EXT:templavoilaplus? Does anybody know why this #typo3 ext can not use the key EXT:templatevoila? Did we miss something? 😳
https://twitter.com/t3extensions/status/842975264942379008
There is a short answer and a long one.
Pluspol does not have the extension key, I do.
This one is more interesting and way more explanatory. It starts with me meeting Tolleiv Nietsch around 2012 on a code sprint. At that time he was the maintainer of TemplaVoilà and I asked him about how he handles the maintenance of that extension. I had the impression that he wasn't quite happy any more being responsible for it. On the other hand I lost a lot of interest for being part of the Extbase team, so that's where my interest for maintaining TemplaVoilà began.
Then there was the TYPO3 Camp in Stuttgart in 2013 when he announced (http://blog.tolleiv.de/2013/06/templavoila-future/) he'd quit the maintenance of the extension. That was the moment I realized that someone needs to do the job or a lot of people that started working with TYPO3 because of the simplicity of TemplaVoilà eventually would not use TYPO3 in the future without that extension any more.
Some time passed and it was Wouter Wolters who started the 6.2 compatiblity for TemplaVoilà and I got on board. So, we managed to get the extension key and released some new versions, realizing very quickly that it was possible to adjust the extension to 6.2 and until about 7.3 but then the changes to the core were so massive that it would not be easy to fix that extension besides our regular jobs.
Later, in 2014 I got self-employed and I needed some time to get used to it and have enough clients. At that time I gave the extension key to Benni Mack, who wanted to take care of TemplaVoilà, which didn't work out in the end.
After being self employed for some time I managed to have some spare time and I realized that Benni didn't have the time either for the maintenance of that extension, so I talked to him and I started creating a vision. But it wasn't before mid 2016 until https://www.templavoila.support was launched to get supporters aboard, so I could face the issues of TemplaVoilà without the fear of running out of money in the meantime.
At around the same time Alexander Opitz talked to me and said, that he is working on a version as well. He told me, he'd only fix the bare minimum, so it fits the TYPO3 7.6 api and that further plans aren't made. I told him about my idea with the sponsors and restructuring the extension completely. We both went our ways.
Some weeks ago (late February) Alexander Opitz asked me to get the official key to get more attention and visibility for his solution. Until then I didn't knew he had plans to invest so many time in the project. I asked him if I should consider Pluspol being a competitor in the TemplaVoilà market and he agreed. So I refused to give him the key to secure my very own work and on behalf of my sponsors that would only benefit if my crowdfunding would live on. So, Pluspol decided to publish their version as templavoilaplus.
What about the templavoila key? It will remain inactive for a while and that's not a problem. I always had the idea to get sponsors aboard, make TemplaVoilà 7.6 compatible, restructure the code as much as possible and release the work in the TER. It's not just happening now but eventually there will be the moment in the near future when it does. Whatever happens, in the first place I have to protect the interest of my sponsors. I cannot and I will not bow to anyone or any circumstance just because something suddenly appears or happens. One may like it or not but the main stakeholders here are not the ones that need a new version of templavoila being downloadable in their extension manager.
Besides that, please note that a release of templavoila needs to fulfill some special criteria at the moment. I will not go into detail but the last version in the TER is considered insecure. So, if someone wants to release a new version, these issues need to be fixed. It's not as easy as saying that I have a new version and simply releasing it.
From the outside, without that knowledge, the whole situation may look strange but like with every situation, there are things you don't know and that's why the perception is blurred. I hope, this text can clarify some things.
So you will make TV 7.6 compat when TYPO3 9 will be released ?
Between these time, you will make a wizard to convert back tvplus to tv ?
If everyone switch to TV cause he's active and support current TYPO3 version, when you come back you'll be dropped...
This is a useless war between you and Pluspol... you should better merge your work and make people happy again.
Would you really think people will come back to tv when they all have switched to fluid / automake / tvplus ?
Haven't the time to maintain an extension is a thing, want support is another an legit. But, blocking people from having a working version on your main key is just an extension suicide...