Re: [exim] Exim/email-related stream at UKUUG conference, Bi…

So far, only 3 people said are interested in Exin BOF :-(

Niall Mansfield
UIT Cambridge Ltd.
nmm@???
+44 1223 302 041

Sent from my iPhone

On 17 Jul 2009, at 11:10, Ian Eiloart <iane@???> wrote:

>
>
> --On 16 July 2009 15:27:53 +0100 Alain Williams <addw@???>
> wrote:
>
>
>> I think that it would be very helpful if we were to prepare some kind
>> of outline on what we would like to achieve. I'll chuck in a few
>> suggestions to get the ball rolling:
>>
>> * Bug fixes - how we prioritise
>>
>> * Enhancements - what new features do we need
>>
>> * External changes - should we collect/merge back in ?
>> I am thinking of changes that Linux-distros/... may have made.
>>
>> * Funding - could we pursuade some large corporates/... with a bit of
>> funding that could be used to pay someone to do this -- perhaps
>> part
>> time.
>
> Clearly, funding (if achievable in the current climate) is going to
> make the biggest difference, but we should also consider some other
> ways to attract new developers, and new users (who may contribute):
>
> * Easing the development process. I'm not a developer myself, so I'm
> not sure what the technical barriers to involvement are.
>
> * Marketing/Promotion: improving uptake of Exim might enlarge the
> potential pool of developers, and of funding. The last research I
> saw put Exim behind about 10 - 20% of MX hosts, which is great. We
> should trumpet that. An overhaul of the web site, or an additional
> site, would be an option.
>
> * Advertising: how about we put a link in every 5xx reply message.
> The link would go to an Exim hosted page explaining (as far as we
> can) the cause of the rejection. The root of the URL should be
> customisable, so that administrators can point to their own web
> pages instead. Of course, we could provide the default content for
> those pages, too. While we're at it, we could meet one of the
> lemonade spec requirements by adding RFC2034 enhanced error codes.
> So far, that's just a feature request for improved rejection
> messages, but all of the Exim hosted web pages could carry
> advertising, and all of the default pages could carry promotional
> messages for Exim, OSS concepts, etc.
>
> * Improving ease of use (installation, configuration, queue
> management, reporting)
>
> * Auto-reporting. ClamAV, for example, can be configured to send
> statistical reports to developers. That lets them track malware
> traffic and use of ClamAV automatically. Exim is in a position to do
> the same, perhaps reporting stats on traffic volumes, spam patterns,
> technology penetration, etc. Perhaps that counts as a feature
> request, but it could also have some mileage with regard to
> promotion. Care should be taken to protect privacy, of course.
>
>
>
>> I nominate Niall & myself as scribes of the event -- to try and get
>> some
>> kind of report out to this list/whereever.
>>
>> --
>> Alain Williams
>> Linux/GNU Consultant - Mail systems, Web sites, Networking,
>> Programmer,
>> IT Lecturer. +44 (0) 787 668 0256 http://www.phcomp.co.uk/
>> Parliament Hill Computers Ltd. Registration Information:
>> http://www.phcomp.co.uk/contact.php Past chairman of UKUUG:
>> http://www.ukuug.org/
>> # include <std_disclaimer.h>
>
>
>
> --
> Ian Eiloart
> IT Services, University of Sussex
> 01273-873148 x3148
> For new support requests, see http://www.sussex.ac.uk/its/help/
>