XenForo needs a blog with regular updates from Kier & Mike

[Tanax]

I disagree with Brogan's comment that this is a "we want a roadmap" thread.
We don't want a roadmap of what's coming before those features actually are DONE(e.g. coded).

What we want is UPDATES of what's going on at XenForo. Even updates of coming features that are already DONE.
Personally, I love XenForo, I think it looks great. However, the thing I think is what it lacks the most is development time, XenForo is new and hence it doesn't have as many features as IPB and vB which, at least to me, is a big minus. However, the features XenForo do have is done A LOT better than the same features in for example vB.

Take a look at the Announcements forum, not a single update for almost an entire month - which is fine as far as announcements goes but no updates leads to insecurity. I mean, for me, it feels like XenForo is standing still right now. I haven't seen any updates so what am I supposed to think?

A "development" blog or just a simple "updates" blog where there are regular messages from the developers regarding the progress of XenForo is not a roadmap, it's a security for us, the customers, to see that XenForo is being worked on and everything is going good.

 

[whynot]

Perhaps isn't IPB isn't developed solely by two people

Please show your plans clearly,what is on the drawing table.

 

[Shelby]

Perhaps isn't IPB isn't developed solely by two people who are not only developing software but also doing their best to avoid being bullied out of existence by baseless and malicious lawsuits on two continents.

Kier,

I'm having a hard time understanding your post. I may be interpreting it wrong, but it kind of sounds like you are saying that you guys want to communicate more, to put more stuff out there, but feel that the current lawsuits restrict your ability.

If that is indeed what you are saying then perhaps you should communicate that in a clear way and put it out there so customers can understand.

Then again, I may have misunderstood your post, perhaps you can clarify what you mean.

 

[Tanax]

Please show your plans clearly,what is on the drawing table.

No, that's not what we want!
A lot of things on the drawing table probably doesn't make it to the product and that would only anger certain customers.

 

[Forsaken]

I understand Kier but you can still do it!

Have you ever been in a lawsuit, when you've started up a company, or in a situation where any financial duress can cause serious harm to you and your family?

The amount of dedication Kier puts toward XenForo, and still having time to spend with family speaks a lot for him. There are only two people building XenForo, with Ashley dealing with all the business, and perhaps the legal drama (Excluding the legal aid). To ask more at this point is a bit much, as I don't think people realize how much they must be dealing with.

IPB has a large team of developers and staff, whereas XenForo has 2 developers, one business man, and a few moderators who help deal with the forums, and take flak daily because people do not appreciate what they do. Your comparisons are out of scope, and are illogical when you think about it logically.

There are only 24 hours in a day, and I hope Kier, Mike and Ashley use at least 4-6 hours of that in sleep. Take away maybe 4~5 hours for eating, breaks between coding, and then take whatever time they spend with their family/girlfriends, and they're probably working upwards 12+ hours a day.

You can see why Brogan, and others on here tend to get short with people who do not understand this. And quite honestly, I think its plain selfish when you do not even attempt to consider these things.

 

[ragtek]

Call it "what's comming /roadmap/ whatever..." IMHO the name doesn't matter, but we "need it".
It's also not true that they don't share any infos, but it's impossible to know what's going on if you're not online 24/7 on xenforo.com and read every post from mike and kier...

For example they said already that they are working on requested feature xyz and it's comming in 1.1 but how many of us know this?
We will never know everything what kier and mike are planing, but both gave as already many "hints".
It's nice from brogan that he tracks all this stuff on his profile, BUT a commercial system needs an better way for communication, even it's only a extraforum, where somebody from the team(for example brogan tracks them "official" instead on his profile)...

Once again my 0.02$

 

[Peggy]

..... Take a look at the Announcements forum, not a single update for almost an entire month - which is fine as far as announcements goes but no updates leads to insecurity. I mean, for me, it feels like XenForo is standing still right now. I haven't seen any updates so what am I supposed to think?

A "development" blog or just a simple "updates" blog where there are regular messages from the developers regarding the progress of XenForo is not a roadmap, it's a security for us, the customers, to see that XenForo is being worked on and everything is going good.

Why would it feel like XenForo is "standing still"??? Kier has posted more than once, that they are now working on XenForo 1.1. How is that standing still? I've known Kier for a long time, and it isn't in him to "stand still" lol.

 

[Markos]

I think a good move can to have a moderator that regularry link the post of Kier and Mike that explain something new from the platform (new features, templates etc.)...Oh yes, there are already this post: it just need to be regularly updated.

 

[random]

Have you ever been in a lawsuit, when you've started up a company, or in a situation where any financial duress can cause serious harm to you and your family?

