Pocomail/Barca Future?

[neo]

I've been a Pocomail/Barca user for many years and I want to tell you my story with this software which I think it was and could be a great project but now looks like an abandoned one.

Once I had:

One program for mail
One program for spam control
One program for Pim

I thougth that with Barca I could have had all in one, and it was true for a very short time but then, the bayesian filter showed not to be so effective, even, after playing a lot with its parameters, and as I receive nerly 800 spams daily this was really a problem (I had some important false positives), then I went back to to a third party spam control program.

Because of my job I have to forward many times html commercial messages but I can't do it with Barca, forward as attachment is not an option for two reasons:

1) Some clients are in mail servers that don't allow .eml attachments

2) Some times the messages forwarded must not contain any info from the origin, not just the sender but the headers too.

Then again, I started using another mail program just to forward html mesaages.

Later I also needed digital certificates and some mapi access so the secondary mail program became the default, and barca became the manager of some mail accounts where I needed to use some scripting.

I had to stop the Barca Pim because:
1) Still a bit buggy
2) Lack of basic fetures (I couldn't sort task by date)
3) No sync with mobile devices (only promises for the future)

So, I'm back where I started, using different programs for each thing.

I have to use the english version when my native language is spanish because the international versions don't come anymore.

As I read in many messages, support seems to be inexistent ignoring mail from users.

I remember long time ago when Poco Systems staff used to answers questions in this forum, now, Only Eric answers questions (and he is not Poco staff).

I keep reading this forum hoping to see the Barca project growing up again. but if no changes are made users will start silently changing software.

Please take note that every complaint here really means: "I want to keep using your software, do something about it!!"

Most user just dont't complain and just stop using it.

This is just my humble point of view...

Neo

[ferent]

I use Barca at work daily, and I want to know if there will be upgrades or Poco systems will stop they hard work.

Please, tell us somethink.

PD: If Barca/Pocomail died, please consider to free it... like in the GPL

[Tomas]

Hey - I think there is no sign of either of these products to have died.
It's not that long ago from last update.
Somewhere I have even read about some new thing they are working on.

Let's face it - as Pocomail evolved, the company also evolved and it now works a bit different - just my humble opinion. They diversify their portfolio of products, which is a natural "next step". That brings many changes with it. And many many things changed in that respect since the time I started using Poco 1.1 or whichever version it was long years ago. It used to be more fun and thus there was a stronger community around, now it works more the "corporate way".

As for Barca - these all-in-one solutions work for many, but for many others they don't. Few days ago I was testing a product that is similar to Barca, yet less powerful on email and more powerful on other tings like notetaking, data storage etc. I had to go back to using around 4-5 programs for what that one program does. If you got 4-in-1, it is never as good as specialized programs are.

As for users not getting answers - I believe it's mostly being explained as lost email and similar stuff. Nobody here knows what exactly is going under the hood, on PSI side, but I wouldn't be surprised if lost email were really the case. I can imagine they have a big email support traffic, and if one or two users per week can't get through and use forums instead - it still might be a low percentage. Though, well, just read that even Eric admits there are some problems with support, so if he says so....

[Eric]

Hey - I think there is no sign of either of these products to have died.
It's not that long ago from last update.
Somewhere I have even read about some new thing they are working on.

Indeed, there's no sign PSI stopped developing further their products.
myInfoToGo will be released soon, since it's out of beta now. It will replace PocoMail PE and it does sync with the new IDB index.

More info to follow soon on PSI's website.

Afterwards the PPC sync beta and after that maybe the next update of Poco/Barca.

This clearly indicates PSI is still working on providing updates/upgrades and new products.

[Tomas]

myInfoToGo will be released soon

That was it

[neo]

I paid for my upgrade to Barca 2 nearly 10 month ago, and I still waiting for the international versions which were supposed to be soon after the release, all you see in the downlad page is:

International versions are coming soon!

What does soon mean??

This is why I say that Barca seems to be an abondoned software, all
we need is just a post from Poco systems giving some aproximated dates of release and plans.

For instance:

PPC sync will be relesed in about 4 month.
Palm sync will never be released.

Good communication to customers is the key.

[Eric]

International versions are coming soon!
What does soon mean??

For me it means when it's ready for release.

