XenForo Add-On Certification

[Flexin]

It's another layer of added trust.

And it shouldn't be a basic course, it should have concepts and teachings of best practices in developing on the xF platform.

You know why I purchased your CTA Featured Threads add-on? Because the perception was that you were getting help (in the way of pointers) from xF developers. I trusted your work differently that the alternative solutions out there.

I have no idea if your code is good or not, but because of your association (implied, nothing that you personally have projected) here, I assume that you are 'on the right track'.

A certification program can also open new revenue streams for xF and attract a developers who wouldn't necessarily be interested in programming for this platform.

I think that is a bad way to pick a developer. Your assuming he had help from the rest of the xF team. He might have done it 100% on his own.

I plan on buying it based on him alone.

And if someone gets certified. It doesn't mean that an add-on that they develop won't have issues. There can be conflict with other add-ons. That is going to happen. I don't think certifying them is going to eliminate this.

They will need to invest a lot of money in hopes to see a return from those new streams. It is not a guaranteed money maker.

James

 

[Flexin]

If this is such a big opportunity for xF then it would be for a developer as well. They could start their own "Certification program" and test add-ons and examine code.

I just don't see this creating the money that some think it will. Some complain about paying $5 now. How do you think they will like the increased prices to cover the extra costs of certification?

And like it was already said, if the developer is certified it says nothing about the code in the add-on. You could put out 5 that are looked over with a fine tooth comb, get cleared (if they were even going to go that far) and then do what every they want on the next one. Chances are they are not being watched anymore.

And any one update could cause a problem with current add-ons.

James

 

[TPerry]

If this is such a big opportunity for xF then it would be for a developer as well. They could start their own "Certification program" and test add-ons and examine code.

Actually, if it's such a great idea, it would be an ideal business opportunity for someone to get into and set up a certification process and charge the devs and then let them put a "tag" on it. But, the code checkers wouldn't be cheap.
Then to top it off, all it does is guarantee you that they developer used good coding practices. It WON'T guarantee you how well it works with XenForo or with all the other add-ons.
Basically for now, something like this is just a pipe dream - and looks like those that wish for it need to put down the pipe.

 

[Paul B]

I think that is a bad way to pick a developer.

I agree.

Your assuming he had help from the rest of the xF team. He might have done it 100% on his own.

I definitely didn't do it on my own but I also didn't get any help from the XF dev's - well, not someone who was an XF dev at the time.

It's no secret that @Chris D taught me how to develop - prior to starting my add-on I had zero experience in developing.

 

[RDR]

Hmmm... relying on the current review system here is also a "bad way" to pick a developer if that's the argument, no?

That's not to say the review system doesn't have value - it does - but you can't use it to dismiss the value of an added layer of trust.

 

[TPerry]

Hmmm... relying on the current review system here is also a "bad way" to pick a developer if that's the argument, no?

That's not to say the review system doesn't have value - it does - but you can't use it to dismiss the value of an added layer of trust.

If you rely on that, then you haven't done your full research. Takes a little more time - but it's amazing what reading the associated discussion area for the one you are interested in does for you. Of course, that does entail reading - and to many don't want to do that, they want an immediate answer/solution. <- This unrelated to this topic - I see so many questions being asked that were already answered earlier in the discussion groups it's apparent that they didn't read through it to find it - I guess because they "didn't have time".

 

[RDR]

The discussion area for an add-on is another value added layer of trust, of course.

 

[Jim Boy]

If you really wanted something you could a)
Have a developer with a good repuattion with specified SLA's that gauranetee the work. While that doesn't mean you will get good code, it does shift the risk on to the developer. Catch 22 situation though. No sane developer would offer it, so any developer that does offer it is clearly insane.

Alternative is to really encourage a community based around open source add-ons where numerous developers contribute to a project - kudos to @Xon for going down that path, but more need to do it.

 

[Sadik B]

Trust people, not code. Pick an addon by a developer who is trustworthy, has a positive attitude and cares for the satisfaction of his customers. No amount of certifications would turn the work of a person with bad attitude into satisfactory.