How about starting a SIG for Baan migration?

I predict this to be one hot topic this year.

To or from ;-).

:rolleyes:

Hi Francesco, good suggestion but I have 3 comments/questions I'd like to see answered:

1) Until the uncertainty over the future of Baanboard.com (see SSA) has been lifted, the site is 'frozen' regarding new features/forums etc.

2) Why would a migration SIG be better than discussion in the Tools & Admin forum?

3) If we do create a new SIG, I need a volunteer to comb through existing posts and move previous migration related posts to the new SIG.

Uncertainty over the future of Baanboard?

Just say the word and we'll organize an email campaign that will sway SSA's directives _and_ win you the People's Choice Awards. :D

ad 2: There are quite a few bravehearted fools (including yours truly) who will endeavour in an LN migration this year. It would be nice to have questions and experiences grouped for easy reference.

ad 3: I'll be more than happy to help out.

Just say the word and we'll organize an email campaign that will sway SSA's directives _and_ win you the People's Choice Awards.

Here! Here! I think everyone should tell their account reps NOW to leave BaanBoard alone.

Mark

Here! Here! I think everyone should tell their account reps NOW to leave BaanBoard alone.

Mark

Any support is very much appreciated folks. And it may or may not be needed. At the moment I am still waiting from an official response from SSA regarding 'baanboard.com'. It seems to be a pretty difficult assessment for them.

Patrick

I think the vast majority of users/members of this wonderful forum will want to make sure that you cannot be put in a precarious legal position because you run the board. But all of those same people will be eager to do whatever needs to be done so as to keep you on the air (even if it meant that you had to sacrifice a new manual)

A suggestion that I have that may be of some future use (or comfort) to is to establish a type of member based upon whether they are associated with licenced customers, or experinced consultants (who hold influence over customers) or whether they are associated with ssa as either employees or official (blessed) partners, others could be grouped as just interested.

I think it should be mandatory for everyone to list their location and software environment and the basis of their membership. (I notice that there seem to be a lot of posts recently without these.) This may give you a better chance mustering genuine support if needed.

It may also help if an annual support charge became mandatory to cover all of your expenses.

Terry

Patrick

I think the vast majority of users/members of this wonderful forum will want to make sure that you cannot be put in a precarious legal position because you run the board. But all of those same people will be eager to do whatever needs to be done so as to keep you on the air (even if it meant that you had to sacrifice a new manual)


Thanks again for the support. But I am not sure what you mean by sacrificing a manual? Are you referring to the Programmers Guide?

A suggestion that I have that may be of some future use (or comfort) to is to establish a type of member based upon whether they are associated with licenced customers, or experinced consultants (who hold influence over customers) or whether they are associated with ssa as either employees or official (blessed) partners, others could be grouped as just interested.

I think it should be mandatory for everyone to list their location and software environment and the basis of their membership. (I notice that there seem to be a lot of posts recently without these.) This may give you a better chance mustering genuine support if needed.

The profile fields regarding Baan/DB/OS version are mandatory at registration time. However, this still does not prevent potential abuse as the fields have to remain freeform to cover the virtual endless amount of possibilities.

It may also help if an annual support charge became mandatory to cover all of your expenses.

Terry


Now this is a highly contentious issue :) It would be great if some more pennies were to come in that way but:
1) One of the missions of the site is to remain free as long as realistically possible
2) Putting in a charge would probably (but I could be wrong) scare at least half of the members away as alot of members just simply expect Baanboard to be free. The pretty unsuccessful attempt at the donation system we tried to set up is a vague sign of this attitude.
3) By providing free services and running the site on a non-profit basis makes it more difficult for any party to undertake (legal) steps against the site.

In summary: instating an annual charge would have be considered very carefully.

Patrick

...But I am not sure what you mean by sacrificing a manual? Are you referring to the Programmers Guide?...

Yes, I did mean the Programmers Guide. I have asssumed that you will not be given a new "Guide". Authority for the existing one was granted before SSA were in the picture, therefore shouldn't be a problem.


...The profile fields regarding Baan/DB/OS version are mandatory at registration time...

I could be mistaken but I think I see a lot of posts where the "country" is not declared, perhaps less of a problem with configuration details. (Having the country is sometimes useful for better understanding of the questions.)


...
It would be great if some more pennies were to come in that way but:...

Perhaps access to Programmers Guide could be to paying members. This may encourage a few more people to pay (this may also be less worring to SSA.)

I find it strange that regular users may not be prepared to make a small contribution, which is really an investment in whatever is there reason for participating here (fun/pastime, self development-acquisition of knowledge, help in their job etc.)

Terry

Patrick
Yes, I did mean the Programmers Guide. I have asssumed that you will not be given a new "Guide". Authority for the existing one was granted before SSA were in the picture, therefore shouldn't be a problem.

That is correct. This is also the reason why I moved the Programmers Guide into the Wiki. That way members can update/enhance the guide themselves.

I could be mistaken but I think I see a lot of posts where the "country" is not declared, perhaps less of a problem with configuration details. (Having the country is sometimes useful for better understanding of the questions.)


Location is not mandatory. It would be very easy to make it so but it is still no guarantee that the entered information is actually correct.

Perhaps access to Programmers Guide could be to paying members. This may encourage a few more people to pay (this may also be less worring to SSA.)

I find it strange that regular users may not be prepared to make a small contribution, which is really an investment in whatever is there reason for participating here (fun/pastime, self development-acquisition of knowledge, help in their job etc.)

Terry

Restricting access to the programmer's guide could be an option. Perhaps a poll could give us more insight into the willingness of members to pay a fee. Still, as long as Baanboard.com runs on break-even this is not a very important topic to me :)