the lack of a robust authentication system. The latter issue is deemed particularly problematic due to technological constraints that may render it unsolvable with the tools at hand. For those interested in more information or wishing to address these concerns, Peter Todd's personal website and an email contact have been made available, with a unique slicing syntax for the email address provided.
The 'delving-bitcoin-archive' GitHub repository, designed to be self-contained, offers users the ability to run their own instance of the archive, indicating the project's emphasis on decentralization and user empowerment. It contains all necessary instructions and code for setup and deployment.
Preservation of information and ensuring future accessibility is highlighted by referencing the Linux kernel's approach, which allows historical emails to be accessed via lore.kernel.org. This raises the question of delvingbitcoin.org's capability to transfer archival conversations to different platforms for continued accessibility.
The possibility of managing forum topics through email has been discussed, with insights provided from Mozilla's Discourse instance. This includes the creation of new topics via email, filtering of sub-forum headers, and compiling an archive of forum activity by subscribing to the mailing list mode. An external tool developed by James OB for archiving forums is also mentioned.
Long-term viability concerns regarding delvingbitcoin.org have been voiced. There is a preference for maintaining a mailing list for its assured longevity, with lists.sr.ht mentioned as a potential backup solution. Despite security concerns about delvingbitcoin.org's reliance on timestamps, the sender acknowledges its accessibility for users with screen readers.
Further discussion focused on the difficulty of archiving content from delvingbitcoin.org compared to email lists, with the latter providing stronger authentication methods such as PGP and DMARC. The sender suggests that delvingbitcoin.org may not be able to match email list archives in terms of security and authenticity.
A critical issue was raised by Matt Corallo about the 'mailing list mode' not being as straightforward for archiving purposes as anticipated, inviting suggestions on how to address this concern effectively.
A tentative decision has been made to use delvingbitcoin.org for discussions, with a two-week trial period to assess its suitability. The effectiveness of the 'mailing list mode' feature is uncertain, and posts cannot be made via email unless this feature is activated. Organizational aspects, such as categories versus tags and the creation of a 'Lightning Protocol Design' category, were also discussed.
Vincent has expressed eagerness to contribute to a project that involves machine learning moderation and offers assistance with hosting responsibilities, ensuring any issues with emails marked as spam are managed, especially for non-Microsoft hosted email services.
Joining a Google Group without a Gmail account is possible, and Groups.io is presented as an alternative platform that offers a migration path from Mailman. Discourse is favored for its ability to display images and LaTeX and operates in 'email list mode'.
Lastly, the impending shutdown of the current mailing list by year-end has led to the exploration of alternative platforms. Google Groups, GitHub discussions, a new mailman instance, and Discourse (self-hosted or through delvingbitcoin.com) were considered. A vote will take place at the next meeting to determine the best course of action, and participants are encouraged to share their perspectives either at the meeting or by responding to the message.