[Sh-X] Shaman-X progress report on 18 July 2003

[Dominique Chabord]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Dominique Chabord

Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 4:17 PM
Subject: Shaman-X progress report on 18 July 2003


Hello everybody,
Bonjour à tous,

Here is some information about the project


1) Web Sites

www.shaman-x.org and www.shaman-x.com have been reengineered. The most
important addition is a description of the service offering we intend to
create, an introduction to modelling method which supports some consulting
opportunities, a first draft of a marketing message about our expertise and
capabilities. The other parts of the site have just been improved. Thank you
for any comment or bug report about the site. Please remember that you can
find useful documentation in http://wdx.shaman-x.org and
http://fwdx.shaman-x.org.


2) Savannah server

Project home page is now ready for operations. You can get there at
http://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/shaman-x
The aim of the repository on Savannah is to have a space in which any
contributor to the project can find most recent versions, get a copy of a
module, modify it and integrate it back to the official repository with no
risk to break someone else work. It will be the repository for on-going
developments.

3) Mailing list

Shaman-X support public mailing list has now moved to Savannah. To join this
mailing list, just go to "overview" page (page présentation) at
www.shaman-x.org and click on the link for the mailing list, then put your
e-mail address and you're all set. You'll receive a demand for confirmation
in your inbox.

4) Bug report for WDX

We made little progress about the bug which affects WDX. It seems not to be
directly in relation with the warning message we get at compiling time. The
bottom line is that resource related commands do not seem to do anything. I
would prefer not to distribute the software with a so obvious limitation and
so we have to postpone it.
If you want to help on this issue, or just have a look at the software, you
can get the Linux version of WitchDoctor-WDX at
http://downloads.shaman-x.org
Please inform others about any hopeful initiative.

5) FWDX planning

I would like to know if someone would be interested in looking at FWDX and
planning its port from DigitalUnix to Linux. Please let me know.

6) Business

Patrick has put in place a first marketing and selling strategy and has been
reasonably successful.

He has contacted some potential customers and collected first feed-backs. We
plan to meet first key customers during the second half of August (I mean it
is pretty short notice). What we need to know by the first week of August is
whether you personnaly intend or wish to deliver professional services on
behalf of Shaman-X project. At this point you do not need more than a
willingness to do. Don't worry about administrative issues. For those who
expect to make some business with the customers that we will meet, please
let us know, Patrick and myself, so we can build this first opportunity to
work together with a customer. Tell us also what your vacancies are and if
you would consider spending some time this summer helping to finalise the
first version of the product set for Linux (WDX and FWDX) Generally
speaking, August will be the period during which a first draft of the
business plan will be elaborated with Patrick.


7) Planning

Any commercial effort will be useless if we don't have a working version of
the product. Therefore official announcement and customer commitments are
postponed, until we are sure we have something reasonnably demonstrative for
WDX.
A positive assumption is to plan a wide communication campaign during first
week or second week of August.


8) Holidays

Patrick will be out and unreachable from August 1  till August 18.
I will be out of reach, sailing, from July 19 till August 3.
For urgent matter you can call me on Arlette's cell phone +33 (0) 614 824
810, I'll be glad to hear from you.


Thank you for everybody's contribution.
ciao
Dominique