BoonEx Market Courtesy

Andrew Boon posted 27th of June 2011 in Boonex News. 32 comments.

Time has come to do somethign about BoonEx Market products quality and support assurance, certification, etc. Some of the ideas we had shared with your before and recent discussion rasied by YobiLab finally formed the following decision:

 

BoonEx Market Courtesy  

For every product vendors will have to fill so called "Courtesy Declaration", consisting of 2 parts: Required and Recommended. Required items are those listed in Market Requirements and Recommended in Market Etiquette (we suggest its content to be added collaboratively based the "Etiquette" or "Recommendations" post, initiated by YobiLab). 

 

Vendors will be allowed to fill in any information for to every field. All fields will be displayed on the product page, even if not specified (a warning will be used for unspecified).

 

Moderators will be able to review products and vote for "Courtesy Seal" - a verification of validity of filled Courtesy information. At least 3 moderators will have to vote for the seal to be issued. At least one of them will have be a SuperModerator. Exact procedures and policies on Courtesy Seals are yet to be determined though.

 

Links:

BoonEx Market Courtesy

BoonEx Market Requirements

BoonEx Market Etiquette

 

 

Market Etiquette Creation

We welcome you to move content from the initial post by Yobilab to BoonEx Trac and from there determine a final list of Recommended items and move them to BoonEx Market Etiquette. We'd like to do minimal intervention on this from BoonEx, as we belive that BoonEx Unity members are now able to organize themselves to create this document.

 
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prolaznik
"Moderators will be able to review products" does that mean that moderators will be able to download the product free off charge?.... I can see some vendors not likeing that idea.

'edit'
TYPO in --> BoonEx Market Requirements --> Less Modifications --> "Try to implement your mod my making less." (my)
Andrew Boon
At this stage - no. We will have to determine a policy for granting access to download products directly, but even as it is now, it may be in the best interest of vendors to let Moderators download their products and we expect them doing so voluntary.
prolaznik
Not the best idea, If a working demo is provided i don't see a reason why someone would need to download it and "review" it. It's the buyers responsibility to do some research before buying something.
Would anyone go to a dealership and buy a car without even trying to start it or take it for a test drive.
Andrew Boon
The idea of Declaration is that vendor just states that his product... 1. compatible with XX, 2. has manual, 3. is a module, etc... They may as well state negative answers to those. Moderators only need to have means of verifying declared information. In many cases this won't require a download. So, I can see a system where Vendors would give their products for download to moderators voluntary, or on request, or pro-actively. Maybe we'll just add a posting option like "allow moderators to download" see more and "allow supermoderators to download".
prolaznik
As long there's an option to "allow"-"disallow" then that's ok.
freakpower
No I think exact opposite. To verfify a code and certain specifications somebody have to review it more deeply. Only way how to do it is make access to components to that 3 moderators which will be responsible for that. If that will be trusted community members I cant see problem why should somebody mind that ...
Andrew Boon
You should be able to edit it yourself. Try it.
YobiLab
Wou wou wou wou wou and wou again. I leaved Boonex for only some hours and when I was back I found all of this. I am REALLY impressed and excited. One thing. Only one. Yes I started that post and yes I tried to do my best to support it. But I think there should a place to name aneilaDesign for that initiative and not only me. I supported it and I believed in that and I tried to write as much info as possible giving to it a good amount of my time. But the idea, the very first idea, is from aneilaDesign. see more So Andrew I really think this is a great thing what you are doing now. But at least please add HER name on this post. That would be the very right thing to do. Thanks anyway for this fantastic news. I am impressed all of this came out in less than a week. This is a revolution =)
Andrew Boon
We thank aneilaDesign a lot! :)

