Few question about Dolphin U

Since i got no reply from the boonex team on my last forum post who ask when the beta version will be release so we can try more module than only member account...  here is my few question to set my mind if i wait, god know how long, or if i use dolphin 7.1.4

1. Will dolphin 7.1.4 be upgradable to Dolphin U final release?

2. Dolphin U use the same member structure than Dolphin 7.1.4? I want to know if i use PhpBB bridge that work with latest dolphin version... will it still work with Dolphin U ?

3. When you think release dolphin U beta with more modules?

I want to launch my new website as soon as possible.. even with a beta release... my member will know that and test it with me... but i dont want to wait 6 month... if then i will use the latest version of Dolphin 7

1: Dolphin 7.1 = Dolphin C (classic) 
    Dolphin 8    = Dolphin U 
    http://www.boonex.com/n/dolphin-u-and-dolphin-classic

2: Same (Might need some editing to make it work)

3: Read answer above :) (my guess 2-3 years before its anygood lol) 

 You didn't get one from the team, but I did send you a link to the github progress..

I use it to track the progress and test as things are changed.

https://github.com/boonex/dolphin/releases

There was a update 13 hours ago. 

Dolphin v.8.0.0-A6 (alpha 6)

up from

Dolphin v.8.0.0-A5 (alpha 5)

[edit]

The newest things are a new template called Ocean, and they renamed UNI to Lagoon.

Lot's of cleaning up.

I think things will be slow since it seems only two are working on it ATM.

Not really my place to be commenting here since I don't even have a successful 7.1 site, but I think it is safe to say that the upgrade to DU will be difficult, costly and time consuming - plus it is probably a long way off before you could realistically use it in a production system.  Andrew just commented on another post that they will be releasing the beta version of DU before they do any more releases of D7.1 - and what they will do then is "incorporate" elements of DU into D7.1.   That is just a really strange strategy, that has put almost everyone in this community on the spot - do you "wait" - or continue development that may include mods that will not be compatible?   Who know?   The sad part is that it is not really "open source" anymore - and as Newton pointed out, only two guys are working on it.

I bought a new monitor, a bigger one so I can see the defects better as we move forward....

since i dont know wich module is on the Dolphin U because boonex team says that the modules will be put only in the beta version... i still dont know if i start now my website officially with dolphin 7.1 or wait with dolphin U

The only point that i really like in dolphin U is the auto update, space disk limit per membership and HTML5 and no more flash or RMS... so its big point :(

But the dev will they make theire 7.1 mod compatible to U ?? thats the big question :(

 
As a developer i can answer that.

Yes and No.  Some modules will be made available, some will not. The reason is the features in dolphin U. Example. I will be provideing a Dolphin U version of my Facebook connect module, but it will not have the photo import feature. This is because the current version of Dolphin U does not have photo albums. So there is nothing to import the photos to.

What is provided will depend on what is available in dolphin U.

I have a question about DU also and this is not trolling - I really want to know.   Has anyone done "competitive benchmarking" to compare the features of DU that are planned, with the features someone could get from a product that is already on the market today?  I'm serious - I am wondering if everyone is just assuming it will be better than anything out there eventually, when there might be something out there right now that is better.   I am talking even about BuddyPress.   I hadn't looked in a few years, but an associate just did a system that looked pretty good, and they are already boasting of "thousands" of third party add on modules - plus being built on top of Wordpress it is "widget" and "plugin" oriented - something that DU aspires to be.   A while back I did the rounds and concluded that Dolphin was the best thing out there for me, but I haven't looked in some time, and I am sure the market has changed in many ways. 

 Yes, I did. 

Considering what is planned, Dolphin U is "imagined" as a social networking platform of the future. The underlying ideas and direction make it unique compared to every other product on the market. As far as features are concerned - this is not, and should never be a significant factor for deciding which platform is better. Ultimately, end-users should be exposed to just a handful of features that "carry" the site theme. In fact fewer features may be the way to go.

What we believe really matters is experience. It's about what people feel when using your site. The excitement, engagement, simplicity, effortlessness. That's what we care about.

Features, modules, plugins, extensions - all those things would start appearing much faster if the core product is "likeable" by the end user. It may not even have to be likeable by the developers or web-masters, per se, but if users enjoy the sites - the rest would follow. 

IMHO the renaming of Dolphin 7 to Dolphin Classic is absolutely stupid. They may as well named it Dolphin Discontinued.

Poseidon, Trident, Dolphin 8 and now Dolphin U ...... just names it will change again no big deal :)

Andrew - it shouldn't be done by you -  it should be done by some at least semi-independent third party.  Even if you have done this, as you claim - when was it done? - a year ago?  Here is a basic benchmarking from Wikipedia - Dolphin / Boonex isn't even on that list, and none of those guys are sitting still - they all have actively engaged communities, while the one here has been all but destroyed.

What you have described - about how even if the developers and webmasters don't like your "imagined" product everything will still be fine because the users will love it, is not a plan or a strategy, it is a fantasy.  You had three decent products - D6, D7.0 and D7.1 and they have all been dumped in exchange for this fantasy and your love of programming.  Again, you seem to believe you can neglect your surviving product for a year, and then go back to it for a few weeks and do a bunch of updates and all will be wonderful again but it doesn't work that way - you should have remained engaged all along, or you should have delegated that to some other party.

Again, no dog in the fight - even if you do the right thing, I have already lost as I am one of those suckers with and abandoned product but it is painful to see you hurting so many people and not even listening to them.

Personally, I'm closely looking at Dolphin & PHP-Fusion, both of which are going through the same thing & restructuring. The two platforms are the closest to my needs whilst Wordpress I wouldn't touch given the attention it receives from hackers. I'm testing both Dolphin & PHP-Fusion & keeping a close eye on the progress of both platforms. Interestingly, both are very different but seem to share the same concerns by their members. I guess it's par for the course when a new release is planned.