Andrew, I have the utmost respect for you, but we both know that unless there
is overwhelming listing of some VERY SPECIFIC items here, it's not going to
make one iota of difference in the 8.5 deliverable. So I'm kinda surprised
that you or anyone else is claiming that this is the big opportunity for
influencing the outcome.

It's naive of them to think that it's going to matter, and honestly, I think
it's a bit irresponsible of you to portray that it would.

Influence priorities for N/D 9? Sure. But 8.5? No chance.

But I can't wait to see what people say about their must-haves. Personally I
think they're going to be so all over the map as to be totally incapable of
setting direction.

Gosh, this is soo broad. I'm going to leave the designer stuff to you, Mr.
Pollack.

1. In the Client:
|Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
|a)Full CSS support
|b)The ability to export/import data using a field map, without having to
create a view...to xls, since wk4 files are blocked by Office 2003 SP3 .
|c)Return full policy control (a la N6/7) of Sametime and other client areas.
|d)Full welcome page support in policy - allow central control of it, and not
just based on the traditional bookmark.nsf
|e)The ability to start a Notes client on a PC I have NEVER used, pick my name
and enter my password, and have my complete user experince
(bookmarks/workspace, sametime, other local apps, widgets, locations, journal,
contacts, etc. be there.)

I also really want to see......
|a).Easy. API-level way to have third party apps integrate with Notes mail & ->
contacts <-(i.e., names, addresses, phone/fax numbers). Competing products have
had this for 10 years.
|b)Nuke the massive Eclipse crash dialog. And put the nuking process in as a
Easter egg.
|c)links and anchors that work in the client.

1. In the Server:
|Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
|a)Support sync'ing calendar, contacts, mail, and journal with broad range of
handhelds (iPhone/iPhone 3G, WinMobile, PalmOS, Symbian) NOTE: Follow the
ActiveSync model of providing a process/API that hardware vendors support
instead of current model where IBM has to build supporting software for every
handheld flavor.
|b)

|I also really want to see......
|a)System-wide CSS support (central css.nsf or some such to supply consistent
CSS to all apps)
|b)Ability to run PHP/Zend/Perl under Domino HTTP with SSO.
|c)better SMTP support for anti-spam techniques. (i.e., invite Mr. Linfoot for
a visit to guantanamo and extract every last shred of usefull recommendations)


1. In the Designer:
|Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
|a)Have the ability to build web apps as easily and with as much functionality
as traditional Notes apps. And pretty, too...

|I also really want to see......
|a)LotusScript Class browser

1. In the Client:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Make it faster
b) Add Symphony to the Mac client
1. In the Server:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Support fully compliant XHTML out of the box
b) Provide GZIP support for all HTTP traffic
1. In the Designer:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Add a proper LotusScript editor in the Eclipse client
b) Support proper web service clients in Java and LotusScript
I also really want to see......
a) Support for 1.6 JVM
b) the developer given the choice which JavaScript frameworl they want to use.

1. In the Client:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) improve the calendar extensively: subscriptions, out of the box
synchronization with Google and mobile devices, including the iPhone, GUI (how
can a web app be more comfortable to use?)
b) make it faster faster faster

I also really want to see......
a) further improvements for widgets and the sidebar: e.g. let me search for
categories with Live Text, fix the resizing issues for the sidebar elements,
provide some examples (e.g. phone # lookup in Domino Directory)
b) a complete overhaul of bookmarks: better central management, backup of
bookmarks and smarticons if helpdesk throws the bookmark.nsf away
c) improvements in Symphony/OpenDocument support: serial letters with access to
Notes address DBs, fix rendering errors, better integration with Notes DBs
(e.g. save to database), viewer support for OpenDocument


1. In the Server:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 if you don't.......
a) get rid of id files, at least let admins easily reset passwords
b) combine configuration options: server documents, configuration documents,
notes.ini etc. should all be in one place

I also really want to see......
a) group based policies which take effect immediately
b) less caching of group membership and name lookups

1. In the Designer:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) make our developers want to develop Java in Notes instead of doing it in
Eclipse and import the code back to Notes
b) providing easier ways to design a good looking GUI, even in basic
configuration

I can't answer. But I'd LIKE to. And you know what I'd say. heh...

For me, it's cool to have new features but for some clients, they don't want to
pay thousands of dollars to develop a new application with cool gadgets.
Oftenly, they want something quick.

As a consultant, i've seen many environments running R5,R6 or R7 servers but
still with ugly UI from R4-R5 version.
Many clients don't know what Notes can do, so they tend to believe that Notes
is only used for mails.

My main concern is for the client ,especially for the templates. It's been
discussed here:

What templates do you want today?
http://www.lotusgeek.com/LotusGeek/LotusGeekBlog.nsf/d6plinks/ROLR-764GSC
and here already,
http://www.bruceelgort.com/blogs/be.nsf/plinks/BELT-7DZJNM

but I think, it would help to sell the product to new clients.

JYR

Speed, make the client more AJAX and smooth to work with.
Speed, why does it take so long to swap information when I change locations?

Server could use a more consistent command structure for ALL tasks.

