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And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 7:07 pm
by DanZac
The Redlers voices have been eerily silent on this forum lately and I would really like to hear from them on what exactly is happening with Mellel. All you need to do is read a few posts on the forum to see that users are scratching their heads wondering when we can expect the next major installment. I myself am eagerly awaiting cross-referencing, and I can safely say most of us were expecting it last year.

Can the developers please take a moment to update the masses on what we can expect and roughly when?

Re: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 7:13 pm
by signinstranger

Re: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 12:11 pm
by matthias
I just wanted to chime in and express my support for Danny's request. Where will Mellel go? Is there still sustainable development?

Re: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:25 am
by frvs
Ditto. It is becoming clear that users are worried. There are two things here. One is the huge delay in delivering; the other is the deafening silence about it. I suppose the latter, at least, should be fixed asap — we're not asking for promises or for classified data, just for some basic, trivial info regarding what is going on behind the curtains.

I hope I'm wrong about this, but I fear that Mellel is risking becoming irrelevant by taking so long to deliver necessary features. I recently wrote a book in Mellel, but had to move it over to Word to add cross references, end-of-chapter notes, and an index to it. In the process I often thought that Word is a pain to work with on a daily basis, but at least it delivers the advanced features you need when you need them. Right now I'm starting new projects in Scrivener, which is as pleasant and stable as Mellel, delivers more research-related features for writers, and can carry my manuscripts until at least the final draft. When the time comes when I will have to move manuscripts over to a wordprocessor, ideally, this would be Mellel. But, again, Mellel is lacking just the advanced features one needs to complete a major project. So, for me, the state of the matter is, presently one does not really need Mellel for the early stages in writing, and Mellel does not deliver when one gets to the point where it would be useful. I hope the Redlers will address this situation expeditiously, otherwise (at least from my standpoint) Mellel might fall into irrelevance — squashed between software that does a better job at the earlier stages of writing and software (such as, yes, Word) that does a better job at the late stages.

I would very much like the Redlers to prove me wrong. Right now, for them to show that they are active and care to share some news with concerned users would be a very good sign. PLEASE.

Re: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:08 pm
by Ori Redler
DanZac wrote:The Redlers voices have been eerily silent on this forum lately and I would really like to hear from them on what exactly is happening with Mellel. All you need to do is read a few posts on the forum to see that users are scratching their heads wondering when we can expect the next major installment. I myself am eagerly awaiting cross-referencing, and I can safely say most of us were expecting it last year.

Can the developers please take a moment to update the masses on what we can expect and roughly when?
Here's a moment.

The status on Mellel is the following:
A. We're now in advanced alpha testing for Mellel 2.5. The main attraction (not the only one there, but the main one) is cross references.
B. Right up to now we've managed to get in some pretty interesting stuff (which I'll deal with some more details at the nitty and gritty forum).
C. We've had a bit of a problem during the last couple of months but it had to do not with anything as romantic an thrilling as a developers hell but, rather, some mundane personal problems.
D. We got over those...

Ori

Re: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:08 pm
by bashosfrog
Thanks for the update, Ori. Good to hear that Redlex is still with us.

Re: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:13 pm
by Ori Redler
bashosfrog wrote:Thanks for the update, Ori. Good to hear that Redlex is still with us.
You're welcome, and see my post at the other forum too.

Re: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:29 am
by DanZac
Thanks Ori. And all of us are humans here and recognize that life rolls on and steers us in different ways. I hope things are well with you all now.

Re: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:23 am
by zoul
Ori Redler wrote: C. We've had a bit of a problem during the last couple of months but it had to do not with anything as romantic an thrilling as a developers hell but, rather, some mundane personal problems.
D. We got over those...
Glad to hear that — not because of Mellel, of course, for there are much more important things in life than word processors after all :) I am looking forward to new Mellel versions.

Re: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:01 am
by frvs
Ori Redler wrote:
D. We got over those...Ori
Super! Thanks for taking the time to respond and sorry for my previous blunt post. It's just that I would hate seeing Mellel lose its position as a beacon in wordprocessing.And, well, I shall light a candle to divine powers when end-of-chapter notes finally come... In the meanwhile, keep up the good work!

Re: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:12 pm
by Phil82
I know I'm not the only one to think this, but we don't need to know exactly what's going on behind the scenes. However, it might be very handy if the Redlers gave it's users even a condensed post at frequent intervals, like what Ori just gave. This greatly reassures users that work is being done in the background, and that the developers have not run away to the Bahamas or something :mrgreen:.

I am looking forward to the new version of Mellel. Cross references have been long anticipated.

Re: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:09 pm
by verma
Ori Redler wrote: Here's a moment.

The status on Mellel is the following:
A. We're now in advanced alpha testing for Mellel 2.5. The main attraction (not the only one there, but the main one) is cross references.
B. Right up to now we've managed to get in some pretty interesting stuff (which I'll deal with some more details at the nitty and gritty forum).
C. We've had a bit of a problem during the last couple of months but it had to do not with anything as romantic an thrilling as a developers hell but, rather, some mundane personal problems.
D. We got over those...

Ori
I doubt that longlasting "personal problems" are ever really "mundane" - so I wish that those involved have found peace of mind and/or peace at heart. Or could at least think about attaining it in 2008. I'd wish you that, then.

Thanks for the insightful views on the cross-referencing, and good luck with the alpha testing!

Re: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors......(please!)

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:45 pm
by matthias
Ori, thanks for the heads-up. I am really looking forward to the next version.
As others already indicated the impetus for our outcry here was apparently your long absence from the forum. Knowing how fragile small teams (or companies for that matter) can be, I personally were a little worried about Mellel having no perspective any more. You straightened this out now!
All the best and keep the good work up!