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FamilyTrees.GenoPro.com
GenoPro version: 3.1.0.1
Last Login: Yesterday @ 6:53 AM
Posts: 134,
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I have been aGenoPro user from almost the beginning and I have enjoyed countless hours researchingand using it to set up my family tree and introducing others to it. My effortshave been rewarded with my ultimate aim, the publishing of a book on my familygenealogy, which would have been impossible to produce without GenoPro. I have now reachedthe point where I must make a decision. My two sons are reaching the age wherethey may have children and are starting to show more of an interest in our tree.I would like to pass onto them the results of my labours but also on a platformwhich has a future with the potential for ongoing development and regularreleases. I ask myself the question “is it time to move on?”. It has been sometime since the last release and I have no idea when we can expect the next oneor what will be included in that. A number of customers in the past have soughtanswers to the same questions and asked for a development plan (I myself askedfor one back in 2009!) with little or no response from the developers. The “Suggestion,Wish List and Feature Requests” thread is full of ideas from customers requestingchanges, corrections, improvements, etc., which are rarely even commented on.There are reasonable requests here going back years with not even an indicationof whether they will ever be actioned or not. It has also been noticeablethat some of the regular, established members of the forum no longer contribute.I also feel that the input from the developers into the forum has also dropped,with the major contributions coming from Ron and Appleshaw. Is there a generalfeeling that GenoPro is dying and have others already moved on? I and the otherpurchasers of GenoPro have done so in good faith with the expectation of regularupgrades and I feel are entitled to know if GenoPro has a future or if theyshould consider moving to another platform. I myself have invested countlesshours into its use and have no desire to move to another product. However, if thereis to be minimal or no development, and releases are to be at the present rate,there may be no option. Therefore, I wouldlike to request the developers to invest a bit of time in either issuing adevelopment plan for the next few years or at the very least, a seriousstatement of intentions, specifically an honest appraisal how they see thefuture of GenoPro.
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Customers
GenoPro version: 3.0.0.5
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 7:18 AM
Posts: 37,
Visits: 2,148
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First, I love to program, there is nothing else out there like it. It suits me at a simple level of gathering my family tree and I like its visual impact. It would be a shame if it was to lie dead in the water.
But I have some obvious questions.
How many individuals actually work on the project?
Is the work voluntary or paid?
How many downloads are there, say last year, and how many individuals eventually pay for it.
Does it make enough money to continue development?
Is anyone else considering a similar (looking) product written from scratch say, for tablets, linux, and smart phones.
It would be sad if it was at the end of its life.
Wavey (David)
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Customers
FamilyTrees.GenoPro.com
GenoPro version: 3.1.0.1
Last Login: Yesterday @ 6:53 AM
Posts: 134,
Visits: 1,128
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I posted my request for an update on the future of GenoPro just under 2 weeks ago. Inexplicably and disappointingly there has been no response whatsoever from the developers. I would have thought that the customers and loyal users of GenoPro would have deserved some clarification of the situation regarding this platform. I can only conclude that there is no longer much interest from the developers to keep their users informed or their requests satisfied. I am even starting to wonder if there is anything happening at all.
I am also surprised that there has been so little support from other users to my request for an update of the situation. Is no one else interested or care anymore about the future of GenoPro?
Significantly, as I write this, there are no active users currently online and the last post was a week ago. These are not good signs!
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FamilyTrees.GenoPro.com
GenoPro version: 3.1.0.1
Last Login: 2 hours ago
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As a long standing supporter of GenoPro I too am puzzled as to why neither Daniel Morin, author/developer/President of GenoPro, nor his brother Jean-Claude, IT Director, have bothered to comment on the future of Genopro either in reply to this post or earlier ones.
We know they moved the familytrees site to a new server recently, at least that indicates some activity and future commitment! For my part, I am happy to continue provide what support I can via the forum, particularly on issues related to the Report Generator. I will also continue to maintain the existing report skins I have published here. I have requested on several occasions that the latest skins are included within a new release of GenoPro but nothing has happened there either. I also enjoy scripting report skins as a hobby as time permits. I am working, albeit slowly, on a couple of new 'reports' that are of interest to me. The first is to provide a more complete Gedcom import/merge facility in an attempt to avoid the many short-comings of GenoPro's own Gedcom import offering. Secondly I am experimenting with interactive svg/html with a view to be able to update .gno files via a browser, thus removing the Windows tie. I do not expect to have publishable versions of these until late this year at the earliest, but may be never. But returning to the core GenoPro product, I think we can conclude that there will be no major enhancement to GenoPro in the near future, if at all. Past experience has shown that development is slow and often overran targets. I have no idea why the ' collaboration' version of Genopro was suspended/abandoned and no idea if it will ever see the light of day again. GenoPro still has some unique features, e.g. its graphic interface,multiple linked genomaps/ genograms, its Report Generator and its use for psychology and therapy. In my opinion should be evaluated 'as is' and if fit for the purpose you require now, use it without any expectation of future upgrades, free or otherwise. If you avoid GenoPro-specific features such as social/ emotional relationships, social entities etc. then you are not 'tied-in' to GenoPro. You can of course use 'Export to Gedcom' to move your data to another package.
