A New Beginning

[madscijr]

I'm not really aware of the business side of QB64 or the decision making process for which features are added / prioritized. It's not an open source product developed by volunteers?

As long as QB64 stays free, keeps working reliably, continues to work with current & legacy Windows, Linux and Mac, and remains backwards compatible with older programs, and the community continues in the same spirit, I think I'll be happy. It would be nice to know someone is listening to our feature requests, and have some visibility into the planning & prioritization of  development. As long as QB64 sticks around and keeps working!

[STxAxTIC]

Channeling my Super Saiyan Karen energy:

QB64 Team, I want to speak with your manager.

Can we at least get a link to this guy's website? There are several "CEOs" with his name when I do a search.

[Dimster]

we have decided to enlist the help of a business professional to help run the business side of QB64.

Are you able to explain what the business side of QB64 is?

The list in the "odin" message appears to be just Administrative items associated with the ongoing fun of running a website but this feels like a major fundamental change. CEO ... business professional ... might we see revenue generating ads on the site? ... might the "business" be obligate to be registered with a gov't agency (aka Facebook troubles). Hope I haven't let my imagination (Dim as it is) go down a dark road here.

[Qwerkey]

@Qwerkey

I did notice in "a new section to the homepage" we can post messages. But it looks like a special log-in for that, as it asks me to log-in when I already am here at forum.

@bplus I expect that Fellippe is still setting things up at the Homepage.  Probably they don't want immediate Logins and replies: Robert and Fellippe would doubtless feel embarrassed by the approbation and flattery which Bill would want to heap upon them.

[johnno56]

I have no head for business or understand all of its workings. I can however use Google and searched for the "Purpose of a CEO". This is what I got: "The CEO is the head of the executive team and manages the day to day operations of the organisation, its people and resources. The CEO implements the strategy approved by the board and ensures that the organisation's structure and processes meet the strategic and cultural needs of the organisation."

Businesses require CEO's, CFO's etc... Are we becoming a business? Yes or no? I will be quite blunt. I did not retire from one business to join another. I hope that I am wrong and the introduction of a CEO to 'manage' QB64 is all that will be needed to continue the Status Quo.

At my age, I am quickly running out of 'fun' things to do and the time to do them... From my experience, businesses are all about revenue and keeping share holders happy... Some have been fun... Most are not.

If I stay here, will I be having fun? My next decision will be based on QB64's honesty...

[FellippeHeitor]

Reinforcing the idea of the original message, nothing's supposed to change for the community. It just felt better to let you know what's going on.

We could have gone on without you knowing of the change (which hasn't happened just now, btw).

Other than that, again, nothing changes.

[Richard Frost]

CEO function:
- Ensure that the organization has mission objectives that are completely unrealistic and/or evil.
- Represent the organization by having logo tattooed on forehead.
- Constantly task staff with creating or watching slideshows.

[madscijr]

Reinforcing the idea of the original message, nothing's supposed to change for the community.

Well thanks for the update.
I think the main concerns people have around _any_ free product is when the word "business" appears, they wonder if it's going to still be free, or in the very least, they wonder if the product itself will change, and if so how? The word "business" means money, and we wonder, where is the money going to come from to pay this company, and how is QB64 going to change to bring in more money or fulfill this new partner's plans? We all like QB64 because it works, has remained free, hasn't changed too radically - there are new features but the language itself is mostly backwards compatible, it's cross platform, we are part of a community, and there is a lot of trust that it'll keep going.

I think just the word "business" is a loaded word, especially in tech where platforms and languages turn on a dime, change radically, and often disappear. And I think it worries people who are interested in a stable dependable platform which they can invest their time & work in and know that their code will still work and the language will not evolve into something unrecognizable in 5, 10 or more years, when there is the suggestion that the platform is moving in a "business" direction.

Not to overreact, I believe you when you say QB64 isn't going away, I'm just voicing some of the feelings, concerns, & questions around hearing news of a "change in management" for a tech platform...

[SMcNeill]

My only real concern is what, if any, changes are there going to be to the repo at Github?  Will it be moving or migrating somewhere else? Is everyone going to keep access that has it?  Is there going to be some sort of "official development plan" in the works now?  Is anything going to change on that end of things, or is this basically just one wealthy guy taking over paying the existing bills so he can have an excuse to add his name to the project, or use it as a tax write off?  (Which I don't mind one bit, honestly.  Someone has to pay to keep the lightbulbs burning and the hamsters turning in their wheel!)

[FellippeHeitor]

Ain't no wealthy guy. We're still relying on donations through Patreon.

No changes elsewhere.

[johnno56]

Interesting. Two direct questions. No direct answers.
The overall gist is "Status Quo".
Let's try for a third... But why the change in management?

[FellippeHeitor]

Not to mess with my personal finances anymore.

[STxAxTIC]

You guys need to stop accepting answers from Fellippe and start demanding this new guy show up and say something.

EDIT: Oops, hit Post instead of Preview.

I was about to say that the financial aspect of running qb64.org is not that big of a burden. I would know because I originally bought the place. It doesn't take a CEO to run qb64.org. All it takes is a drain cleaner going through a divorce with some spare time.

Okay, so next we receive this New Beginning announcement, written by - whoever it was - probably RC himself? With some help from Fellippe? Anyway, we receive that, and literally everyone has some kind of question or concern. Finally, a few responses down, Fellippe strolls in to announce "We're happy"... Like a highly medicated, fully-lobotomized patient. "No, we are quite happy." As your friend, this shit scares me. Not about QB64, but about you. Are you ok Fellippe?

[FellippeHeitor]

Not ok. You guys are totally freaking me out with the paranoia.

[johnno56]

Paranoia? Maybe. It's like we are all passengers on an airline being told mid flight that the flightcrew is being replaced...