JoomlArt Forums 32,862 posts

[Menalto Friend MenaltoJoin date: May 2007Posts: 4736Downloads:0Uploads:43 Thanks: 2 Thanked: 531 times in 361 posts]

#223535

<em>@instantinlaw 20062 wrote:</em><blockquote>Hi Hung,
I am glad that you have put some thought into my suggestions, but if you are dead set on keeping it a two template per month membership you really need to hire some more help, or do as Shannon suggested, re-introduce the free dev membership for those willing to help out.
I have created a few video tutorials on my own time and server bandwidth to help out, and I am frequently in the forum answering questions and giving fixes for various issues. I would gladly accept that offer if it was available again, and I am sure that some of the other regular posters here would too.
The bottom line is, don’t lose the focus of this club.</blockquote>
Don’t understand me wrong about what i say here now, but i think JA should keep up with two templates a month. That is what makes Joomlart great 🙂
If it would be difficult to keep up the support, then just PM me and ill give you guys a link to my forum where i am online almost 24/7.

[instantinlaw Friend instantinlawJoin date: February 2007Posts: 1646Downloads:6Uploads:28 Thanks: 68 Thanked: 210 times in 62 posts]

#223540

Menalto;20073Don’t understand me wrong about what i say here now, but i think JA should keep up with two templates a month. That is what makes Joomlart great 🙂
If it would be difficult to keep up the support, then just PM me and ill give you guys a link to my forum where i am online almost 24/7.

Don’t get me wrong either. I like the two templates per month too, but if I had to choose between two medicore templates, and one spectacular template, I would choose the one spectacular template.

I know that most people can’t make graphically exciting layouts, and the new templates are just fine for them but I can, and the last template has nothing beyond a good design. it looks like it was rushed to make the deadline, and is buggy from the get go.

I hate to keep throwing the RocketTheme name around here, but someone at JA needs to visit thier site and take a look at the demos. They have lots of wow factor, look great, and include a user guide built right in. Producing one template per month gives them enough time to incorporate all of these important things into the final package.

So I’ll say this again,
If JA is going to continue the two template model, as well as all the other services they are now offering, they need to hire more help. It’s really that simple.

[nathanbohn Friend nathanbohnJoin date: March 2006Posts: 230Downloads:0Uploads:0 Thanked: 9 times in 1 posts]

#223544

jumping in here…..
A lot of good points have been brought up, my 2cents…
I think the 2 templates a month has been a huge attractor. I too am a RT member and between RT and JA i think they are the breakaway template makers without charging obscene amounts. The 2 templates a month have been a big boost, I enjoy hopping on JA on the 1st and 15th(+- 3 days) and see the new blood, but then on the 15th I hop on over to RT and remember oh yeah, only one template a month :((

There are times like Teline release and the Pariiti Release were breathtaking and amazing, fabulous pieces of art!!! but then the releases that followed we average by comparison and really have not added any additional features since the beginning barring the occasional module release. The menu navigation has not been touched since the suckerfish and transmenu additions. I guess what I am looking for is that groundbreaking feature. I have been dieing for lightbox to be integrated into a template in JA. A lot of times the templates are pretty predictable. Usually the same template from last month, just in dark. or a shopping version.

Support has been an issue for a lot of people, I try and answer here and there but not much of an “expert” per se…Server speed is also a large bump in the road.

The JAEC club is a good idea, but i think it should be rolled into the template club or at least be able to buy the components individually or 3 in a bundle…

Overall wouldnt mind the one template a month, but only as long as they are looking like Pariiti in creativity and originality. Sometimes it seems like there are 2 teams designing templates, the A+ team putting out the beautiful stuff and Team 2 putting out stuff like Olyra, and Seneco, which by themselves are ok, but compared to others are pretty average…
Just my thoughts…

JA Folks can borrow my screen name for RT if they would care to look around.

