You wrote:
"It may be best to either write to the package maintainer (me, as you
did) or post to the group but not both."
This is just a note that I disagree wrt my own packages:
I go on vacation or trips, or have other projects so won't always
answer
Other folks on the list often have good ideas that I'd miss
My preferred standard is "ask the list, with a copy to Therneau as an
additional courtesy". Of course if it's an out and out bug you've
found, that no one else but me can deal with, then one can skip the
list.
Terry T.