'lego audio video erro ergo disco' or "I read, I listen, I watch, I make mistakes, therefore I learn"
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FamilyTrees.GenoPro.com
Customers
GenoPro version: 3.1.0.1
Last Login: Thursday, June 2, 2022
Posts: 108,
Visits: 1,280
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GenoPro has most of the features I'd like already, so I'm not exactly champing at the bit for a new release. However, the rest of the IT world moves on - what happens when we get a version of Microsoft Windows that won't run today's GenoPro? Can we expect a release then?
The Report Generator aspect of GenoPro was the feature that led me to choose GenoPro as a platform for storing the results of my genealogy research.
Web standards also move on, so the day will come when the design of the current Narrative Report needs a major ground-up overhaul. Already frames are considered dated, and are not a recommended design choice for new websites.
I've made a few modest contributions to the Narrative Report, but for me the irony about purchasing GenoPro was that this key feature is 99.9% supported by Ron, who I bet receives NO financial compensation for all his hard work.
Ron - you're the only one keeping this product alive and current.
I dread the day when you decide to move on to a different genealogy product.
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Gamma
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GenoPro version: 3.1.0.0
Last Login: Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Posts: 952,
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HarryCaper (26-May-2013)
[...] feature is 99.9% supported by Ron, who I bet receives NO financial compensation for all his hard work.
Ron - you're the only one keeping this product alive and current.
Ron do receive financial compensation...
Edited: Sunday, May 26, 2013 by
jcmorin
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FamilyTrees.GenoPro.com
GenoPro version: 3.1.0.1
Last Login: 2 hours ago
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Yes I am happy with the arrangement we have. For the record I was offered a more formal setup with GenoPro in the early days but I prefer the current casual arrangement where I can spend as little or as much time as I choose without commitment from either side.
But Jean-Claude you have read and responded on this thread but you are missing its main topic i.e. bogistad and many more of us would dearly like to know what the future holds for GenoPro bogistadTherefore, I would like to request the developers to invest a bit of time in either issuing a development plan for the next few years or at the very least, a serious statement of intentions, specifically an honest appraisal how they see the future of GenoPro.
'lego audio video erro ergo disco' or "I read, I listen, I watch, I make mistakes, therefore I learn"
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Customers
GenoPro version: 3.0.0.5
Last Login: Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Posts: 1,
Visits: 81
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I would suggest: sell the concept. There are still a lot of development opportunities of Genopro and a cash-rich software company should be able to take on this. No futher evolution means the end of this wonderful and unique project.
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FamilyTrees.GenoPro.com
GenoPro version: 3.1.0.1
Last Login: 4 hours ago
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Many computer programs have a regular update policy, which can lead to bloated software with a wide range of features that few people use. It is used as a reason (excuse) for asking for extra money and have a larger version number than the competition. I can not remember when I paid my $25, but at that price obviously a long time ago. The existing program does most of what I want, which is not to say that some enhancements are needed. The free program I recommend to beginners is PAF and that has had no development for 10 years. It is still a useful option.
I gave up waiting for the collaborative version and have invested time in webtrees. This has a long development history (via phpgedview) which is important for security when you are opening up your data to other users. As the name implies this uses gedcom as a data storage and import function. As such the limitations that Ron set out are a problem and I am having to use PAF to sort out data for transfer. I listed some of the problems with gedcom import recently but the basic concept is so useful I still use it to look at data.
Looking at the xml file structure this is very similar to a gedcom and as such I would like to see a CHAN tag indicating when data was modified. However I am not holding my breath as a file structure change needs a lot of validation
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Customers
FamilyTrees.GenoPro.com
GenoPro version: 3.1.0.1
Last Login: Yesterday @ 6:53 AM
Posts: 134,
Visits: 1,128
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genome (26-May-2013)
But Jean-Claude you have read and responded on this thread but you are missing its main topic i.e. bogistad and many more of us would dearly like to know what the future holds for GenoPro
If you can't get a response on this, Ron, the rest of us surely have no hope! Their lack of response is really poor.
Thanks for trying anyway.
Bob.
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