[Princeton]

Originally Posted by Wayne Luke

Quite simply if you don't like the idea than don't participate. The suggestion was meant to augment the current offerings not replace them. If you don't want someone taking over the project than don't invite anyone to be on your team.

However if you're interested in a more open development environment and willing to create an open project the capabilities should be available here instead of elsewhere.

Our goal (on vborg) is to educate and make available addons for vbulletin. Product collaboration is not one of our goals - at least it never has been. That's not to say that we will never consider some form of "product collaboration". If anything it may be considered as an additional service to what is already offered.

The problem that I see is that everyone is asking for "extra stuff" but no one has addressed the underlying problem - the existing system confuses and over-complicates.

Let's see ... we currently use the system to:

1. Provide product information
2. Count downloads
3. Count Installs
4. Post inquires
5. Post problems
6. Post bugs
7. Post feedback
8. Post "thank you"
9. Collaborate (not a true collaboration but nevertheless it does exist in some form)
10. Promote - as a form of promotional material
11. etc, etc

Personally, I feel that we need to start segregating similar information. ie bugs, thank you, questions, etc In addition, we need to improve usability for both the visitor and the programmer.

Most visitors just want to download and install. They want to be assured that what they are downloading is worth the time. Good/Bad feedback regarding product will help. They could care less about the hundreds of posts left by others.

Programmers should be encouraged to release more products to the community. We need to create a system that benefits the programmer as well as the visitors. I would go as far as suggesting a system that segregates members (as Premium) who donate to the product owner. Thereby, the owner (product manager) can easily tell who has donated to product.