Family Historian User Group

Is it only me, or do others find it annoying that Calico doesn't reply with a plan (or otherwise) for each item accepted onto the Wish List?

I'd like to see a column containing 'the plan' on the Wish List contents page as well as at the *top* of the thread itself.

It could say, for example:
- fixed in Version 4
- planned in Version 4
- considered for 4.x
- good idea, but will have to wait
- not currently being considered

I fully sympathise that being as open as this can sometimes lead to disappointments and cross words (many is the time i've agreed to a user's change request, then found it wasn't so easy and backed off).

But how much of a burden would this be to the company? And how much better served would users feel?

Personally i don't want to spend time arguing or improving on an idea that Calico has rejected (for now). Equally i don't want to make an effort to lend support to an idea that has maybe already been taken on board.

Come on guys, FH is an exceptional product, in a class of its own. What about the quality of feedback too?


ID:3420

Paul --

As a long-time reader and bookseller, I know that the more time fiction writers spend on answering fan letters and other demands, the less time they have to spend writing, and thus the longer it takes for the books to come out.

When the publishers put a book on the schedule before the author has even turned in the manuscript, then the book does not appear (because the author has still not turned in the manuscript), much ill will is generated.

It doesn't matter how many times we booksellers warn readers that even though the publisher is promising the book at such-and-such a date, the author himself has admitted he hasn't turned the book in yet, and they shouldn't expect the book to come out until well after the publisher actually has the manuscript. The readers were promised the book at the end of September 2008 and that's what they will whine about.

As a vendor and an end-user, I'd rather not receive promises like that -- I would rather wait and receive the finished product when the creator is sure it is ready.

This is true for the fiction I like, and even more so for computer programs, where if the product is rushed out without the proper product testing, all sorts of nasty things can happen.

So I am quite happy with the system Jane has here, where Simon can come and see what people are asking for, and take that into account, but not be forced to waste his time by generating reports and promises that might turn out to be impossible to keep.

When I was a bulletin board sysop, we always knew when the next release of our software was -- the developer told us that it would be released 'when it's ready'.

Imagine how time-consuming it would be to go through every item on the wish list and rank it from one to five. I haven't done it as an end-user, and I don't see why Simon should have to do it either -- he is busy writing code.

Jan

I agree with PaulDesmondWhite in that I would like to know which items on the wish list are being considered.The wish list is obviously checked for suggetions so just a note to say if it is being considered,used or chucked out etc. would be useful.I do not think it would be time consuming and it would give us users something to look out for in upcoming releases.
[grin]

Just a guess but I suspect there is an element of Calico not wanting to give its competitors prior warning of what it might be doing in a future version. If you let them know that a particular feature is likely to be coming in a years time then it gives the competition a chance to make sure their next version will do the same thing.