Is using devtools::release no longer allowed?

On Tue, Aug 19, 2014 at 8:28 AM, Richard Cotton <richierocks at gmail.com> wrote:

I recently tried to submit a package to CRAN using the release
function in the devtools package and got the response:

The policies asked you to use the webform: do so in future.

I think that the relevant line in the policies are:

When submitting a package to CRAN you should use the submission form at
http://CRAN.R-project.org/submit.html (and not send an email). You will be sent
a confirmation email which needs to be accepted.

If this fails, upload by anonymous ftp to ftp://CRAN.R-project.org/incoming/ and
send a (plain text ASCII) email at the same time, with subject line as specified below.

As far as I know, the release function uses the second method, so I
don't quite understand what the problem is.

The development version of devtools uses the web form method. I will
endeavour to track changes to the CRAN release process as closely as
possible, but as noted elsewhere in this thread, those changes are not
always well communicated. The devtools philosophy is "anything that
can be automated, should be automated".

You may also be eligible for the devtools guarantee: "if because of a
bug in devtools a member of R-core gets angry with you, I will send
you a handwritten apology note. Just forward me the email and your
address, and I'll get a card in the mail."

Hadley