Well looking at your other blog entries it seems you do like the software. I guess it all about how things are written. I see that you are also getting some good responses on talkgraphics, so it’s not that your comments are being ignored.

I’m sure you mean well. We’ve just set off with the wrong foot..

“I have a right to my own opinion, its a free web!”

It’s all about how you express an opinion and where you express it. Talkgraphics is moderated, not a free-for-all.

“If everything in the article was so shallow why should it receive so much attention?”

People are quite passionate about XWD. Many of the things that you commented upon had already been discussed on talkgraphics. You inferred that a statement by Xara indicated that some features were irrelevant or unimportant, which is far from the case. Xaras statement indicated the limitations of the program feature set, not a comment about missing features not being important.

It’s difficult to equate your comments with someone who likes the software, since all you had to comment upon were the things you felt were missing without mention of the great things it does. In many ways I think that you miss the point of the software and give no consideration to the fact that the software is only weeks old and is a first release.

I only comment here (and not talkgraphics) because otherwise anyone reading your blog would have completely the wrong idea about the software.

I am sure you’ll be allowed to continue to comment on talkgraphics if you keep it polite and respectful of others. You aren’t the only frontend developer on talkgraphics. Some of us have been developing software and web frontends for a long time.

I have recieved many (not too happy) comments on my article and the link to this article (from my thread Comments on “About Xara Web Designer” at talkgraphics.com) have even been removed by a moderator! That is one thing, another thing is that I have a right to my own opponion, its a free web!

So when you call the article a shallow not “teaching anyone anything new” article what can I say? If everything in the article was so shallow why should it recieve so much attention? I did not try to go deep in my article, cause it was a comment on a “statement” apparently made by “The Xara Team”. The comment from “The Xara Team” was it self a quick “statement” indicating in which direction this product was going. I felt the need to comment on it – thats all there is to it!

Let me for the 3rd time stress that I find Xara Web Designer a GREAT TOOL which address the need for a designers tool to create websites in a easy way. Actually I have allready advocated it for my friends and the company I work in, and a friend of mine have bought a copy. Why would I do that if I had anything against Xara Web Designer?

In short: Nothing is perfect, I would love to point out some points where I (as a frontend developer) would love to see changes! And I will continue to do that, here or (if I am allowed) on talkgraphics.com.

Xara has been forthright and honest about the shortcomings and restrictions of the product and it’s nonsense to assume this implies some sort of statement that such things are unimportant.

Xara and the Xara community have worked hard to address the ‘issues’ that you have commented upon and it’s possible to do most things with the product. Xara have been very open about the technical issues the tool does not attempt to be a tool that addresses every technical aspect of web development.

I’ve no doubt that the next release will have additional features to address some of the current shortcomings. Xara is an incredible company and neither they nor the product deserve the shallow comments above and the content doesn’t teach anyone anything new. While you wish to criticise the product, I continue to make income from it. Xara Web Designer isn’t the perfect tool and like any tool it will never be the perfect tool.

Thanks
Steve

Please see:
http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=37719

Thanks
Steve (sledger)