This is why I say that Barca seems to be an abondoned software, all we need is just a post from Poco systems giving some aproximated dates of release and plans.

No, it's not abandonned software.
No one can give you approximate dates for releases, because that would backfire when those dates aren't achieved.
For instance: a company says it will release its software in 4 weeks and after 4 weeks nothing is forthcoming. Customers get upset because they did expect the release.

For instance:
PPC sync will be relesed in about 4 month.

As above it's almost impossible to predict an upcoming beta when that will be released.
ex. Look at the release date for MS Vista.

Palm sync will never be released.

As posted before by Slaven Palm sync has been cancelled. The reasons as to why can be found in that topic.

Good communication to customers is the key.

I agree, but giving approximate dates isn't a good idea, since so many factors must be taken into account.

[ferent]

Only one doubt:

Why PSI developers doesn´t speak with us?

[Eric]

Only one doubt:
Why PSI developers doesn´t speak with us?

Because it's a user forum and sometimes they put out announcements or reply to a post.
Running a forum takes time away from development and other tasks, so they limit their presence here IMO.

[Bruce]

myInfoToGo will be released soon, since it's out of beta now.

Really, I've not heard that.

[Eric]

Really, I've not heard that.

It has been announced by Slaven in the Beta section.

[Jim]

Only one doubt:

Why PSI developers doesn´t speak with us?

Hey,

Do you have specific question you want us to address?

[JD]

Do you have specific question you want us to address?

I do. When will Poco have decent IMAP support? It's the only issue preventing me from purchasing it again.

If Thunderbird can handle IMAP, surely Pocomail should be able to. Just a few IMAP issues that I see with Poco:

1) Sent mail gets stored locally, not on IMAP server.
2) Can't use filters on IMAP folders/email.
3) Emails exist in Pocomail IMAP folders that no longer exist on the actual IMAP server.

[MonBidoux]

Do you have specific question you want us to address?

I do. When will Poco have decent IMAP support? It's the only issue preventing me from purchasing it again.

If Thunderbird can handle IMAP, surely Pocomail should be able to. Just a few IMAP issues that I see with Poco:

1) Sent mail gets stored locally, not on IMAP server.
2) Can't use filters on IMAP folders/email.
3) Emails exist in Pocomail IMAP folders that no longer exist on the actual IMAP server.

Hi JD,

Personally, i don't see the huge advantages of IMAP anymore. Especially with the advent of GMail and it's conversation view and incredible search abilities!

With regards to your no.1 observation. As we are still awaiting full IMAP implementation... why not try setting up your PocoMail to bcc a copy of every message you send out to your email account? If it is a good one, you should be able to set up a filter and have those bcc messages to whatever folder you like.

With regards to no.2 and 3 it seems that we have to be a bit more patient.

[J-Mac]

Indeed, there's no sign PSI stopped developing further their products.

Eric,

Everything you have posted here is news to me - I had to pick myself up from the floor and make sure I was really awake!

myInfoToGo will be released soon, since it's out of beta now. It will replace PocoMail PE and it does sync with the new IDB index.

More info to follow soon on PSI's website.

This is great news! I inquired about PE back before PM4 was released, and at that time you did not have any information, and PSI was keeping very mum (And they are still).

Afterwards the PPC sync beta and after that maybe the next update of Poco/Barca.

, , and more !!!

When you say "PPC sync", do you mean..... PPC sync???

As in Pocket PC synchronization? As in Window Mobile devices finally being unchained from Outlook?? (Oh, I think I just wet myself!! ).

This clearly indicates PSI is still working on providing updates/upgrades and new products.

I thought I was keeping up pretty faithfully here in the forums - and I have been checking the PSI main website pages regularly every week - I did not know any of this news. Actually, I was in complete agreement with neo that PSI seemed to have virtually disappeared from the face of the earth. Not that I expect a continual presence from them here in the forum, but an appearance now and then would certainly keep users a bit less inclined to consider other avenues when they feel that there are no ears at all for their hopes and suggestions to fall on.

This news is tremendously refreshing! While not addressing everything I would personally hope for from a features and functionality standpoint, it is certainly something solid to grab hold of in what seemed an otherwise dark period of formerly innovative PSI development.

Bravo! And thank you for the update, Eric.