The amount of dedication Kier puts toward XenForo, and still having time to spend with family speaks a lot for him. There are only two people building XenForo, with Ashley dealing with all the business, and perhaps the legal drama (Excluding the legal aid). To ask more at this point is a bit much, as I don't think people realize how much they must be dealing with.

IPB has a large team of developers and staff, whereas XenForo has 2 developers, one business man, and a few moderators who help deal with the forums, and take flak daily because people do not appreciate what they do. Your comparisons are out of scope, and are illogical when you think about it logically.

There are only 24 hours in a day, and I hope Kier, Mike and Ashley use at least 4-6 hours of that in sleep. Take away maybe 4~5 hours for eating, breaks between coding, and then take whatever time they spend with their family/girlfriends, and they're probably working upwards 12+ hours a day.

You can see why Brogan, and others on here tend to get short with people who do not understand this. And quite honestly, I think its plain selfish when you do not even attempt to consider these things.

Unfortunately, XenForo is a business. They are selling a commercial forum software, they are not distributing it for free so your standpoint of view doesn't apply here.

As a commercial forum software (paid) the customers have the right to get proper information about the future of the product regardless any issues that the business is facing. Business issues are the problems of XenForo (Kier, Mike and Ashley) not the problems of the customers.

I'm pretty sure that when Kier and Mike started the development of XenForo they knew about all the possible issues that might arise. So if they want to survive in this game they need to figure out how to solve these things i.e. hire more Staff.

 

[Forsaken]

Unfortunately, XenForo is a business. They are selling a commercial forum software, they are not distributing it for free so your standpoint of view doesn't apply here.

As a commercial forum software (paid) the customers have the right to get proper information about the future of the product regardless any issues that the business is facing. Business issues are the problems of XenForo (Kier, Mike and Ashley) not the problems of the customers.

Thats about all I can say, as your logic is simply astounding. You also prove my ending point of my previous post .

 

[Peggy]

What's not to understand? Please allow me to decipher it for you....

The majority of their time is being taken up with working on this software. There are 2 people - only 2 people - developing/coding this software.

The same two people are fighting a major lawsuit on two different continents - UK and USA (California).

Now really, alot of you people came over to XF because you knew Kier and Mike are behind it, and you trust them to put out a top-notch forum software. So forget the damn roadmap crap and let them do their work. Kier said they're working on the next release, and that should be enough.

When there's something to announce, or show you, it'll be posted.

 

[John L.]

Not sure what is up with all the negativity in this thread. But the general idea is sound if the K&M had the time obviously. Two guys developing and supporting their own product sounds quite time intensive. So let's stick to just forum updates for now until staff gets beefed up and the product is over it's legal hurdles.

 

[whynot]

No, that's not what we want!
A lot of things on the drawing table probably doesn't make it to the product and that would only anger certain customers.

Ignoring requests : losing potential customers.

 

[Forsaken]

Ignoring requests : losing potential customers.

They are no ignoring it, it is just difficult to have a set roadmap while in two major lawsuits, and working on developing a product to be comparable and competitive in one of the most competitive software niches.

 

[Peggy]

I'm pretty sure that when Kier and Mike started the development of XenForo they knew about all the possible issues that might arise. So if they want to survive in this game they need to figure out how to solve these things i.e. hire more Staff.

And I'm pretty sure that if they weren't fighting a lawsuit on two different continents they probably would.
Have YOU ever had to hire an attorney? They're very expensive. Having to hire 2 sets of attorneys, in 2 different countries, the cost is exhorbitant.

But oh yeah, I'm sure that after they pay for their living expenses, take a salary from the profits and pay two attorneys fees... they stilll have plenty left over to hire staff.

Yeah, uh huh.

 

[erich37]

is Google or Facebook telling you what they are planning to do next?
If I were Kier or Mike I would not tell anybody what I am going to code next..... and let the competition know about any future plans.....

I am fine with what those 2 guys have done so far and am sure it will be so in the future.

KISS
Keep It Simple & Secret

 

[Peggy]

Ignoring requests : losing potential customers.

Who's ignoring requests?? Where did that come from?

 

[Paul B]

This thread has pretty much followed the same pattern as all other "road map" threads before it.

Which is more or less the point I was trying to make earlier.

 

[whynot]

Who's ignoring requests?? Where did that come from?

No one word from the developers of XF?

 

[Tanax]

This thread has pretty much followed the same pattern as all other "road map" threads before it.

Which is more or less the point I was trying to make earlier.

I understand now why you were so reluctant to this thread from the beginning. Gash, this community is really tense! I think people are taking this way too seriously, starting talking about lawsuits and stuff which really has nothing to do with a simple update-blog. What I wanted was simply a blog where they simply post regular updates about the development and everything. A development-blog. Not a roadmap - which seems to be what everyone else wants.