Revision [733]

This is an old revision of ExpectationsManagement made by PhilDaintree on 2007-11-07 19:54:09.

 

webERP Administration and Project Management


webERP is currently administered by Phil Daintree and Tim Schofield. We really could do with some help though and looking for others with skills in any of the following functions:

Web-Site Maintenance
Marketing - we do none currently!
Writing Documentation
Answering Support Queries
Testing and debugging

We, as with most open source developers, are both voluntary and offer our services on the clear understanding that we are not responsible for your installation and that the software is offered and used without warranty etc as per the GPL version 2.

Suggestions for improvement are certainly encouraged but most of all we welcome development work done in accordance with the development guidelines against the latest CVS code. Bringing development work in that was made against older code is more difficult and if you wish to be in a position to use later versions of webERP with the new functionality made available with each release it pays to be pro-active in donating the development work you've done back to the project.

Phil's Development Philosophy


All those involved with webERP are involved for their own purposes be they altruistic or most likely for the commercial advantage afforded by the software. The advantage afforded is proportional to the functionality provided in the software and each of us has an interest in developing functionality specific to our own requirements. There is no doubt, some enterprises consider that donating that development back to the project reduces the commercial advantage they now enjoy, as their competitors will also have access to the functionality they developed. Although there is at least a moral obligation to give the development back I understand and accept that there is not a legal requirement unless it is being redistributed.

This is a shame since the following that webERP could gather if businesses were to truly get behind the spirit of the project and the additional functionality that would then accrue to their business is foregone by themselves and the rest of the webERP community. The community grows but slower than it would otherwise if there were more support for the philosophy of creating something much bigger than we could develop on our own.

The development work that does get undertaken and given back then is predominantly from those with more altruistic motives.

I now develop functionality that businesses are prepared to sponsor on the understanding that it goes into the project in return for my charging a reduced fee. This is a win-win, since :

I get to develop software which I enjoy doing (I am not allowed to spend too much time on webERP these days since I have a family and my wife expects there to be a return for the work I do!)
webERP gets the additional functionality and the value proposition increases for the whole community
the business gets discounted development work

It is difficult to publish a road-map for my development because different roads get taken depending on what developments businesses wish to sponsor. I am not sure how Tim's development agenda works.

Mailing List Etiquette


There are all sorts of people involved with webERP and we embrace this diversity. We don't have too many problems on our list discussions these days, polite and cordial exchanges with good humour get the best responses.
Confrontation, egotistical oneupmanship and diatribes about how good or bad you or anyone else is should be avoided and belongs on any other mailing list or off list altogether.
Email can be a little impersonal and whilst the information published on the list is very public we do encourage the use of first names at least in list communications.
Commercial arrangements with other list members should be kept off list. Advertising of services should be limited to web-site information at the end of emails.

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