It's One Week Later

From previous post: "So... a week later... if there's nothing majorly wrong with it (that we know about)... I'll make the pre-release version available to those who want to start using it as soon as possible."

I gave the first version, v0.6.0, to my beta testers about a week ago. A couple of days after that I sent v0.6.1, and the day after that v0.6.2.

The problems encountered were mostly along the lines of getting their Thinking Stuff database set up. That is, nothing actually to do with the currency trading part. Because they couldn't get that far. It was related to the fact that I had switched to PostgreSQL at such a late stage.

If you read this webpage and scroll to the bottom, you can see what I fixed in the 2 newer versions.

Now they can get past the Login page, the beta testers are generally a little confused as to what to do next. I purposely gave them no instruction to see if they could work it out. But they had troubles.

Ironically, I thought my GUI design approach, while not "standard", would be easier for people to use. I know that keeping to standard industry approaches are preferred, but it seems to me that the standard approach is not the best one. And, because people keep the standard, in effect we are keeping ourselves, on purpose, attached to something sub-standard. Just because "that's what we've always done". I hate those words.

So instead of one-word menu items, like "File", "Edit", etc, I tried to change the world a bit with "I Want To...".

And then the menu items leading off that were "View/Change...", "Manually...", "Start/Stop...", etc.

And the menu items leading off "View/Change..." were "View Charts", "View/Change accounts", "View/Change what data is downloaded and what is created", etc.

With each sub menu item it builds an actual English sentence.

I think that part might be fine, but I also have "I Want To..." menus on the bottom left of each individual window. On those you see items like "Add a new item", "Save and close the window", "Save and keep the window open", etc. My beta-testers were very attached to their "Save" buttons, and the Xs at the top right hand corner of the windows, because that's what all other programs have.

I think I'll put the Xs back (except on one window that I don't people to be able to close). But, in general, whenever you want to do something, just look for something that says "I Want To...".

I will also create some kind of wizard that will guide people through setting themselves up in order to connect to Gain Capital. And create a webpage to help people get started, which I planned to do anyway.

So, although I know there are people who are ready and waiting to go, I hope they can forgive me that I want to wait until the beta testers have covered the currency trading aspect of the program before I make it available to the general public. That will also give me time to create some basic webpages with instructions.

But, I have to say sorry if I misinformed anyone over the cost. When the auto-trading functionality has its bugs mostly ironed out, it will be US$30 per Month.

Until that time however, it will be free. Free to anyone who signs up for the backtesting functionality, which is US$200 per Year.

That way I can get more people using the auto-trading, and therefore hopefully any bugs will be pointed out more quickly.

Of course I'll give lots of notice to people who take me up on this offer, as to when the cost of $30/Month will start.

And of course, if you really really want to get started right now, or you really really just want to use the auto-trading, and you really really don't mind using a beta (buggy) product, nor the installation of a new version every couple of days, then please just contact me and we'll get you started. I guess I should set up some way for people to pay me...

Summary: 1 more week people! But the product gets better and better, thanks to my lovely beta testers.