Videocore 3.3 released free

[silversoft]

After much deep and profound thought we have decided that the current videocore architecture would benefit the most from being released as free software.

This would allow the community to get more involved in the development of the application itself, help with the problems and issues and the implementation of new features and functionality.

This will also free up our developers to focus on the new Videocore 4.0 platform which will be rewritten from scratch. If we focus all our efforts on the development of the new 4.0 core we will have a new, professional enterprise system up and running by feb of next year. This is our goal.

Please feel free to take part in the forums and post your bugs and problems with the new 3.3 as we will contine to release bug fixes and security updates. More importantly, tell us what features you want to see so we can make sure they are in 4.0!

You can download the new 3.3 release via your account or via the silversoft site here:
http://www.silversoft.com/downloads/p13_sectionid/6

If you like version 3.0 and need direct support you can still purchase a licence using the online systems. Anyone who purchased 3.0 will get a free upgrade to 4.0 when it is released.

Thank you,

The Team
Silversoft Solutions

[jimmy911]

You really need to keep people "customers" in the loop as far as what is going on. By far, out of all the scripts I work with this is the CIA of scripts.

1. Keep people informed.
2. List the changes you made to new versions... 3.2, 3.3... I can't even see which files have changed from the version number which is on the top of the php files. (as of v3.2 they all said 3.1)
3. Get this forum in order. Under Firefox it is still listing the current version 3.0. The top menu bar is justified right when the forum is centered. It just looks sloppy.
4. Redo the entire template for version 4... I hate to template this script. Stuff is everywhere... out of all the scripts I work with: Mediascripts Simple Media, Jamroom, Ktools Photostore, PhpArcade Script, Avdanced Arcade, Bizbaron, PhpMelody, to name a few... this has the worst (hardest) template system, in my opinion.

I do applaud your commitment to releasing versions and offering them for FREE. I'm finally convinced that Ryan doesn't own the script any longer. Because he would charge for the updates.

Start a forum thread for version 4. UPDATE IT at least once a week so that we know you mean business. Change the Feb date to early 2009 to avoid the customers saying "It's Feb, where is the new script".

I wouldn't be writing this if I felt that VideoCore was a bad product. But, to this point I've been a critic because I know what other developers are doing and what your not.

I wish you the best in the development of version 4. I would be more than happy to beta test and help anyway I can.

[Jakobi]

Wow..havent been here in months and just popped in just in time...

Is there a demo?

[silversoft]

do you mean of the 4.0 version? 3.3 is mainly bug fixes and sucrity patches... there will be a 3.5 release as well which address a few more bugs that we have found in the system and anyything that users see as critical...

also regarding jimmy's feedback on the template system we willme moving 4.0 to Smarty which seems to be the industry standard these days :)

[Jakobi]

Me im not concerned with templates cause i just mod my own. But making it easier could allow for more developement. I am not sure since I dont use the backend template thing or whatever.

I am looking for features. There have been scripts like jimmy said have been out for years that have options that should be part of this script.

I am close to dropping this software due to the lack of support and development, but dont have the money at this time to pay someone to convert HS to another program.

Making it free is the way to go, trust me. Yes you wont make money. But at this point what you need is to create a community of developers. You need to make it free or low cost to have the script get around and allow people to chip in on developments.

Down the road if making it free brings in a lot of people, and people who are programmers or whatever that pitch in mods and ideas then you think money.

At this point your best option at this point i think due to negative feelings of this script is to offer it for free and post this on all the major webmaster forums.

Redo the forums. Create forums that have nothing to do with the script like general topics so people can come here and blab. All there is now is just HS, make forums for like general talk, movies, or whatever.

Build a community. I use for my ads OpenAds. Its free and the best out there, im sure you know of it. If not google it. Its free but because its free its drawn in people who know things.

My thoughts.

[jimmy911]

Moving down the road of Smarty Templates is a wise decision and yes it's the industry standard, I agree.

I though disagree with Jakobi on the point of the expanded forum. Though it might seem like I great idea, I would rather have developers working on the script vs. monitoring a forum and the various posts. Other non-related forum topics could be combined into a forum topic called "Everything off topic" which I've seen several developers use in their forums.

As for extra features... I do believe that VideoCore offers many features. Too many features, in my opinion, allow for more bugs and errors. Some developers offer too many features which makes it harder to develop the script... because of all the features.

As for offering the script for FREE: I don't mind paying for a script, but the script has to be worth paying for. Meaning, get the script to the state where it is the best it can be (version 4) release that script as free to everyone that owns a previous version. Once, I feel that I got my org $300 (3 scripts I own) to where it should be for the money, then charge and upgrade fee, which I wouldn't mind paying.

I truly believe that coders and developers should get paid for their work, as long as the work is worth paying for. I realize that people need to get paid to live and put food on the table. Bottom line, get version 4 out and make it the best it can be without errors. Release version 4.x as a paid upgrade after all testing is done and SilverSoft feels that the script is worthy of people paying for an upgrade. At that time I would be more than willing to pay $30 for an upgrade so that someone can get paid to develop the script to it's max potential.

[silversoft]

thanks for the feedback guys, we have taken it all into consideration and i beleive we generally agree to what has been proposed here (apart for general purpose community forums, though i do agree people need to help each other outside the area of the script itself so we will add that later)

I have posted a new thread here in the 4.0 forum for feature suggestions and feedback:

http://www.videocore.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3645

Please load it up! We have 3 full time developers working on 4.0 so it should move ahead pretty fast. We also have the core of the 4.0 framework already built from another project so that should help as well.

Once 4.0 is released one of the developers will be focused full time on support full time to ensure users with problems get the help they need.

Thanks,

Karsten

[jimmy911]

Is there any idea when we might see a beta of version 4? I'm waiting for version 4 to release a new website project and I don't want to develop on version 3 because of the non-Smarty templates.

Any idea on a date?

If you have something available and don't want to post the beta, PM me, I would be more than happy to help beta test the script.

[Jakobi]

Is there any idea when we might see a beta of version 4? I'm waiting for version 4 to release a new website project and I don't want to develop on version 3 because of the non-Smarty templates.

Any idea on a date?

If you have something available and don't want to post the beta, PM me, I would be more than happy to help beta test the script.

Yeah. waiting as well to see if its worth me trying to upgrade my script which will have to be by hand since there is no upgrader for my version.

[silversoft]

hi,

we have been working on this actively and expect to have the first beta of the new system within a month and the final release of 4.0 a month after that.

we have finished the core application and user management systems and are currently porting the front end templates over to smarty and are building out the new admin

i manage www.sputnik7.com (http://www.sputnik7.com) which is built on the old videocore 2.5 and am anxious to upgrade it to the new 4.0 so i am pushing as hard as I can on the development team!

i will post a update here at the end of the month letting you know where we are at...

thanks!

karsten

[Jakobi]

lol hey you have the latest logged in, groups and your profile image upload works! man must be nice.:rolleyes:

i will hang to see if 4 comes...

[bloon]

Wheres the version 4? its february now..