Thread: Access Feature to-do List

Access Feature to-do List

Hello,
Is there a list or link which lists all the items or features on your to-do list.

This is will help users with following,
1) Not submitting duplicate requests if its already on your to-do list.
2) What new features to expect in next version.
3) Help us save money and time by not invest in something which is on your to-do list.

Yeah, that would be very helpful.

This has been suggested before with little result. As I see it, it only makes sense to have some form of transparent ticket system which allows CP users to keep up to date on planned future changes. I have asked a number of direct questions on this subject but have received no reply.

I am starting to become disillusioned with the way these kind of requests are dealt with. Either there is no response or we are promised that it will be 'mentioned' to the developer, then still no response. After a while it just isn't worth starting a new thread. Careful guys, if the forum loses interest so will the product.....

Very soon I am having virtual discussion with the development team about outstanding feature requests, so will also discuss the suggestions here. We have obviously made changes to the forums with the addition of prefixes so that we can update thread titles with information about where a feature request is at, however it is my fault they are not up to date as I haven't been available these last couple of weeks to update them. I have posted an explaination about how these prefixes for this section of the forums are supposed to work here.

I agree with Flash.

Thanks Pepsi for your reply, I guessed you were on holiday. I commented previously on the useful prefix changes, but it's one thing to know that the dev team is going to implement a feature but it's quite another to know WHEN!!! It's also a pain in the butt having to read dozens of threads in order to know what's going on.

I have suggested it before and I'll do it again. For the successful development of new features for CP it is absolutely ESSENTIAL that customers know what features have been refused, what have been accepted and, most importantly, WHEN the accepted features are likely to appear. And just saying 'the next major update' isn't much help. We're all trying to plan businesses here and can do absolutely NOTHING if we don't know WHEN something is going to happen. For my case I'm trying to figure out when and if a shopping cart system is going to be implemented so I can seriously promote and make money out of the software. Without a shopping cart I can't do anything. If I don't get any serious answers within the next few weeks I'll probably dump CP and look for something else that has all the features I need. That would be a shame because I've invested a lot of time (and money) in this software. But apptheme's business management isn't giving me much of a choice.

A ticket system would be very simple to set up and manage:

1. Forum administrators and the dev team raise tickets which would cover bug solutions and new features.

2. Each ticket would be allocated status of: Refused, Pending, Accepted or Completed.

3. Accepted and Completed tickets would be allocated update version numbers (3.0.5, 3.0.6, 4.1 etc).

4. For all of this to make sense, all projected updates should have an estimated release date which is constantly kept up to date itself so we, the customers, can know what is happening in real time.

There is no need to change the forum. In fact the ticket system complements the forum, allowing users to have a useful overview of all changes that are being considered or have been decided, without having to spend hours trolling through all the threads.

It's such a simple system that I really don't understand why it's not being used in some form or another.

To update: I have discussed this topic (along with many of the feature requests in this section of the forums), with the development team today. To clarify, we do have a ticketing system which basically works the way which you have mentioned above, however I have found out during our conversation that the system unfortunately does not have any form of "read only" access available. Obviously without this, it simply isn't possible to open it up for all to access, because it would then mean absolutely anyone can post or edit tickets (which would be a disaster in terms of managing anything that comes in), as well as codes being readily available to people who may not even be Appthemes customers.. It's literally not made to be anything but an internal ticketing system, so ultimately it's not going to happen. We as a team (Appthemes) just have to work out other ways to be more effective at giving feedback and communicating to you all what it is you want to know.

Our team has acknowledged that a lot of the problems we have had with communicating set dates is that there hasn't really been cut off dates by which features etc are committed, and locked in. Instead, time frames are estimated, and then the development team really just kept working through the list of fixes/features etc, fitting in what they can before that time comes.. After our discussion today, I believe there is more of an understanding from a customer point of view, why this is frustrating and ineffective. Once the next release (3.1) has been completed, we as a team will work out a plan for how future releases will be managed and dates/features are communicated. It could likely be that dates WILL be locked in, and you will start to see blog entries with a list of expected features and a set date for release..

Again, the forums are an important part of communicating the progress of future requests as well along the way - so this will be up to the forum mods to update threads based on information we can gather from our ticketing system. Realistically the sheer volume of feature requests made means that we still will have to use some sort of system from a consideration point of view, so it's important for the community to vote with their comments and ratings so we know what it is you all want most of all.

I hope this clarifies the points you have all raised here in this thread in particular, and if there is anything else you wish to add, I'm all ears!

Excellent Pepsi! Well done! Atlast you guys are taking the bull by the horns!

I understand about the ticket system. What you describe is an internal management application for the tech department and obviously not very useful for us as users. No doubt it includes a whole load of bug solutions and other tweaks that haven't even been mentioned on the forum, most of which we're not very interested in.

You said: Absolutely, some sort of system to consider suggestions. So how can that be done? Best solution would be to figure out a system that could use the forum as its base. My thoughts:

The main problems about the suggested features section in the forum are the following:
1. Threads written by the public often have confusing titles which don't adequately describe the feature.
2. Often the thread incorporates more than one suggested feature.
3. Often the missing feature is supplied through suggested hacks by other users (NOT supported by appthemes). Some work, some don't.
4. I don't believe that these threads receive the 'votes' that you want to justify a new feature. If people agree with a post they're not likely to write another to say the same thing.
5. Often there are numerous threads dealing more or less with the same thing, often said in very different ways. People aren't going to 'vote' on each thread, either.

I believe that this section DOES work well as a general discussion area. It helps provide hacks for those who desperately need a solution and it allows users to get things off their chest (like this post!!!).

But what it doesn't allow is for people to follow the development of a specific feature in a simple, accurate and time-saving way. I really do object to having to read every thread on the forum to find out what's going on. The prefix system does help a lot but it's not a complete solution, partly because it deals with the whole forum and includes general problems and mods.

My suggested solution depends on ONLY you, as moderator, being able to start threads in a new forum section called 'Feature Development' or similar. (Or simply you prohibit other users from starting threads. If they do then you move them to the suggested features section).

1. When you come across a suggested feature, modification or whatever in the forum that you feel should be CONSIDERED for inclusion in a future update, you start a new thread in the new forum section with a title which:
a) describes the feature clearly and briefly,
b) gives it a reference number, and
c) gives it a prefix of either Refused, Pending, Accepted or Published.
The ref number can be added to any thread in the forum where the feature may have been mentioned or suggested and, if necessary, those threads can then be locked.

2. You then write a first post for the thread which describes in your words the suggested feature/mod. When it's been accepted or published you add a release version. We as users can then jump in, vote, make opinions and suggest variations/additions that we would like to see, knowing that this is the ONLY thread of importance covering the suggested modification. It would also be the only thread of real interest to the developer who, hopefully, would become more involved in our discussions. When the feature/mod has been published or refused you can lock the thread.

I'm sure that this is not the complete solution but atleast it would allow us to:
a) concentrate on only one thread for comments and votes,
b) follow the progress of a feature easily without continuously searching the forum,
c) let the developer get more involved and help him see what the users really want,
d) allow new users (and potential customers) to see clearly what developement is underway,

I also think it would help you, Pepsi, sleep better at night.....

Anyway, that's my 10 cents worth. Hope some of it makes sense.

Great ideas flash, I'll put my thinking cap on and think more about something along these lines..