Anyway, it's really not about credits - there's a lot to be done to make it work and we're glad that members help us with this.
tomakali
why dont modders just let their mods install via Boonex Dolphin Admin Module installer?
tomakali
bcoz, u r not "angry" about that... making it "mandatory"
let modders release a "demo" mod for free
and activate it somehow with their api or whatsoever.
freakpower
thats what I suggested also - make a required trial mod so developers have to be able to release limited trial modules or some feature stripper free or time limited version so buyers can test it straight on their sites...
tomakali
added to that, "REJECT" should be a very strong word to maintain quality of mods just like apple.
freakpower
yes I fully agree with you - there should be really strong sanctions if developer break rules..
mods4dolphin
How about Boonex opening up their license platform for all mod developers? This will ensure that the developers can use the existing licensing system instead of creating one. This will also ensure that the mods are only being used on the domains for which the purchase was done, similar to Boonex license. Provide a platform that can help everyone :)

Same goes with Support Ticketting system :)
YobiLab
That would be an interesting thing. But please remember european developers. I do not why some of us here do not do what they should. But we have some important laws in Europe for this. For example I must always provide a valid paid invoice for each customer and a valid license. So that will not work for any european developer like me or some others. Maybe that could be an option, but not mandatory, or every european developer will have to leave this platform =/
I like this latest attempt at trying to clean up the market place, making things uniform and standardized.

I can see things from both the developer and the customer point of view.

I have shied away from adding mods because it has been my experience that most mods are not what they are cracked up to be and in the event they do not work the way I hoped, I not only lose my original investment, but then I have to take the time and effort to try to un-install them and clean up the mess they left see more behind.

Having a trial period or a 30 day money back guarantee would go a long way to restore confidence in the market place.

From a customer point of view, I am not interested how great something works on a developer's demo site, my concern is how they work on MY sites.

Boonex could show some real confidence in the modders by adding the approved mods to UNITY and demo them from there. That might level the playing field in a hurry and weed out the rubbish from the usable mods.
YobiLab
I am going to add some of the basic requirements in the Boonex Market Etiquette tomorrow. So lets follow and edit if you see something is wrong.
Wow, how exciting....and I just posted this idea last night on my site for some here to read. The concept is very much like how www.phpbb.com operates their MOD database, granted it still and always had its issues, however it happens to be far more controlled than I have seen any website script with a modular system. The idea I posted, though went a little deeper, and certainly offered far greater benefit to the Authors than the risk of the Moderator getting a "free" module.

I think see more everyone should allow the ideas to mature into a complete process before they start denying its success.

Listed below are the ideas coming to mind, in which I see benefiting everyone:

Validation Process:
-Ensure release maintains proper file structure, compatibility with the latest release(backwards compatibility is not necessary, but if stated that it works with older versions, then it needs to be tested as such.), secure, and working as advertised.
-Process includes Installation, Testing, and Security checks
-If module passes all tests, a certificate is issued validating the mod works. If new version of Dolphin is released, then mod needs to be resubmitted for validation(possibly when errors start being reported or when author becomes absent or unresponsive for extended period of time).

ALL MEMBERS:
With the license system as it is, I am sure there is a way for boonex to also validate the version in which members are using. With this extended version knowledge, the Market place can then be set to only display products that are compatible with members dolphin version. This will eliminate the "I didn't see it" excuse.

Author Ranks:
There should be two modes of ranking an author, his module itself and separately, his support. This are two completely different. With my years involved in the PHP world, I have seen MANY awesome developers, however their level of support was literally the worst.

With these processes in mind, Boonex can in turn start a review process(articles) of Modules and Authors. This creates new content for the site, which brings more search successes. And in turn brings new Dolphin fans.

Author sales will increase as the potential buyer will know that the product is in fact compatible with his version. But also with the ranking system, the potential buyer gets a better understanding of what to expect if they need support.

With the testing, reviewing the code, etc involved, I think for a little bit of additional advertising AND validation from the Dolphin staff...a free module is their payment for services. Just like money is your payment for developing..

And further suggestions: Any modules not validated, will be priced to what the Moderators suggest, all modules validated will be priced at what the author wants.

