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The Homey Community has been moved to https://community.athom.com.
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The Homey Community has been moved to https://community.athom.com.
This forum is now read-only for archive purposes.
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Project Update #28 - Thanks for the update guys!
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Comments
He did a complete(!) rewrite of the speech engine AND where did he said this bug would brick devices?
Why a rewrite?? Fix the bugs that can be fixed without a rewrite so the update can be shipped ASAP. Also communicate that you work on a rewrite in a separate branch which will fix more problems without an big delay on the other fixes.
I also think a lot of people would accept bugs(10-20) in the speech engine if .18 would be shipped faster with 100+ bug fixes.
Just my 0,01 cent
Consumers never like to wait. But most can bare waiting if they know what they are waiting for.
I really like the project. This is my first time ordering something that was nothing more than an prototyped idea when i ordered. With all that has happened i never for a second thought about cancelling or questioned if the product would deliver the high hopes i have for it. In the last 2 weeks something changed. I have played with the thought of cancelling. I didn't and i (most probably) wont but the thought did occur for a few seconds.
To be honest i don't know if it comes down to communication at all. Maybe there is so much scattered info on the forum at this time that some people miss some info. Maybe the posts on the forum are simply getting more negative and it is dragging me with it. It could just simply be me. But something changed.
When i received the email with the update it did help. I (and i might add a cautious "we" here although i hate using it) like to be informed. I like to know all about the trouble you are having and how you guys are converting that trouble in to awesomeness. I loved how actively i got informed about non shiny feet and all that stuff and reading about your hunt for absolute perfection. But those days kind of seem to be over, the feeling has been muted somehow..
Maybe i just like the first proces of developing a new product better than proces it is in right now (and maybe you guys do to).
In the update you state that you can barely keep up with the forum. I really do think that my feelings are somehow a result of that.
Bringing me to my opening line.
On the forum are your costumers, this is your fan-base and these are your missionary's preaching the word of the Athom. There is no way anyone can give a solid advice on how to run your business sitting behind a computer at home. But maybe the full focus on the bugs, updates, and probably allot of commercial stuff going on in the Athom building (the church of Athom?) has taken its toll on the representation of Athom on the forum with the costumers.
Although i can understand this (if this is the case). I do see how getting your first product as perfect as possible as fast as possible is probably vital and that is simply not possible to be at 2 places a once. I did however experienced a different vibe and feeling than i did some time ago.
In the end this is just me giving my honest feedback, i could be the only one but i do believe that just complaining without giving feedback is as useful to you guys as:
KUTGW and don't forget to take some time off now and again.
p.s. It might be an idea to setup a place on the forum where we can talk homey "related" but offtopic stuff. Like a cafe.
(edited some sentences and allot of typo's)
Emile's timeline comment quoted in the post above is an example of this. As I said in another post every little piece of information is dissected and even questioned, it never seems to be (good) enough. And while this certainly isn't true for all here, there is a limit and people on this forum have a responsibility too. The Dutch language is infested with sayings, and one of them translates to something like "The best captains are ashore..".
That doesn't mean people can't voice an opinion or criticize something. Athom values your input, as do we all. Just do it in a positive way and don't expect Athom to respond to your every wish and whim.
Athom's communication isn't that bad really, I've seen far worse. I do think a short, regular (as in a set day in the week) status update on this forum goes a long way, especially when a problem has been communicated (which peaks people's interest). But I also feel this is up to Athom and can understand that in stressful times an update-post is postponed a bit.
When pre-ordering Homey I was aware that this product might take some time to mature. That there would be bumps on the road. My faith in Athom as a company and Homey as a product remain strong, and I fully stand by my previous post which I hope helped some fellow Homeys see things in a different way. At the very least I hope it serves as a counterweight.
Is there a possibility I (and others) will be disappointed? Sure, but that's the risk I took when pre-ordering. For now, I see no reason to doubt Athom's intention and ability to deliver a high quality product that blows any competition out of the water. If not on "release date" then a short time thereafter (in some respects it does already!). And with every video I see of Homey doing something new the realization sinks in that this is becoming a reality and it is one hell of a product..
Maybe we just got pampered to much with all the detailed info at the start. Maybe the negative comments are starting to rub off on me. Maybe it isnt the frequenty of the updates but the content of it. Maybe i am just a negative nancy. I really cant point at the "issue".
Again.. this is just me trying to describe that the rollercoaster ride is somehow slowing down (for me).. But i still firmly believe it is just going uphill towards the next series of loops and fun!
Silence can be very effective
Making simple flow for my KaKu stuff is what I like to make and using my Sony AV Receiver IR remote.
Sadly that can not be done since I have my Homey in January. Those minor issues together are for me still a big problem.
To protect me to become negative, I tell myself that I have to wait to version 0.8.20 to use Homey for what I like to do.
On the other hand, there's the people who already have their Homey and are waiting for the next release update... those people would love to continue testing and setting up their Homeys, but often can't do that because the fixes they need are in the next update. Frankly, I think this group is the more important one. These people find the bugs in (and develop the apps for) the functionality that the next batch will need. Keeping them updated, and providing regular updates to them, should be the highest priority. I'm not sure if Athom's current method of putting 100+ fixes in one big update, is the best approach... personally I would have chosen more regular (and smaller) updates. First, because those are easier to test and manage, and second, because then at least some of the geeks get the fixes they need earlier, so they can continue testing/developing, and they can already provide feedback on those fixes. And I guess that was also what people were expecting based on the comments from Emile in the previous kickstarter update. But as I don't know the reasons for this decision, I can't judge...
Now I'll retreat to waiting mode again...
Did i quote or mention you in my post?
@marcof
Nope.. but i still honestly do not what you tried say.. not trying to start any kind of argument but i simply dont understand. (Ik begreep je ff niet niets meer, niets minder. Misschien haalde ik even een verkeerd voorbeeld aan. Ik bedoel er niets mee. Nu ik teruglees kan ik inzien dat je er iets anders uithaalt)