[instantinlaw Friend instantinlawJoin date: February 2007Posts: 1646Downloads:6Uploads:28 Thanks: 68 Thanked: 210 times in 62 posts]

#223545

nathanbohn;20082jumping in here…..
A lot of good points have been brought up, my 2cents…
I think the 2 templates a month has been a huge attractor. I too am a RT member and between RT and JA i think they are the breakaway template makers without charging obscene amounts. The 2 templates a month have been a big boost, I enjoy hopping on JA on the 1st and 15th(+- 3 days) and see the new blood, but then on the 15th I hop on over to RT and remember oh yeah, only one template a month :((

There are times like Teline release and the Pariiti Release were breathtaking and amazing, fabulous pieces of art!!! but then the releases that followed we average by comparison and really have not added any additional features since the beginning barring the occasional module release. The menu navigation has not been touched since the suckerfish and transmenu additions. I guess what I am looking for is that groundbreaking feature. I have been dieing for lightbox to be integrated into a template in JA. A lot of times the templates are pretty predictable. Usually the same template from last month, just in dark. or a shopping version.

Support has been an issue for a lot of people, I try and answer here and there but not much of an “expert” per se…Server speed is also a large bump in the road.

The JAEC club is a good idea, but i think it should be rolled into the template club or at least be able to buy the components individually or 3 in a bundle…

Overall wouldnt mind the one template a month, but only as long as they are looking like Pariiti in creativity and originality. Sometimes it seems like there are 2 teams designing templates, the A+ team putting out the beautiful stuff and Team 2 putting out stuff like Olyra, and Seneco, which by themselves are ok, but compared to others are pretty average…
Just my thoughts…

JA Folks can borrow my screen name for RT if they would care to look around.

Here, Here,
I couldn’t have put it better myself. Thanks for your two cents. 🙂

[Hung Dinh Friend Hung DinhJoin date: September 2014Posts: 4408Downloads:11Uploads:189 Thanks: 309 Thanked: 3310 times in 3 posts]

#223553

Thank you all for sharing your opinion, it’s hard for JA to make any big change for the time being but you guys can have my word for a solid improvement in support and template release in coming time.
I will work 2 more hours to take back your belief and love for JA !!!

[instantinlaw Friend instantinlawJoin date: February 2007Posts: 1646Downloads:6Uploads:28 Thanks: 68 Thanked: 210 times in 62 posts]

#223554

Hung Dinh;20092Thank you all for sharing your opinion, it’s hard for JA to make any big change for the time being but you guys can have my word for a solid improvement in support and template release in coming time.
I will work 2 more hours to take back your belief and love for JA !!!

Awsome Hung,
Proactive and reassuring! 🙂 And Yes We Do Love JA! 😀

[ShannonN Friend ShannonNJoin date: July 2006Posts: 1947Downloads:0Uploads:9 Thanks: 16 Thanked: 172 times in 49 posts]

#223563

instantinlaw;20093Awsome Hung,
Proactive and reassuring! 🙂 And Yes We Do Love JA! 😀

I think JA also has to hire it’s own staff and not expect/call for volunteers from the membership. The cost factor is not an issue here JA makes a lot of money and from a business point of view must pour a percentage back into its business.

Community helpers is a great idea but should only be used in conjunction with hired paid staffers over in Vietnam not as a free stop gap measure.

JA also needs to tells us about JA, I’ want to know how many staff it has, what are the commitments JA has, like I know they are heavily involved with Joomlancers and think they have some association with ijoomla and others, is this what’s bleeding the time of the JA staff these other commitments contracts etc.

I’m all for community help but I’m wondering what’s draining the resources so much that the community needs to bail out a commercial venture?

If Joomlancers et al are robbing the Joomlart staff of their commitment to Joomlart etc then joomlancers and all but Joomlart has to be separated from Joomlart.

