This announcement was prompted by a comment made on the Joomla Extensions site. Rather than clog the reviews page with a long-winded reply, I thought it better to provide an explanation here.
Sound's good....
Well.... by leeuniverse, August 17, 2008
Needs to work natively in 1.5....
Everyone is using 1.5 now, for such a great system, they're behind the ball in this.
Allow me to expand on my comments....
I'm about to start a business, and nBill is clearly heads and above everything else out there. I've been spending hours researching the various extensions. It does exactly as I need. It's a form creator, manager, submission manager, invoice creator, client area, etc. etc. program. It's exactly what I'm looking for.
Now, since this program is clearly the best thing out there, and I'm now I'm not the only one who thinks so, your first missing out on a LOT of business because people want to use the latest Joomla, and don't want to mess with legacy malarky, especially today so long after the initial release. If you'll note, most of the best extensions out there are compatible with it. All the great templates that are being created are created with 1.5 in mind, and on and on.
I'm beside myself going nut's cause I don't know what to do. I can't downgrade my Template or Joomla, cause it's taken a lot of work to get exactly what I need. I can't pay someone the kind of money necessary to create a system like nBill as either a standalone or to work with RSform Pro or whatever. I'll still have to do that anyway to get things right with nBill, yet, I can't even use nBill. I don't think you realize that your missing out on a LOT of business because you haven't switched.
So, I made my comment out of frustration, and to somehow spur you along to realize that people out there want to use your program.
The Joomla team has made it clear that extensions issued under licenses that are not GPL-compatible are not welcome in Joomla 1.5, and they even claim that if a non-GPL extension uses the Joomla 1.5 API, this violates the Joomla license (nBill currently uses the Mambo API, and follows the Mambo license usage guidelines).
I've read the threads in question now, and I as an outsider also have looked closely at the Joomla "project".
I can tell you right now, that your "afraid" when you really shouldn't be. Joomla wouldn't be where it is today if it wasn't for developer's willing to do commercial and free extensions and with many one or the other. Joomla is not going to all of a sudden say he, goodbye all, we don't need you anymore, you can't develop commercial applications that work with our API. Really, common. And even if they do, then you adapt. But, like was said in that one thread, the whole purpose of the Joomla fork was to "let go" of some of those restrictions to developers.
Further, Joomla has said they are trying to work on the issue, such as coming up with a different kind of liscense, since for them to be in compliance with the GPL license, they can't technically add that "exception" clause to it. Legally, they would be in trouble as well. This is common sense. So, them stating they are working on it simply means they are doing just that, and being "lazie fair" with allowing the developers to continue until they are able to have a correct license. Of course, you can't ask them to necessarily keep that clause in there, because then they are out of compliance.
Bottom line is, is you don't really need to worry. Commercial extensions exist for anything and everything out there GPL and whatever. So, your not in any danger with this "technical" nuance. Joomla will eventually find a way so you all are technically in compliance.
Whilst I strongly disagree with their opinion on the scope of the GPL, I am working on making nBill run independently of the API. As such, it will never run using the Joomla 1.5 native API. This was not my original intention, but comes as a result of the Joomla team's change of policy on non-GPL extensions. However, my intention is to support integration with Joomla 1.5 as fully as possible, without the legacy mode plugin being necessary, whilst still attempting to respect the Joomla team's official interpretation of the scope of the GPL (within reason).
Okay, if you can do that, that might be an option. But, like I said, I think your creating more stress than you need too, and it takes time away from improving your current product and services.
Joomla's not going to completely alienate their developers in that way. And if they do, then you focus on this new less integration methods. In the meantime, you need to focus on giving the customer what they want. If you do that, whatever "might" happen in the future will still work out for you, cause you will have the client base already to support the transition. This way though, you risk completely killing your business. You can still gradually plan future goals, and eventuality's, but in the meantime, the focus should be on the superior product and service that you have. This is important here. You may be a good coder, but this is business we are talking about. You don't run your business based on "fear".
Due to the emphasis I put on supporting my existing customers, as well as the fact that sales of nBill do not generate enough income to support full-time development (I do all the development and support myself), time for new development work is very limited. Various other issues have delayed the commencement of work on nBill 2.0, by about a year, so it is fair to say that I have fallen behind somewhat (if somewhat unfair to criticise me for it without knowing any of the reasons!). It will be at least several months yet before the first independent version of nBill becomes available, allowing you to turn off the legacy plugin.
I can appreciate all of this, and I meant no disrespect in not knowing of your personal situations.
But as to nBill..... You staying up with the times would have (and still can) EXPLODE your business, likely allowing you to go full time into development of nBill. Though, you should have got on this train earlier.
Of course not everybody is using Joomla 1.5. About half of the support requests received for nBill at the time of writing involve Joomla 1.0 sites, and these will continue to be supported for the foreseeable future.
Yes, but that's not because few people are using Joomla 1.5, it's because your plugin is not compatible with it. Some have to go back to 1.0 because some of the really good extensions such as your's won't work natively in 1.5. Most however, would rather go with the newer bigger thing, rather than downgrade just to use the smaller thing. Also, use of 1.5 is exploading on the net, especially for the last 6 months. Now's the time for you to which ever faster for you to do, either make nBill 1.5 Native or create your external program that works just as well without legacy. Within the next two months or so I'm going to be needing your program. I want to be a faithful customer, because I believe in what you got going here. I'm sure there are a lot more like me who simply haven't bothered you, but wanted too. Your top over there on the Extensions site for a reason. What you've got and could even better have more attractively is very useful in setting up business sites, nothing else compares. The rest are only "half" of what your's does. You should actually be in the FORMS section as well. I bet you you would be them all if people realized that you existed. A person wouldn't necessarily look in the Billing/Invoice section for a form creator with backend and client capability's. I bet you anything that you would take out RSForm Pro.
Anyway, some sincere thoughts..... And, I really hope that something can happen here quickly that is good for all. I'm here to support this project in whatever way I can. One cause I like things that are the best, and two because this is a key component to the functioning of my business website that I'm working on. So, we both can benefit.
Take care.....
