There are no sure things in life. But if you are using a well thought out and designed product which was created by talented people with a passion and the product which has been well tested - you could keep using that product forever. It does not suddenly stop working because a meteor crashes to earth.
That was a very sensible reply Dean.
It does however leave the issue of support hanging. But I think that this vigorous community would continue to function for quite some time. With a high possibility of that allowing enough time for XF team to adjust and reorganise after a big setback.
Which is where the parallel with my own business comes in (see above p.2). What I analysed is that I fulfil much the same role as Kier in my own business. If I disappeared I'd be a hell of an act to replace but I think two new people carefully chosen and with a dolloip of luck, could cover a lot of what I do. But the effect would be to halt innovation during the transwition period which I estimate would be about six months. I'd expect the same here.
Comments like "
Only you can make the decision" or "
You have to take a risk" are NOT helpful.
It's obvious each of us has to make our own decision. The OP would not have started this thread if that were not so, and it would not have stirred up responses either.
Yes it's a risk, but there's no ought should or have to, involved. The OP (and others) need to assess how MUCH of a risk it is BECAUSE it is their/ our decision to make.
If you're running a smaller board with few customisations, and it's a personal interest board, the risk is low. You could transfer to other software, or continue with a minimally supported XF perhaps with a friendly coder to help.
But if you're running a mega-big board with 1,000s of members, or with lots of customisation, or it's a commercial project, then a great deal more depends on your decision. Riding off into the sunset with courage and laughter just isn't enough.
I have observed that recently there are mega-big boards moving across and the customisations are being sorted out too. All good signs of a confident community. Definitely getting there fast.
I offer my XF story to illustrate making the big decision. I bought two licenses to support XF on the first day.
But then I held off going live because
a) I needed some mods and b) I was worried about the court case because my decision affects others a lot in my business forum.
A year later the mods are here but so is the court case, still.
My careful decision is therefore to go ahead now with importing my personal community board, but to hold off on the business one until next summer. If I was a one woman business I'd move now I think but the business is not just me.
Delay on the business transfer has the advantage of giving me a pilot project to test on my personal project, so the business which involves seven people and their livelihoods for whom I am responsible, can go extra smoothly. Currently it's on VB3.6 which is adequate for its needs though not inspiring.
There is also the blasted court case. I think it is very unlikely to destroy XF - and I have been tracking it. But I also know the law is an ass, and business cases can be dirty, so there is a
small chance of disaster. I am successful in business because I don't let that kind of risk interfere with my projects. I block all known risks so I have plenty of spare rope for the unexpected.
Plus I am much much more careful when I'm responsible for others, two of whom are beloved family, five of whom, are long term respected colleagues. I'm just not going to put those people to any risk at all, let alone my clients many of whom are vulnerable people who come to us for urgent support services.
XF foreva! and I'll help if there is ever a crisis.
But risk means very different things to different boards.
This was one of those chances, and I bought more licenses since.
could soon have a problem with that
