I went to the mm conference last month. The mmc09 website was one of the most buggy websites I have every visited. This does not inspire any confidence in Joomla at all.
I would like to respond to this comment, as I am seeing a growing trend in poor, unprofessional Joomla! services in the market, especially within South Africa.
One of the benefits of the Open Source Software model is that you can choose whoever to work with. You are not obligated to purchase your products and services from a single country partner, like the Moodle or Microsoft model.
This however also creates one of the detriments of Open Source Software, in that you do not really know whom you are getting into bed with, until you are already financially and time committed, sometimes even after months or years of decent services from your chosen service provider.
As an experiences, professional Joomla! service provider, I am receiving more and more requests to "Fix my broken website" or "Repair my Joomla! template" or "Restart my web project". Of course this is proving to be a rather useful new income stream, but rather costly for the disgruntled, frustrated client, who sometimes has had not just one, but two or even three negative experiences with so-called "Joomla! experts".
Last week, someone approached me to quote on a website project that has been running for six months with a Gauteng based Joomla! web developer, who has failed to come up with the goods, despite a R40k investment on the client's part. He was willing to give all of that up, and to restart his web development project, since the developer is now avoiding his calls, and not returning emails etc.
In an effort to bring some regulation and quality control to the website services market, I have started yet another Joomla! initiative, that I am calling "WebXchange".
20 May 2009 4:03 PM
This is how the WebXchange works;1. We have created a set of web forms that will survey prospective clients for their website development project, website training needs, web hosting request or internet related requirements.
2. This survey enters a closed, controlled area (thanks to the Salesforce CRM) that is monitored by a few hand chosen Joomla! professionals, who can deliver a project on time, within budget and with the utmost attention to detail.
3. A WebXchange administrator (that's me for now) qualifies the lead, requesting any additional information that is needed (site map / Graphics / navigation), conducting a website review / scoping exercise. At this stage the Lead becomes an Opportunity.
3. WebXchange members who are interested / able / willing to submit a proposal contact the client and find out any other specific details that are needed.
4. Within the week, a client should receive one or more proposals that they can choose from. Whoever they choose, they are not at risk of dodgy service, that is unfortunately common place in the web industry, where everyone and their uncle is a website developer.
5. A WebXchange administrator will follow the progress of the project, and act as an intermediary, only by invitation, ensuring that services are provided to meet the original request.
We are already seeing a rapid growth in this service, and entered the 75th lead into the system last week, and currently have five number of South Africa's best web developers, trainers, search engine marketers, hosts and project managers signed up and using the system.In the future, we plan to extend the reach of this service, and to increase the number and quality of service providers, so that anyone who needs something done on the web can post a service request, including WebXchange members who have more than enough work on their books.
Take a look at the WebXchange here: http://www.joomla.org.za/joomla-exchange.html
Please contact Sean should you have any ideas, questions, comments etc.
And remember, we want to hear about any positive or negative experiences that you have had related to your recent website relates services. Post a comment on www.joomla.org.za under your service providers listing in the Service Providers Directory. If your supplier is not listed there, add them, and post your comment once they are published.
Hope that this new initiative saves people lots of pain and suffering, and makes for a happier and healthier Joomla! community here in Africa.
PS: Here is a very good reason for foreign clients to do business with South African service providers: 1 GBP:11.95 ZAR & 1 USD:7.34 ZAR & 1 Euro:10.96 ZAR
~ For more information visit www.learnjoomla.co.za ~
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