Hi Maryana, for this request is there any need to wait for Flow? I think Echo alone could be made to do the job, the only issue is making sure the system is forward compatible with Flow. I would like to see this get implemented sooner rather than later. I think it would be an important qualitative improvement for editor engagement and possibly help with editor population statistics. Pine

To some degree, but Echo is not set up for long messages. I can see a Flow+Echo newsletter working something like "create a newsletter thread on [project] talkpage, tag all newsletter recipients, it'll show in their boards and also on the talkpage for people who drop in, and they'd be notified of it via Echo". Echo is totally (potentially) good for things like "hey! there's [[a thread you should participate in]]", or will be once other features are built and SUL finalisation is complete - but they've not be, it's not, and a newsletter is a very different beastie. On 13 September 2013 19:08, Quiddity <pandiculation(a)gmail.com> wrote: -- Oliver Keyes Product Analyst Wikimedia Foundation

Happy to see Newsletters being discussed! [1] What matters is to allow users to receive a notification via web or email (according to their preferences) pointing to a newly posted edition. Let's forget about Flow for now: there are many problems to solve before addressing discussions in newsletters. I think we can also forget about posting full newsletters in Talk pages. Bots are already doing this, if anybody is interested. After some thoughts and the priceless feedback and help from Siebrand (who runs the TranslateWiki.net newsletter), we decided to start with https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Newsletter Today it simply contains a user preference allowing autoconfirmed email users to opt in to one newsletter. The email from these users can be retrieved from the database for a manual mailing. This is VERY pedestrian, but it's a start. See some draft specs at https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension_talk:Newsletter#Drafting_specs_332… I guess the right step is to make an Echo extension? Your guidance and help is welcome. [1] See Engaging users with the old plain newsletter http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/ee/2013-August/000616.html -- Quim Gil Technical Contributor Coordinator @ Wikimedia Foundation http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:Qgil

On 09/16/2013 10:30 PM, Matthew Flaschen wrote: I'm thinking of adding this idea to https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Mentorship_programs/Possible_projects Do you think that the amount and complexity of work of https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Newsletter fits with an internship or an Individual Engagement Grant project (3 months of one person approx) This is definitely a useful feature for any MediaWiki site. It may help keeping in touch with users registering but not used to a routine of logging in and check their watchlist and new messages. It may be also useful to reach to regular users through an exceptional channel for an exceptional reason. Within Wikimedia, I can see WikiProjects and even whole sites like Meta, Outreach or small Wikipedias willing to have it. As a mediawiki.org admin I believe we could make good use of it. -- Quim Gil Technical Contributor Coordinator @ Wikimedia Foundation http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:Qgil

On 09/17/2013 12:40 PM, Matthew Flaschen wrote: Ok, so we seem to have these sequential questions: 1. Do the Echo / Flow / Core Features / Growth teams think that a Newsletters extension is compatible with their plans or is there a reason to block it? 2. Is there someone willing to mentor or provide technical guidance for this project? 3. Can this project be sliced in a way that an internship / IEG project could deliver a solid first version? Let's find the answer to 1 first. PS: https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=43840 seems to be a good report related to this discussion. Otherwise I will create one. -- Quim Gil Technical Contributor Coordinator @ Wikimedia Foundation http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:Qgil