[Haskell-cafe] Looking for a new HWN editor

[Brent Yorgey]

Executive summary:

  * I'm looking for someone to take over as HWN editor
  * It is highly automated and doesn't take as much time as you might
    think (about 3-4 hours/week on average)
  * You DON'T need to be a Haskell guru
  * It is far from a thankless job and is a fun way to provide an
    appreciated service to the community!

Read on for more details!

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Hi all,

As you probably know, I've been the editor of the Haskell Weekly News
for a little over a year now, and I've decided that it's time for me
to move on to other things.  So, I'm looking for someone to volunteer
to take over as HWN editor.

Why might you want to do this?  It's true that there is no concrete
reward.  But judging from the number of comments I have received from
people over the past year, the HWN provides a valuable and appreciated
service to the Haskell community: there are many who simply don't have
time to read the mailing lists, but like to know about new libraries,
compiler releases, interesting discussions, and other major goings-on
in the community.

What does the editorship entail?  Thanks to some automated tools
developed specifically for the job, it doesn't take as much time as
you might think: usually about 4 hours per week; most of that is spent
simply reading/skimming various Haskell mailing lists to pick out
items for the HWN.  The process generally goes like this:

  * pick out funny quotes from the IRC channel using an automated tool
  * pick out Haskell-related blog posts using an automated tool
  * pick out announcements and discussions from the mailing list with
    an automated tool, writing a short blurb for each (usually this
    just involves cutting and pasting from the announcement itself,
    with a bit of editing to make it flow
  * compile text and HTML versions with an automated tool
  * post to sequence.complete.org and the mailing list.

There are much more detailed instructions written up, and of course
I'll be happy to provide detailed help and support for the first few
weeks of the new editor's tenure.

I should emphasize that the HWN editor does NOT need to be a Haskell
guru.  In fact, this could be an ideal job for someone who is
relatively new to Haskell and the community, but would like to
contribute in a tangible way.

I also want to emphasize that with the change in editorship, the HWN
need not remain exactly the same: if you have exciting ideas about
changes to make to the format or content, be my guest!  The HWN will
be whatever you make of it.

So, let me know if you are interested!  There won't be any formal
interview process; the first person to contact me who wants to do it,
gets the job.  But of course, if you are not sure and want more
information, feel free to email me with questions.

-Brent