ozpost shipping module

[Mike_Dean]

Have you ever heard of "IceTV"?

Cheers
Rod

I'm fully aware of what IceTV is, and also fully aware that there are other free services that offer the very same information that IceTV indeed charges you for.

If the implication is that the ozpost server is nothing more than a 'relay agent' to the Australia Post server and that I'm trying to 'cash in' on their data then you clearly have little or no concept about the code behind the server.

Not sure where I have ever given any impression that I understood it merely as a relay agent or gateway to external information..

I know too well what you have done in order to provide this service, as you would know too well the assistance you have provided me, AND my constant show of appreciation. No, not in the monetary sense, but have you ever suggested it in your signature ?

As I also CLEARLY stated in my last response, I have no objection to paying a fee of sorts, I was merely expressing what I'm sure a lot of others have muttered to their keyboards and not bothered to press the keys.!

.... and then there are the insults and name calling that I am often subjected to because I can't/don't always give the answers that people want.

Lets call a spade a spade here Rod, your pretty good at handing out the insults tooo.. some I have felt were totally justified, but others.. well..

Are you trying to say that I don't also have a right to charge people to maintain the ozpost servers that they are using?

Your trying to read too much between the lines of what I and or others are saying... I for one would not for a minute have drawn a parallel to your support of the servers..

That increase in postage rates a few weeks ago, did that data 'magically' appear in the database? No, silly me had to manually input the data (That's ok, I had nothing else planned for that weekend anyway).

That's the price you/we pay for providing a service.

And as a suggestion, it is these 'behind the scenes' services that are provided that need to be highlighted when setting the rates.
People want to know exactly what they are getting for their money. People don't part with money on my store unless they know exactly what they are getting, and I, like a lot of people are the same.

Mike, what you (and others) need to realise is that, like it or not, it takes me a lot of time and effort to maintain the code and user support of this module. I have managed to do this for the last three years because I've not been obligated to "work"... Instead, I have been a fulltime student (which is about a half time workload). Needless to say, 4 years study with no work has eaten most of any savings I had, so, sometime in the next few months I'm going to have to:

A) Get a fulltime job - Which means NO MORE SUPPORT. NO MORE DEVELOPMENT and NO MORE MAINTENANCE. Ozpost, will literally 'die'. - End of discussion.

B) Get a part time job, and prop up the difference with ozpost subscriptions. To do this, and make it worthwhile (and acceptable to centerlink, who would prefer I worked fulltime, or lose all benefits) I need to produce the equivlilent of 15hrs paid work per week. To achieve this I need a 'conversion rate' of around 10% (I'm actually counting on only 2%, but I'm HOPING for more ), and if I can't achieve this target I'll be back to option "A" again. However, in this instance, I should still be able to find time to continue to support the *few* that have supported me.

In summary, the next few months are going to be critical in regards to whether there will even be an 'ozpost' shipping module at all by the end of the year. "Early supporters" will get continued support (or full a refund), but the project itself will be dropped as a lost cause ... I'll move on to other projects instead.

Cheers
Rod

Rod, I (and perhaps others) fully appreciate your position and do not for a minute take it for granted as my god given right to have this service for free. The fact that it has been until now is neither here nor there.

Again I will state that I have not objection to a fee of sorts, or your need to impose one.

But you also need to realize that some of us are in the exact same position as you in regards to financial situations.

I would love my store to be my source of income, to be able to sit back and watch the orders roll in, but alas, despite a lot of effort and long long nights, its not the case, and I have a Full time day job in order to provide for my family.

So yes, any additional fee, regardless of the amount, is going to cause those with little turnover to question it, where as those with larger stores or larger turnovers, probably would not blink an eye..

Lastly.. I will ante up.. (It was never an issue) as I need the service, but I do feel better for my at least expression my piece..



Thanks,
Mike