Mailing lists and newsletters

Rank App Description Tags Stars
1 TryGhost/Ghost Independent technology for modern publishing, memberships, subscriptions and newsletters. nodejs hacktoberfest javascript cms blogging creator-economy ghost headless-cms jamstack journalism publishing web-application 45798
2 knadh/listmonk High performance, self-hosted, newsletter and mailing list manager with a modern dashboard. Single binary app. self-hosted campaign campaign-management email-campaigns email-marketing email-subscription fcm-messaging listmonk mailing-list newsletter newsletter-management sms-gateway smtp 13542

Mailing lists and newsletters are powerful tools used by many open source projects to communicate with their users. They offer a way to keep the community engaged, informed, and involved in the project's development and direction. Both mailing lists and newsletters play crucial roles in promoting project updates, soliciting feedback, and fostering collaboration among contributors.

In terms of functionality:

  1. Communication Channel: Mailing Lists serve as a medium for communication between the community members. They provide an opportunity for everyone to participate in discussions on various topics. This makes it easier for project maintainers to get feedback and ideas from their users.

  2. Project Updates: Newsletters are typically used for sharing information about the latest features, improvements, or changes made by the project. These updates can include release notes, new features, upcoming events, and more. They provide a platform for project maintainers to engage with their community about the ongoing work.

  3. Collaboration: Mailing lists often function as a space where contributors can collaborate on various aspects of the project. This could be discussing code changes, suggesting enhancements, or resolving issues. By providing a platform for discussions, mailing lists facilitate more effective collaboration among developers and maintainers.

  4. User Engagement: Newsletters play an integral role in keeping users informed about new features, improvements, events, community updates, and more. They are a way to provide value to the user base by providing useful information and staying updated with project activities.

In terms of how they're used in open source projects:

  1. Project Management: Mailing lists and newsletters are essential for managing discussions around bug reports, feature requests, and other community-driven development efforts. They provide a platform where contributors can propose changes or ask questions.

  2. Inclusivity: By involving the community in project management decisions, mailing lists ensure that everyone has a voice in the direction of the project. This level of inclusivity is especially crucial for open source projects, which are often led by a small group of core contributors.

  3. Community Building: Mailing lists and newsletters provide opportunities for newcomers to get involved with a project and become more familiar with its culture, codebase, and community norms. They can also be used as a platform to welcome new members and celebrate their contributions.

  4. Growth & Retention: By facilitating communication among contributors and engaging with the community, mailing lists and newsletters help foster a sense of community around an open source project. This can lead to increased participation in ongoing development efforts and a more vibrant open source ecosystem.

In conclusion, mailing lists and newsletters are vital tools for any open source project. They facilitate communication within the community, encourage collaboration among contributors, provide valuable information about project updates, engage with users and foster growth in an open source ecosystem. The effectiveness of these tools can greatly vary depending on how effectively they are utilized by the project maintainers and contributors.