[nathanbohn Friend nathanbohnJoin date: March 2006Posts: 230Downloads:0Uploads:0 Thanked: 9 times in 1 posts]

#223615

i agree ShannonN. the people who are helping now are the people who are most likely to sign up for the staff positions.. . already the people who have posted for the job or basically the people in here. I think JA may have to out further in the Joomla Universe. If the same people are just being used 2x over, i dont think its going to help much

[instantinlaw Friend instantinlawJoin date: February 2007Posts: 1646Downloads:6Uploads:28 Thanks: 68 Thanked: 210 times in 62 posts]

#223617

nathanbohn;20165i agree ShannonN. the people who are helping now are the people who are most likely to sign up for the staff positions.. . already the people who have posted for the job or basically the people in here. I think JA may have to out further in the Joomla Universe. If the same people are just being used 2x over, i dont think its going to help much

Both you and Shannon have good points, and you are correct, the people who are helping out are already PM’ing Hung. If we are helping out anyway we might as well be recognized for our efforts, and a dev membership would be pretty good compensation in my opinion. If as Hung stated JA is not going to hire anyone new in the near future, at least we would be an effective stop gap that would let JA focus on producing better templates, which was one of the main reasons this thread was started in the first place. We as support staff would solve most the support issues, as we already do.

[ErikThorsen Friend ErikThorsenJoin date: December 2005Posts: 1098Downloads:0Uploads:7 Thanks: 22 Thanked: 10 times in 1 posts]

#223696

Adding staff, no matter who, as long as they “put in the hours” would improve JA drastically. Even if it is Menalto, Instantinlaw and ShannonN applying. This because they would spend even more time ( not ShannonN as he has maxed out his time already 🙂

The point is that if we get someone to write better documentations, news and also getting even more involved in the JA community, then it would make it possible for the designers and programmers of JA team to focus on the templates and extensions.

I too agree with all and everyone that we need templates and features that say BOOM! Not the average Joe, as this can be bought for 5-15 USD other places.

So let’s hope JA can hire at least 3-5 new staff members and I hope that the staff members will get paid even more than a developer license.

JA rising to the next challenges! with a little help from their friends…

ps: I am not applying to the staff positions. :p

[instantinlaw Friend instantinlawJoin date: February 2007Posts: 1646Downloads:6Uploads:28 Thanks: 68 Thanked: 210 times in 62 posts]

#223716

ErikThorsen;20260Adding staff, no matter who, as long as they “put in the hours” would improve JA drastically. Even if it is Menalto, Instantinlaw and ShannonN applying. This because they would spend even more time ( not ShannonN as he has maxed out his time already 🙂

The point is that if we get someone to write better documentations, news and also getting even more involved in the JA community, then it would make it possible for the designers and programmers of JA team to focus on the templates and extensions.

I too agree with all and everyone that we need templates and features that say BOOM! Not the average Joe, as this can be bought for 5-15 USD other places.

So let’s hope JA can hire at least 3-5 new staff members and I hope that the staff members will get paid even more than a developer license.

JA rising to the next challenges! with a little help from their friends…

ps: I am not applying to the staff positions. :p

My thoughts exactly Erik. When I said developers license, I meant all inclusive I.e. templates and extensions. I don’t know what else they could offer, besides cold hard cash. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks for your thoughts.

[ShannonN Friend ShannonNJoin date: July 2006Posts: 1947Downloads:0Uploads:9 Thanks: 16 Thanked: 172 times in 49 posts]

#223752

instantinlaw;20167Both you and Shannon have good points, and you are correct, the people who are helping out are already PM’ing Hung. If we are helping out anyway we might as well be recognized for our efforts, and a dev membership would be pretty good compensation in my opinion. If as Hung stated JA is not going to hire anyone new in the near future, at least we would be an effective stop gap that would let JA focus on producing better templates, which was one of the main reasons this thread was started in the first place. We as support staff would solve most the support issues, as we already do.

I can see the benefit in community ‘workers’ taking the strain off JA developers to allow them to get on with the 2 templates per month, however, I still want to know just what other companies/ventures JA developers are working on now as WELL AS Joomlart templates.

I’m all for helping JA free up its staff, but not if their other commitments are causing the probs in the first place and they will just have more time to hire out to Joomlancers or Ijoomla etc

You guys get what I’m saying, I don’t want to see our generosity and community spirit harnessed for anything but Joomlart to produce Joomlart stuff not Ijoomla, contract work etc cause we will give them space and free up resources for them.

