Not forgetting of course that public development (ie what actually goes into the Phoenix software/download) is the tip of the iceberg. Users don't see the 90% that is behind the scenes;
- code development that doesn't make it to prime time
- testing, then testing again (and again), both code that makes it and code that doesn't
- running the website & social media outlets & making videos to help shopowners
- making and supporting addons
- chasing people who have taken addons but haven't given back for them
- coming up with ideas for the future and trying to somehow roadmap them to fruition
- answering questions/comments on this forum
- dealing with 3rd parties, some of whom we rely on, some of whom rely on us
- fixing things that break in the ecosphere
- and so on.
It's never ending.
Then there is another version of Phoenix called "PRO", which is more or less a supercharged version of normal Phoenix. That also has to be looked after, as well as all the extra modules and code it contains. This version is underwritten by users and shopowners who want to see the Phoenix ecosystem survive.
From inception in 2014 (
yes guys it's nearly 10 years of "Phoenix"), the codebase has been looked after by two people with occasional brilliant help from developers here and other users here.
Since 2019 (I choose this date since you mentioned it), here is the tip of the iceberg code that made it into the public release;
2019
2019.jpg
2020
2020-1.jpg
&
2020-2.jpg
2021
2021.jpg
2022
2022.jpg
In recent times, we've had to make massive changes due to external happenings beyond our control including having to uproot from our home and start afresh. This forum and website is created by and looked after by a third member of the team which has taken a lot of pressure off the coders and who is excellent at testing things. We also have a fourth member now who is excellent at testing things and coming up with ideas.
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Shopowners like yourself, who are happily using a version of Phoenix, but come here once in a blue moon to make a comment or ask a question, then disappear for months or years - it shows that Phoenix is a stable and good piece of software. We're very pleased to have given you a decent piece of software.
Not trying to be rude, so don't take this the wrong way.
And I ask you to not take this the wrong way, the next thing I say.
However, there is a flip side to that stability of Phoenix - it also means that shopowners like yourself are not helping other shopowners by posting in the forum, answering questions, coming up with ideas for the future and so on. In addition it means that your business hasn't supported Phoenix in a monetary sense - none of what you see in the codebase, the forum, the site has been done for nothing. It's out of the pockets of a small number of great shopowners over the years and out of the pocket of the developers over the years.
I ask you, where have you been for the last 2.5 years between getting your answer for the last question you asked (July 2021) until yesterday (October 2023). Hopefully you've been super busy with your business running on Phoenix software - that would please us. Maybe it's time to start giving back as that would help Phoenix fly forwards into the future.