Migrate geoserver-users email list to discourse.osgeo.org group.

Jody Garnett

This proposal is for GeoServer 2.26.

• Under Discussion
• In Progress
• Completed
• Rejected
• Deferred

Offer forum for geoserver-users discussion and questions, while maintaining email experience for those who desire.

• Ease of use: sign-in using credentials you already have on hand
• Deduplication: Forum workflow allows questions to stay answered, rather than repeated
• Alternative to email list

1. Setup https://discourse.osgeo.org/c/geoserver-users discourse.

   Initial content obtain via export of SourceForge mbox to preserve project history (although SourceForge strips exact email address to respect privacy laws).

   Associate a user geoserver-users@osgeo.org with the group, so that email sent to this address is added to the discourse group. This preserves the email list workflow.

2. Update website GeoServer Community instructions.

   Instructions should cover our code of conduct, use of geoserver-users, and how to sign up as an email list.

3. During transition the SourceForge email list footer will provide instructions on how to change.

   This mailing list has moved to https://discourse.osgeo.org/c/geoserver-users Visit https://geoserver.org/comm/ for instructions on our new forum, and use of geoserver-users@osgeo.org as an email list.

4. The SourceForge email list will be archived after 1-2 months, corresponding with release of GeoServer 2.26.0 for maximum visibility.

   At this time the SourceForge email list will be archived, and a second import of the SourceForge mbox will occur collecting a diff of any email sent during the transition period.

Existing subscribers of geoserver-users@sourceforge.net will need to join https://discourse.staging.osgeo.org/g/geoserver-users group to send/recieve email from geoserver-users@osgeo.org as an email list.

• This proposal improves geoserver-users accessibility, but does change the story for engagement by existing developers, or attracting additional developer resources.

• OSM took about a month to make the transition.

• How do I use Discourse via email

• Does it really matter about a forum?

  • The geoserver-users email list has 961 subscribers / 6,1577 messages presently, while
  • gis.stackexchange.com #geoserver has similar level of activity with 5,890 "questions".

• osgeo discourse option for mailing list / forum

• GeoServer PSC Meeting notes April 23 2024

• GeoTools / GeoServer PMC meeting - 2024-02-27

• GeoServer PSC Meeting 2024-02-13

• GeoServer PSC Meeting 2024-01-16 Notes

Project Steering Committee:

• Alessio Fabiani:
• Andrea Aime: +1
• Ian Turton: +0
• Jody Garnett: +1 Initial Motion
• Jukka Rahkonen: +1
• Kevin Smith:
• Simone Giannecchini: +0
• Torben Barsballe:
• Nuno Oliveira:
• Peter Smythe:

• System Admin Committee: https://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo/ticket/3104
• Staging: https://discourse.staging.osgeo.org/c/geoserver-users if you wish to preview the forum experience.
• Staging group: https://discourse.staging.osgeo.org/g/geoserver-users join this group if you wish to preview the email experience.