So I think JA needs to provide a list of it’s commitments outside JA and start a closed forum for the ‘casual staff and mods to discuss plans, areas and probably assign projects to willing staff, I can write a manual etc make video tutes, that’s my area of expertise, Instantinlaw is great with Virtuemart etc you see where I’m going

Have a think, lets PM hung for a closed ja future directions discussion / planning forum from our point of view and get some resources assigned?

Night All Shanny

[bigrk Friend bigrkJoin date: February 2007Posts: 1425Downloads:0Uploads:2 Thanks: 39 Thanked: 45 times in 15 posts]

#223760

All of the posts here are good and the suggestions are positive. But all I have heard from Hung is that he thought about it for 30 minutes and that he really can’t do anything right now. He also said that he would work two more hours per day. So what does that equate to…3 total hours now. I haven’t seen any evidence of any extra effort and he still doesn’t answer emails, etc.

I joined for one template and like it very much but for the most part the JA templates look like the freebies that most other sites offer. I won’t be applying to become a Staff Volunteer either as I haven’t seen one thing that is being offered in return to these volunteers. I can say after reading all of this that I will probably limit my efforts here to something more like Hung’s which is very little or nothing. Most likely I will not renew my membership when it comes due in 10 months either. I think for the couple of months that I have been here as a JATC member I have more than contributed my fair share. What I have learned is that JA really doesn’t give a…insert four letter word here!

[instantinlaw Friend instantinlawJoin date: February 2007Posts: 1646Downloads:6Uploads:28 Thanks: 68 Thanked: 210 times in 62 posts]

#223763

ShannonN;20325I can see the benefit in community ‘workers’ taking the strain off JA developers to allow them to get on with the 2 templates per month, however, I still want to know just what other companies/ventures JA developers are working on now as WELL AS Joomlart templates.

I’m all for helping JA free up its staff, but not if their other commitments are causing the probs in the first place and they will just have more time to hire out to Joomlancers or Ijoomla etc

You guys get what I’m saying, I don’t want to see our generosity and community spirit harnessed for anything but Joomlart to produce Joomlart stuff not Ijoomla, contract work etc cause we will give them space and free up resources for them.

So I think JA needs to provide a list of it’s commitments outside JA and start a closed forum for the ‘casual staff and mods to discuss plans, areas and probably assign projects to willing staff, I can write a manual etc make video tutes, that’s my area of expertise, Instantinlaw is great with Virtuemart etc you see where I’m going

Have a think, lets PM hung for a closed ja future directions discussion / planning forum from our point of view and get some resources assigned?

Night All Shanny

Shannon always the planner. 😉
I like your ideas about a closed forum, and everything else you said. I am going to email you tonight so we can talk.

[instantinlaw Friend instantinlawJoin date: February 2007Posts: 1646Downloads:6Uploads:28 Thanks: 68 Thanked: 210 times in 62 posts]

#223764

bigrk;20338All of the posts here are good and the suggestions are positive. But all I have heard from Hung is that he thought about it for 30 minutes and that he really can’t do anything right now. He also said that he would work two more hours per day. So what does that equate to…3 total hours now. I haven’t seen any evidence of any extra effort and he still doesn’t answer emails, etc.

I joined for one template and like it very much but for the most part the JA templates look like the freebies that most other sites offer. I won’t be applying to become a Staff Volunteer either as I haven’t seen one thing that is being offered in return to these volunteers. I can say after reading all of this that I will probably limit my efforts here to something more like Hung’s which is very little or nothing. Most likely I will not renew my membership when it comes due in 10 months either. I think for the couple of months that I have been here as a JATC member I have more than contributed my fair share. What I have learned is that JA really doesn’t give a…insert four letter word here!

All mostly true bigrk, but the only way things are going to change here is if the members(the ones who pay JA’s bills) get together and make the changes happen. I am going to discuss this with Shannon tonight and maybe we will be able to offer some more concrete solutions. I am always available via PM and so is Shannon If you want to talk.

[Author]

Posts