Future roadmap

[Keith Vaugh+ 16]

@Andrew As a long time user of Pagelines themes (originally using an early incarnation of Washinton, Eco and iBlog), I am curious about what the future holds for Pagelines. For years I have engaged with other users, admins and developers on the forum here, but many of these have left. I can remember Andrew and Simon helping out on a number of occasions as I built a site using the original Platform, and more recently Danny with themes Framework, DMS and Platform. 

I guess my question is, is there a Pagelines roadmap or a future plan? I certainly hope so, as I would hate to have to move to alternative... Pagelines is a perfect fit for my needs and something I hope to continue to use into the future...

I guess I prefer to settle in one place and not wander like a nomad from place to place  

 

[Andrew 207]

Hey there @Keith Vaugh we ARE working on something based on the latest JS technology that should be backward compatible with PL5 and WordPress by the time it's released. 

That technology will be the primary stack for our other project fiction.com .. 

As for PL5 we're gonna keep releasing extensions and making sure everything works, but the big jump will be a new platform once again (since we can't make breaking changes to existing tech)

 

Make sense?

[communicreations+ 1]

I'm glad to see some communication on the subject, @Andrew. Like @Keith Vaugh and a few others, I also go back to pre-DMS days. And I've seen us lose some of the old guard to attrition.

From a users perspective, there is a long-term business commitment involved in using Pagelines and it goes beyond money. Things have gone uncomfortably quiet at times while Facebook groups have either disappeared or been renamed. Naturally there are legitimate questions about the framework's future. Not knowing where things stand has caused me to explore alternatives even though I'd rather not go down that road. With a license renewal date around the corner, it would be helpful to know more than just a soundbite about what the future holds for Pagelines. A planned release in 6 months? Longer? Also good to know because there would be a new learning curve to plan for in the corse of the next fiscal year. Is LESS on the way out? Will Bootstrap integrations return?

The more we know, the better.

[Keith Vaugh+ 16]

I forgot to turn off auto-renewals so today the automatic payment was processed. I am somewhat concerned at the lack of communication from @Andrew on when we might get more detail on the future releases or even a timeline. Pagelines has been an excellent platform for our needs, but being honest, I have been strongly considering changing to another theme for the past few months.  if it was not for time and other commitments, I would have transitioned our site to another builder, deactivated auto-renewals and bid farewell to Pagelines

Is it worth hanging in for another twelve months Andrew, or should I request a refund? I've been a user of Pagelines for years and in a way happy to continue to support the product, in anticipation of the new tech, but do need some further reassurance that there is still life here. So many of core users seem to have abandoned already and this does suggest that maybe Pagelines is about to dwindle away. 

Some words of reassurance would be most welcome at this time; continued Silence will suggest that Pagelines has reached its end. 

[Keith Vaugh+ 16]

I think two weeks is more than enough time for @Andrew to respond. His silence speaks volumes. The only conclusion that us remaining customers and supporters can draw is that Pagelines has come to an end and it shuttering is only a matter of time. I sincerely hope this conclusion is wrong and it will continue, however from what I have read, many of the users have migrated away from the platform and convincing them to return and support Pagelines in the future, will be a major task. I am not sure if the commitment is there.

[edgarcheverier+ 26]

Hi Keith,
I was speaking with Andrew about your question.
He had his first child last week, so as you can imagine he was really busy.
He told me he will answer your question as soon as he has time and that he regrets the delay.
About PageLines, all I know is that they (Andrew and Ray) are still working on PageLines and thinking about the future of the company. 

[Keith Vaugh+ 16]

Thanks @edgarcheverier Adding a baby to a family can certainly add a new perspective. Congratulations to @Andrew and his partner.

I've been a Pagelines user since early on. I recall the first pack of themes I purchased contained iBlog, Eco, Washington and another theme that I cannot remember the name of. Over the years the community has always been helpful with Andrew and Simon often pitching in to help out with difficulties. I have seen so many active users come and go, developers move on etc... and it does raise the alarm. Personally, I'd much prefer to hang in with Pagelines and keep using the theme, but the silence is deafening and it is cause for concern.

As some users migrate away, there has to be a point at which time Andrew will have to decide to try and re-establish its presence or shutter it all together. This is where my concern is rooted. Should we be looking to other builders, or wait?

This is something that Andrew can only answer. Ray is a name that I hadn't heard before. 

Hopefully we'll hear something soon. 

[edgarcheverier+ 26]

Thanks Keith for understanding and for your patience.

And of course I understand your doubts, considering you are such a loyal user.
But I can tell you that they are still working and thinking about the future of the company. (Ray is a really good Developer that often works with Andrew).

Soon he will tell you this with his own words.