Discourse migration - First draft of roadmap and user guide (#45)

* First draft of roadmap and user guide * addressed review comments * addresses Philips email comments * removed inline html * removed roadmap, using Epic #47 instead
llvm · Jun 10, 2021 · 4506105 · 4506105
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+# User guide for the migration of the mailing lists
+
+This document is intended to help LLVM users to migrate from the mailing lists to
+Discourse. Discourse two basic ways for interaction: Via the [web
+UI](https://llvm.discourse.group/) and via emails.
+
+## Setting up your account
+
+The easiest way is to create an account using your GitHub account:
+
+1. Navigate to https://llvm.discourse.group/
+1. Click on "Sign Up" in the top right corner.
+1. Choose "With GitHub" on the right side and log in with your GitHub account.
+
+## Structure of Discourse
+
+Discourse's structure is similar to a set of mailing lists, however different
+terms are used there. To help with the transition, here's a translation table
+for the terms:
+
+| Mailing list | Discourse |
+|--------------|-----------|
+| *Mailing list*, consists of threads | *category*, consists of topics |
+| *thread*, consists of emails | *topic*, consists of posts |
+| *email* | *post* |
+
+## Setting up email interactions
+
+Some folks want to interact with Discourse purely via their email program. Here
+are the typical use cases:
+
+* You can [subscribe to a category or topic](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/how-do-i-subscribe-to-categories-and-topics/16024)
+* You can reply to a post, including quoting other peoples texts
+  ([tested](https://llvm.discourse.group/t/email-interaction-with-discourse/3306/4) on GMail).
+* [Quoting previous topics in an reply](https://meta.discourse.org/t/single-quote-block-dropped-in-email-reply/144802)
+* **TODO:** Creating new topics via email is
+  [supported](https://meta.discourse.org/t/start-a-new-topic-via-email/62977)
+  but not configured at the moment. We would need to set up an email address
+  per category and give Discourse POP3 access to that email account. This sounds
+  like a solvable issue.
+* You can filter incoming emails in your email client by category using the
+  `List-ID` email header field.
+
+## Mapping of mailing lists to categories
+
+This table explains the mapping from mailing lists to categories in Discourse.
+The email addresses of these categories will remain the same, after the
+migration.
+
+| Mailing lists         | category in Discourse |
+|-----------------------|--------------------|
+| All-commits           | no migration at the moment |
+| Bugs-admin            | no migration at the moment |
+| cfe-commits           | no migration at the moment |
+| cfe-dev               | llvm-project/clang |
+| cfe-users             | **TODO** llvm-project/clang or create new category? |
+| clangd-dev            | llvm-project/clangd |
+| devmtg-organizers     | **TODO** create new category |
+| Docs                  | infrastructure/documentation |
+| eurollvm-organizers   | **TODO** create new category |
+| flang-commits         | no migration at the moment |
+| flang-dev             | llvm-project/flang |
+| gsoc                  | community/gsoc |
+| libc-commits          | no migration at the moment |
+| libc-dev              | llvm-project/libc |
+| Libclc-dev            | **TODO** create new category |
+| libcxx-bugs           | no migration at the moment |
+| libcxx-commits        | no migration at the moment |
+| libcxx-dev            | llvm-project/libcxx |
+| lldb-commits          | no migration at the moment |
+| lldb-dev              | llvm-project/lldb |
+| llvm-admin            | **TODO** create new category |
+| llvm-announce         | **TODO** create new category |
+| llvm-branch-commits   | no migration at the moment |
+| llvm-bugs             | no migration at the moment |
+| llvm-commits          | no migration at the moment |
+| llvm-dev              | llvm-project/llvm |
+| llvm-devmeeting       | community/devmtg |
+| llvm-foundation       | **TODO**  create new category|
+| Mlir-commits          | no migration at the moment |
+| Openmp-commits        | no migration at the moment |
+| Openmp-dev            | llvm-project/openmp |
+| Parallel_libs-commits | no migration at the moment |
+| Parallel_libs-dev     | **TODO** use llvm-project/pstl or create new category ? |
+| Release-testers       | **TODO** create new category |
+| Test-list             | **TODO** create new category |
+| vmkit-commits         | no migration at the moment |
+| WiCT                  | **TODO** |
+| www-scripts           | **TODO** |
+
+**TODO:** add discourse links once the list is finalized
+
+## FAQ
+
+### I don't want to use a web UI
+
+You can do most of the communication with your email client (see section on
+Setting up email interactions above). You only need to set up your account once
+and then configure which categories you want to subscribe to.
+
+### How do I send a private message?
+
+On the mailing list you have the opportunity to reply only to the sender of
+the email, not to the entire list. That is not supported when replying via
+email on Discourse. However you can send someone a private message via the
+Web UI: Click on the user's name above a post and then on `Message`.
+
+Also Discourse does not expose users' email addresses , so your private
+replies have to go through their platform (unless you happen to know the
+email address of the user.)
+
+### How can my script/tool send automatic messages?**
+
+In case you want to [create a new
+post/topic](https://docs.discourse.org/#tag/Posts/paths/~1posts.json/post)
+automatically from a script or tool, you can use the
+[Discourse API](https://docs.discourse.org/).
+
+### Who are the admins for Discourse?
+
+See https://llvm.discourse.group/about
+
+### What is the reason for the migration?
+
+**TODO:** add more explanation here
+
+See also
+[this email](https://lists.llvm.org/pipermail/llvm-dev/2021-June/150823.html)
+
+### How do I set up a private mailing list?
+
+If needed categories can have individual [security
+settings](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-use-category-security-settings-to-create-private-categories/87678)
+to limit visibility and write permissions. Contact the
+[admins](https://llvm.discourse.group/about) if you need such a category.
+
+### What will happen to our email archives?
+
+**TODO:** Explain the migration.
+
+**TODO:** Can we preserve the links to the email archive?
+see [#46](https://github.com/llvm/llvm-iwg/issues/46)
+
+### How Do I cross-post (send in multiple categories) a message?
+
+Topics are assigned to exactly one category, assigning to multiple categories
+[is not supported](https://meta.discourse.org/t/selecting-multiple-category/116827).
+
+**TODO:** The documentation says tags can be used to achieve a similar outcome.
+However they don't say how to do that.
+
+### I have another question not covered here. What should I do?
+
+Please contact [email protected] or raise a
+[ticket on GitHub](https://github.com/llvm/llvm-iwg/issues).