Hi Paul, I love the way different points of view can be aired in Koha Community - useful discussion..
Yours in mutual peace, friendship and respect :) Jo. On 4 June 2011 12:38, Paul <pau...@aandc.org> wrote: > At 10:52 AM 6/4/2011 +1200, Joann Ransom wrote: > >A wee word of caution from someone who has been badly stung and never want > >to be again ... > >Horowhenua stayed on Koha 1.x for years and years and years because it was > >perfect for our needs and we didn't see any value in sifting to 2.x > >. This was largely because the introduction of Marc broke our FRBR system > >but also because our acquisitions module worked beautifully and error > free. > > Joann, > > Thanks for the reply. Might I suggest that your "word of caution" reflects > the point that I was making. You write: "didn't see any value in shifting" > ... "worked beautifully." My terminology was "if it ain't broke, don't fix > it." > > > >Slowly it dawned on us that we were on an abandoned fork. The main > >project had raced on and got better and better. > > If, as you write 'abandoned' = 'beautiful'|'perfect for our needs', then > did 'better and better' = new features that were part of your requirements? > [and I'm not sure what an 'abandoned fork' really means; whether you simply > add logos and change layout schemes in CSS, or modify MySQL structure and > delete perl modules, every customization is a 'fork' that is not followed > by the community at large. We probably all do it without feeling > abandoned.] > > >When we did make the jump to 2.x it was hideous - everything was "broken" > >in our eyes. > > Shifting to 3.2 was another big jump; again we had left it too long and > > did not stay current. > > Were you in a production environment? 'Hideous' and 'broken' are anathema > to me (but my IT training and experience for a quarter of a century from > the late 1950s was in national defense) and since then I have always > attempted to programme to [end] users needs. I think you're saying that > 'stay current' was the cause of your dilemma - a possibility that I wish to > avoid. > > >So from now on this is my vow :) I intend to always upgrade to the current > >stable version, limit customizations to an absolute minimum, and when I do > >commission enhancements I also fund for that work to be incorporated into > >the main trunk (and yes it doubles the cost but I want to be certain I am > >always swimming in the main Koha stream). > > I take my hat off to you (and to those who can double your budget), but > would suggest that while swimming in the main stream is ideologically > perfect, some of us may be constrained to more pragmatic surroundings. The > charity that I work for looked for a low [to reasonable internal] cost > solution to its needs. We have succeeded *thanks_to_Koha* and consider > additional bells and whistles to be a low priority luxury. Your [and > others'] mileage might well vary. > > In peace, friendship and respect, > Paul > Tired old sys-admin. > > > > >Cheers Jo. > > > >2011/6/4 Lori Bowen Ayre <<mailto:lori.a...@galecia.com> > lori.a...@galecia.com> > >Thanks Paul! I appreciate getting my wrong assumptions straightened > >out. Very good points about that being another value of being on an open > >source product. > > > >Lori > > > >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > >Lori Bowen Ayre // Library Technology Consultant > >The Galecia Group // <http://www.galecia.com/>www.galecia.com > >(707) 763-6869 // <mailto:lori.a...@galecia.com>lori.a...@galecia.com > > > >Specializing in open source ILS solutions, RFID, filtering, > >workflow optimization, and materials handling > >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > > > > > > >On Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 12:06 PM, Paul > ><<mailto:pau...@aandc.org>pau...@aandc.org> wrote: > >At 01:00 PM 6/3/2011 -0400, Owen Leonard wrote: > > > > So while there is no more > > > > development to 3.2, any bugs found will be fixed. At some point, > > even that > > > > will stop and everyone will be expected to get themselves upgraded. > > > > > >And indeed, the 3.2.x Release Maintainer has said that the upcoming > > >3.2.10 release will most likely be the final release of the 3.2.x > > >branch. > > > >"expected to get themselves upgraded" ... or, of course, to retain 3.2.x > in > >production. > > > >We have a functional, extensively customized, 3.2.5 that meets the > >requirements of our cataloguers and users. While I might spend some of my > >spare [?] time looking at 3.4 (I really like the concept of templates), > the > >customization has to be done all over again, and is proving troublesome. > >Nothing wrong with Koha, all to do with our requirements; I ended up > >modifying the SQL structure to accept longer, searchable keywords and > >abstracts; to facilitate serials cataloguing; and to remove all "lending > >library" features to speed things up considerably (we are > >reference/research only.) > > > >If and when I get 3.4 running to our requirements, we'll evaluate whether > >we migrate; but in the meanwhile, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." And > >I'm sure there's got to be a lot of other Koha users who are also wary of > >"upgrading" a fully functional tool. > > > >This is the great strength of community-driven, open license products - > you > >can reach a point where you have achieved what you set out to do. Anything > >after that can be considered much lower priority. Quite frankly, my only > >concern at this point is to get rid of Zebra and integrate different > search > >methodology which is apparently not high on the Koha horizon; barcoded > >spine labels, dustjacket images and emailed fines are not in our > >specifications. > > > >Everyone achieving their own specs, again, is a Koha strength. Otherwise > >we'll end up following the "M$ business code" - if Win98 is good enough > for > >a Koha kiosk (and it most certainly is) you don't need to go chasing > Vista, > >Win7 or Win8. Our Ubuntu 10.10 server is perfect for Koha, so I only look > >for the ultra-rare Ubuntu security alerts. > > > >Given our satisfaction with Koha, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on > >future versions; but in the meanwhile, I respectfully beg to differ with > >the statement that "everyone will be expected to get themselves upgraded." > > > >Regards - Paul > >Tired old sys-admin. > > > >--- > >Archives and Collections (ACS) Society > >205, Main Street, Picton, Ontario, K0K 2T0, Canada > ><http://www.AandC.org>http://www.AandC.org > >Canadian Charitable Organization 88721 9921 RR0001 > >Dedicated to maritime conservation and education. > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Koha mailing list <http://koha-community.org>http://koha-community.org > ><mailto:Koha@lists.katipo.co.nz>Koha@lists.katipo.co.nz > ><http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha> > http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Koha mailing list <http://koha-community.org>http://koha-community.org > ><mailto:Koha@lists.katipo.co.nz>Koha@lists.katipo.co.nz > ><http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha> > http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha > > > > > > > > > >-- > >Joann Ransom RLIANZA > >Head of Libraries, > >Horowhenua Library Trust. > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Koha mailing list http://koha-community.org > >Koha@lists.katipo.co.nz > >http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha > > _______________________________________________ > Koha mailing list http://koha-community.org > Koha@lists.katipo.co.nz > http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha > -- Joann Ransom RLIANZA Head of Libraries, Horowhenua Library Trust.
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