Sputnik bounty canceled.

I am sorry to inform you that the Sputnik bounty has been canceled.

Read more: http://amigabounty.net/?function=viewcomments¬eid=17&full=true

@Troels

It's too bad it's canceled, but it comes as no surprise to me. Even the MorphOS version has not been updated in a long time and falls far short of OWB on the browsing experience. Sputnik still has more "features", but for me it's the rendering that counts.

I hope that Sputnik is improved in the future though.

For OS4, I think Netsurf and OWB are turning out to be nice browsers.

@Troels

What ???

Sputnik is in final development, did you read this post:

"I was asked to post an status update here, so.

Work on sputnik version for OS4 has started about 2-3 months ago. It's already compiling and many important parts are working (like network code, font rendering). The biggest current obstacle is hacking MUI 4 part. I hoped to resolve them before christmas, and as it's the last big problem release some first beta but i failed. And i have 2 news. A good one: i know now how i can get tie my code into older MUI. A bad one: it'll be a rather big redesign and with my current free time it will take about 1-2 more months to complete."

http://amigaworld.net/modules/newbb/v ... =40&viewmode=flat&order=0

Please don't say this, after a long time now we are very near to completation

@samo79

Yes, strange that marcik recently update on your thread link a small status (better than nothing) about sputnik for AOS4 and now the bounty is canceled. I really don't understand.

If marcik said, he need 2-3 months because MUI4, give to him some months more !!

and marcik, communicate more about sputnik for AOS4 (because bounty. People wat to know what happened with th money). this fact really missing since months

1.Give back the money to marcik !!!.
2.Marcik communicate with AOS4 users with status for sputnik !!

@Troels

Why this comes as no surprise to me?
So the money will be returned, but the paypal fees have to be paid, due to lost cause.

@Troels

Maybe ask the donors first what to do with their money.

I, for example, would like to transfer my money to the developer of OWB directly in order to avoid the additional PayPal fees, you know.

Anyway, thanks for your effort to materialize the Sputnik on OS4!

@AmiKit

Exactly! Either OWB or some of the other worthy causes on AmigaBounty!

No need to give the money to paypal!

Well, what say... Congratulations... that' s the amiga ! remember when computing was fun !!!! LOL !!!

btw, hope that the money goes to serious developpers like Joerg Strohmayer or Chris Young..

@samo79

I didn't like to cancel the bounty, especially not as it might(?) be close to a release.

Marcin's short notice on Amigaworld recently was only written because I told him to. You shouldn't praise him for his communication skills, it took me 3-4 emails to get him to make that post (or even get a reply).

I get countless emails from people wanting their money back. Others just wanting to know the status of Sputnik when I get no real information from Marcin I end up in a situation where I can tell people nothing.

I was told long time ago (have an email) that work was started on the port and so I have told people. Then Marcin writes on AW.net it was started only 2-3 months ago, that really pisses me of.

-Marcin had an A1 since 23.11.2007
-Work on the OS4 port didn't start until 2-3 months ago.
-Bounty money was all collected 04.04.2007

Anyway the day Marcin posted on Aw.net and send me an email about it I mailed him back but still haven't heard a thing from him. He was then advised that the bounty would be canceled, still no word from him.

With that kind of interest and motivation, what would you think we could expect from future releases, after the bounty money was paid?

@Troels
Sad situation. Did he give any excuse, like being away from home/internet-access for not answering emails?

As far as him telling you he had started work a long time ago, but then publically saying he has only just started work - both can be true. When he said that to you, he may have meant that he was working on the MorphOS code to remove MorphOS dependencies, but he may not have actually tried porting it to OS4 until 2-3 months ago. I would not see any problem with that, APART from lack of communication about what he meant & what the progress was.

@ChrisH
Regarding him working on the MOS code, that actually could be a possibility I also thought of that but I doubt it.

I haven't heard from Marcin since his email to me and post to Aw.net just over a week ago. I emailed him back right away that this new deadline was really not ok with me and some things had to change if he needed more time again.
It certainly wasn't the first deadline he broke. Last three promises was Christmas, Late November/early december and end September.

Also keep in mind that he had an A1 since 23.11.2007.

@Troels

Maybe another coder could take the sources and the bounty and try to finish the work.. so the money and the time will be not wasted..

@Mrodfr

Quote:

He only made that status update because I begged him to do it. I have been bombed with emails asking for a status update and have been able to say nothing because Marcin couldn't say anything.

Quote:

And before that he needed 1-1.5 month more and before that he also needed more time.

Quote:

Exactly, but the point is Marcin doesn't communicate anything.

Quote:

1. Marcin never had any money
2. No comments.

@nubechecorre
Sorry but that is not possible.

Parts of Sputnik is closed source, AFAIK only the rendering engine is opensoure.


@all
I can see (also from emails) that many of you want your bounty money transferred to either NetSurf or OWB. Please give me a day or two to find out how things are handled the easiest way

Did this bounty have no deadline?

I think if someone wants to go for a bounty a sort of deadline would be easy. Like say in time OR if other software pops up that does the trick also the bounty is cancelled / transfered.

Lets just see how far Marcin has gotten and how future updates are handled. As in, is it open source.

Anyhooo. I think transferring the bounty to OWB and Netsurf is a good idea IF Marcin can not show anything.

As a donor I can just say that we waited for a long time now and I don't think that a couple of months more will damage anybody.

Let see what Marcin will do from now on (please Marcin, say something in this thread!).

An idea could be splitting the bounty amount in two: one for Marcin and the other for the MUI4 port.
Having MUI4 available could fill the gap between MorphOS and OS4, and make more actractive/friendly our platform for MorphOS developers.

I personally already gave something to Joerg for OWB and I think that two browser are better than one, at least there will be a bit of healthy competition.

One last thing, we must be very elastic with Amiga bounties deadlines: developers aren't getting much money for their work, and their programming environment isn't friendly like in other nowdays OSs...

@virgola

Yes, I agree with you, a part of bounty for an OS4 MUI4 version (OEM?) would be help Sputnik author to port his program on OS4, we should contact Stefan Stunz...

@Troels
Just to Refresh peoples Memories


Sputnik

So it been 22 months since that was posted, what have we seen to date?

Did he buy the AmigaOne he got?
If not, it can be used for some other purposes...

@Richi

He got an A1 23.1.2007 and it was lend to him by another Amiga enthusiast.
It is a seperate agreement between Marcin and the A1 owner and out of my control.