BETA Testers Incentive:
-The validation team will install all beta versions
-the level of necessary testing will determine the number of points the beta is worth, which will be deemed by the validation team
--All new errors found is worth the Full point value(Steps to repeat error must be posted)
---all errors verified is worth 25% of total points
---Any bugs is worth 10% of total points

Accumulated points can then be used by the beta team members to either purchase a Module, or receive a great discount. 1 point = 1 dollar

All these suggestions are merely ideas off the top of my head....and I have alot. Just ask someone that got this started. ;)

Good Luck,
Voice4Vision
Blake-
I do not sell products and I have bought well over 40 different products from vendors and only one vendor never followed up with me and fixed the issue.I have had a few products that after i bought them did not do what i wanted and the vendors either helped me by modifying them or trading me out for what i wanted.

If you look through my purchase history, you will see i have dealt with many different vendors.

I think by allowing trial downloads you will kill what integrity these people have see more in what they do. Most of the vendors have a full functioning demo and i have never seen a product different from the demo. If my thoughts count and i were a vendor i would be against this move.

The guys that support this product work hard already and like i said i have never had an issue with any of them that were not resolved.
Blake-
I do not sell products and I have bought well over 40 different products from vendors and only one vendor never followed up with me and fixed the issue.I have had a few products that after i bought them did not do what i wanted and the vendors either helped me by modifying them or trading me out for what i wanted.

If you look through my purchase history, you will see i have dealt with many different vendors.

I think by allowing trial downloads you will kill what integrity these people have see more in what they do. Most of the vendors have a full functioning demo and i have never seen a product different from the demo. If my thoughts count and i were a vendor i would be against this move.

The guys that support this product work hard already and like i said i have never had an issue with any of them that were not resolved.
freakpower
well if you look to forum you will see there is also many people who have very bad experience with some developers so if you had no problems it doesnt mean everybody feel same like you. Also by allowing trials it help people see themselve if product is not interferring with some other 3rd party product on their site which is very important - you cant test that on develůoper demosite. Also some developers tune product on their demosites so after you install it on your own site it doesnt lookm or see more work exactly same as on developer demo site ...
Sorry to say this Blake, however, doing a google search you are only one positive compared to 1000 negatives. When I originally looked into Dolphin, several links found on google was "DOLPHIN IS A SCAM!!!" There are more negative reviews due to dishonest developers than there are positive. You are one of the few lucky ones. But all it takes is one negative experience to change your mind. They teach you that in customer service.

Now although I agree that providing a Trial Download is see more more troublesome and unmotivating, I would also like to add that it will certainly opening doors to piracy. I do think that for every purchase/download, there should be an agreement, in which everyone is displayed, that pretty much states, that ALL downloads can react differently according to host settings etc. As for Authors and their customer support? I think support as it is, is not clearly defined, there are no direct links from the download page to the forums related to that download. Most downloads mentions no means of contacting Author. And certainly ALL the downloads I have purchased have no instructions or mention of contact or support. Some downloads mentions old URL's that are no longer operational...but either way, the product might be great, but the support is what makes the purchase worth its price.

My two cents,
Voice4Vision
videoduma
Good to see forward, but look behind you as well!
There are many market products without support, updates and no work.
Especially Rayz`s products in my part.
hello,
nice that there are changes in the market but i have really problems to understand this post,
it is too complicated written for non-english people.

must i change now something in my already added products?
if yes...what?
YobiLab
You do not "have to" change anything now. You "could" if you want to follow the Market Etiquette. But do not worry, this is a working-progress initiative. There is nothing already finalized. So wait another bit and then follow the specifications you will find here: http://www.boonex.com/trac/dolphin/wiki/MarketEtiquette
YobiLab
Sorry I meant "work in progress" and not "working-progress" =)
freakpower
Personally I think aside of this great etiquette enhancement market also need big cleanup. All those no supported, no working or outdated products have to be removed from market.. I have recommendations. Andrew make a new blog annpouncement that developers have like month to clen their mods themselves - remove not updated, not supported, non functional product. After month those product will simply be removed by moderators... I also think all mods for previous dolphoin versions should be also removed see more from market to clean it up as d6 and previous versiona are not supported anymore nor developed...
prolaznik
so if it's not supported anymore it should be removed?.. what about people that bought the mods.?...i see some sites that are still using d6 and don't even thinkg about upgrading.
freakpower
okay let change it to remove mods which are no longer supported and are disfunctional
 
 
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