[DotGNU][Phpgroupware-developers] Wanted - one app maintainer (preferably alive)

[Norbert Bollow]

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Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 14:37:24 +0000
From: "Brian Johnson" <address@hidden>
To: address@hidden
Subject: [Phpgroupware-developers] Wanted - one app maintainer (preferably
        alive)
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I've been working on adding features to Timetrack for a while now and I feel I 
have
to make a confession .. I'm not a programmer.

I now it may be hard for some of you to believe, but look at my code .. the 
truth is
hard to hide.

The original programmer/maintainer (Bob Schader) has been looking for help to 
switch
to a template based system (and other coding issues like converting a program 
style
that will be acceptable to core phpgw developers) for a couple of years now.  
He has
since moved on to other endeavors.

I have worked on the code to add features that we wanted because:
1. I was dying to learn how to code php
2. I saw a lot of potential in the app
3. I couldn't find anyone else to do it for me

PS - No. 1 is false

After talking to skwashd, he thought it might be appropriate to address this 
list
with some of my ideas (to try to interest someone who knows what the heck 
they're
doing to maintain the app .. ie not me)

Executive Summary:
- - more and more consulting businesses that bill for time spent on projects 
are being
established as companies move towards out-sourcing
- - there isn't any good accounting software that is available to companies of 
this
type when more than two employees for less than $3000 (I have a complete list of
pros and cons of Quickbooks if you're really interested.  With their move to a 
$30
to $50 a month subscription based system it weighs really heavily on the CON 
side.
Please don't even mention MYOB or Simply Accounting unless you've tried them)
- - timetrack has potential to fill this gap for SOHO businesses
- - phpgw with timetrack has potential to be offered as a web based service (or
installed at company premises for value of service charges) that surpasses 
features
available from Intuit when groupware aspect is considered
- - I only have abilities to take it part way and am told that current coding 
will not
work with phpgw by the time 0.9.16 is released
- - the data entry of the project app doesn't reflect the way we enter time 
data for
projects (we may be small but we've been in the consulting business for 40 
years)
and I don't think we are unique in that respect.  I also think that adding 
features
to the timetrack app is easier than redesigning the project app to suit.

Details:
- - I've set up links between timetrack and addbook.  If addressbook changes to 
a db
table system that separates the people from the companies I can quickly change 
to
that contact storage system
- - I've modified the hourly tracking to allow a billout rate to be assigned to 
each
employee so that it also tracks the current charges against a project
- - I'm working on adding category support to projects and an estimation 
routine that
allows a manager to pull up the last ten projects from the same category type 
and
displays the value of the work at present day's billout rates
- - I'm going to add an expense submission feature to the time entry form
- - adding an invoice creation routine will finalize my stage1 implementation 
to allow
time data to be tracked and used from the db.  Other financial tracking would be
done by other accounting software that wouldn't need to support time billing.
- - Ck-ledger provides a compelling possibility to add remaining accounting 
software
features including payroll based on the same time data
- - future features could move towards a full project management system

Conclusion:
I hope I've included enough information to adequately convey the potential that 
this
app contains.  I believe that a web based groupware app that also includes 
project
time tracking and accounting has the potential to be a killer app.
I really hope that I've interested a programmer enough to look into taking on 
the
maintenance role of this app, it would be a tradegy to have this app fall into 
disuse

- --
Brian Johnson

This is where my witty signature line would be if I bothered to edit this line 
:)
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