Has anyone heard anything?

[J-Mac]

Hello all!

It has been a while since I have posted here. I stop in fairly regularly to see if there is any action on Poco or Barca - I'll take either! - but I haven't seen anything in quite a long time unfortunately.

I was a frequent poster here a few years ago but I stopped using Pocomail when it became too difficult to continue without a few features that I really need: full HTML support and IMAP support.

I am using Thunderbird currently - but I'd really rather not. I purchased a Postbox lifetime license but I stopped using Postbox a few months after starting. It has a few features that Thunderbird doesn’t, but very few actually. Sadly it also is missing a number of features that Thunderbird v.3 has and it cannot use most Thunderbird extensions. So I reluctantly went back to Thunderbird.

None have the features I miss most from Pocomail/Barca though. I would gladly pay for a new version of either if it had the features I need. I'm not that fussy - honest!

Slaven, Eric, Robin: I miss "talking" with you guys!

Take care and have a fantastic new year!

Jim

[Bones]

J-Mac,

I understand your frustration... I too am bewildered as to why the developers don't give their customers some news, any news. To be silent is insensitive to say the least. I don't understand how they can continue selling licenses yet offer no technical support or feedback of any kind. Maybe this is acceptable from their country? Your guess is as good as mine. I have tried many other email programs most recently The Bat but I still widely prefer using Barca2. My personal feeling is that this program has been abandoned for good like Eudora. It's sad but what other conclusions can be made from their silence? -

[MonBidoux]

For what's it's worth, i've emailed Slaven again today with a link to this thread. Hopefully he'll drop in soon and give us some cheerful news.

[finding_mcflappy]

For over ten years Pocomail has been a constant on my PC – I loved it from first use.

I share the frustration of all those voices asking what is going on. I guess I’m one of many who are wondering whether to bail out now or hang on just that bit longer. I’ve been lumbered with dead and forgotten software before and got stuck in the waiting game of something soon… something soon…something soon…just a bit longer…nearly…well sometime maybe never…etc etc etc Well I've now had enough of that and am now checking out alternatives with a view to jumping ship.

To be silent is insensitive to say the least.

...I agree and unprofessional not to say utterly ridiculous - not to be taken seriously any more. Such a shame, seems there is a reluctance to face the music and simply hide away. Very odd.

I would love Poco to survive and given the chance would be happy to pay out for the next version but doubt I'll get the chance.

[Fueler]

For everyone that is wringing their hands.
What problem do you have that makes you think that if an update doesn't show up every now and then that you are stuck with junk?
What I mean is that if it's doing it's job for you why fix it or worry whether or not it looks outdated? Is something radically wrong that I never see?

Seems to me the only thing that would cause a need to change would be Microsoft changing their OS too much....again.

I was with Eudora forever until Vista pretty much killed it. At that point in time Qualcomm had no interest in going further. Unfortunately the open source version is a joke. There isn't a hint of Eudora anywhere in it.
I wound up here and will stay until Windows goes berserk again. Granted there are quirks as with any program but I just haven't found any other program that works the same way as Poco and formerly Eudora.

But you are all correct. Slavin & Co are ducking the question. Perhaps they have reached the peak of their talents.

[finding_mcflappy]

For me the most frustrating here is the deafening wall of silence, not just little information, but absolutely nothing. The closest we can get is the odd titbit here and there. Customer service by rumour is an odd approach.

It's not that I think that Poco is suddenly no good, but I would expect an interested developer to respond to the quirks and issues found in the software they produce.

[merlincorp]

For everyone that is wringing their hands.
What problem do you have that makes you think that if an update doesn't show up every now and then that you are stuck with junk?

It's not just a question of updates - when Support stops completely for any product that is the time to give up. I have had a serious issue with Pocomail for exactly a month and despite 3 emailed requests and several attempts at using the online Poco Support form (which doesn't work) I can only conclude that the company is bust.

It's interesting that a post I made today titled "Has Pocomail gone bust" was deleted in about an hour. What a pity that support isn't so interested in dealing so promptly with issues!

[IanM]

For everyone that is wringing their hands.
What problem do you have that makes you think that if an update doesn't show up every now and then that you are stuck with junk?
What I mean is that if it's doing it's job for you why fix it or worry whether or not it looks outdated? Is something radically wrong that I never see?

I wound up here and will stay until Windows goes berserk again. Granted there are quirks as with any program but I just haven't found any other program that works the same way as Poco and formerly Eudora.
.

I agree with you. Pocomail does everything I want it to do and I have never had a problem so I'll be staying with it, but of course, when the new version arrives I'll certainly look at it.

If a programmer is pestered to release a new version he may release it before its fully tested and therefore there will be problems in it.

It comes down to
1) Do you want a faulty program with problems
2) or one with 99% of the problems fixed, there very well may be one or 2 bugs in all programs.

I would like say that Eric, Thomas etc etc are very good and are doing a great job in the forum, thanks to all of you.

[merlincorp]

It comes down to
1) Do you want a faulty program with problems
2) or one with 99% of the problems fixed, there very well may be one or 2 bugs in all programs.

Nobody in their right mind expects ANY piece of software to be perfect. For a tiny company like Poco that is even more of a challenge. YOU are missing the point - there is no sign of any ongoing support ... so when you run into a problem (as you surely will) there will be nobody to help fix it.

Adrian

[finding_mcflappy]

Pocomail does everything I want it to do

...and for me also, but I also want it to do new things, better things, have the things that are broken fixed etc. If all this going on behind the scenes then fine, but it would be nice to know something, blanking out customers like this is not helpful. It looks like the developer has abandoned the project. It begs the question that were it not for the efforts of people like Eric and Tomas around here, would anything be resolved? I'm sorry, but it all feels a little too flaky.

What problem do you have that makes you think that if an update doesn't show up every now and then that you are stuck with junk?

I do not for a second think I am stuck with junk software here, but I want updates and ongoing development to drive the product forward. If it gets left behind it will rapidly become junk. The lack of alternatives with the same levels of functionality mean that people are unwilling to change, which is understandable. But I wouldn't want to be stuck, thinking that Poco is junk, but at least it's better junk than the others.

[merlincorp]

I do not for a second think I am stuck with junk software here, but I want updates and ongoing development to drive the product forward. If it gets left behind it will rapidly become junk. The lack of alternatives with the same levels of functionality mean that people are unwilling to change, which is understandable. But I wouldn't want to be stuck, thinking that Poco is junk, but at least it's better junk than the others.

I think Pocomail is an outstanding piece of software. Sure it has a few bugs, but what's unusual about that? It beats any other email client by a good margin IMHO. The problem is it's too cheap! A once-only charge of a few dollars is not enough to fund the support and development needed. I for one would be very happy to pay $20 a year from the first anniversary of my purchase to fund these things. Far better do that than see this software disappear (like the excellent Calypso) into oblivion.

To my surprise (and delight) this morning I received a reply from Tomas - one month exactly from the date my first support query was sent! So someone is still alive and kicking there - a relief!

Adrian