Admin client please make it all printable! Topology maps should at least be
able to be exported. Print the reports or export a table of the taks running
with nay info.

Client side make to-do's actually useful so I can just add one quick and delete
it once done. And for others, make to dos have dates and alarms for that day
and for the future.

And don't forget to add a simple way to change the color and view of the unread
mail!

As Nathan pointed out this is a task of futility but if it helps anyone inisde
for plans on R9, why not.

1 in the client

a) start faster

b) keep the memory imprint much much lower on the standard client so that it
can effectively be used with workstations that do not have 2 GB RAM

c) get dwa light access to calendar and todos

d) make the whole MCS process including the Personal Names assistant save. That
means for example that an assistant can make appointments for his/hers boss in
his calendar with him as the responsible persons and that the boss is noticed
that there is a NEW or CHANGED calendar entry thatwas not entered by him and
that he should confirm it.

e) give the users the opportunity to use multiple signatures and different mail
adresses if allowed without having to change the id, workplace and so on.

f) solve the issues that have risen on ideaJam.net regarding the client with
more than 30 promotions.


2 in the designer

a) my alltime favorite make EVERYTHING and yes i mean everything that is right
now hardcoded and has to be shown to the user able to be controlled by formula.
Yes that means Buttons, Viewcolumn headers, Userlanguagedependand
translations for aliases used in views and so on.

b) remove this stupid 32 K limit

c) solve the issues that have risen on ideaJam.net regarding the designer with
more than 30 promotions.

d) solve the issues risen on www.welovenotesbut.com/blog

e) give us a debugger that is worth this name. With conditional breakpoints,
the ability to change code on the fly and go back x lines to try again, tagging
specific variables or elements of an object to be shown to me all the time
without having to search them over and over again buried in some hundred
document items globals or any other thing, showing all elements of a list if i
want them to be shown and so much more.

f) give us a working formula debugger

3. in the server
a) solve the issues that have risen on ideaJam.net regarding the Server and the
administrator with more than 30 promotions.

4. general advice
There is an excellent tool out there that gathers a lot of ideas and problems
that arise when designing or working with lotus applications. USE IT. And show
us that you are using it!!!

Thomas

An exercise in futility it may be, but it's a fun one, and can't do any harm in
trying to influence those that can make a difference.

1. In the Client:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Get Symphony working on the Mac
b) Get Symphony options/menus (Open/Recent etc.) available when Notes loads
c) Offer Notes connector for Quickr on all three client platforms
d) Have HTML sigs in the mail file
e) Keep integrated Sametime login/log out settings separate from Notes ID
changes - Swapping IDs should not log me out of Sametime nor lose my Sametime
settings! At least provide some options of how to control this
f) Make Ubuntu a full supported client version
I also really want to see......
a) Offer easy means to changing email addresses etc - look at Mail.app for
ideal look and feel
b) Provide a simple Admin client for Mac and Linux. If it is too difficult to
port the whole of the Admin client across, at least give us the basics -
registration/certification of users/servers etc, console access etc.
1. In the Server:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Support Ubuntu as a server platform
b) Make installation of additional servers in an org a much simpler and faster
process
I also really want to see......
a) Support for Domino Mail, Quickr and Sametime on one Windows image - ideally
as one Domino server, but if not, in 3 Domino servers on the same image

Finally, I think the development priorities have to continue to change. Mary
Beth and all the others have made a great start. However, no longer can IBM
listen first and foremost to their 100 biggest corporates that use Notes/Domino
and take their suggestions/requirements as the list to target.

No, you need to be talking to those customers who aren't yet ND users, those in
the 50-500 user segment, those that use Google Apps, those that are migrating
wholesale to Mac or Linux, those that are considering making the iPhone their
mobile platform of choice, those that believe that Social Networking is a
*good* thing and collaboration is to be embraced....

I am sure that this process may be underway, but we're not hearing about it or
seeing many results yet. I hope that 8.5 might be the first time this becomes
obvious...

a) Make it faster in both Windows & Linux
b) Make it faster
c) Less memory footprint
d) Again, make it faster even on low memory systems like 512MB
e) Improve calendar so that one get selected peoples calendar in you own, ie,
you see exactly what/when they are avaliblie (like Zimbra, Google Calendar etc)
f) In both DWA versions, make unread mails in BOLD, it is very hard to se which
folders has unread mails
g) Better shared contacts
h) Fully supported Ubuntu client
i) Better rules engine, possibility (without writing own agents) to run rules
on exisiting mail in client
J) Update documentation
k) Support for several accounts in same view (ala outlook, eudora, evolution
etc)
p) Updated calendar views and sharing, better delegation possibilites in terms
of what to share and with who


I also really want to see......
a) Make sync work in linux for Nokia, Ericsson etc phones
b) Easier tag system and ability to search tags
c) Vastly improved speed (on linux aswell as windows)
d) Distribution as .DEB and .RPM
e)

1. In the Server:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Linux version of the admin client
b) Focus on smaller environments, ie, possibitily to run Domino, Quickr,
Connections easily on 1 or two machines. (no external webservers, LDAP services
etc)

I also really want to see......
a) quickr services for domino on linux (SLES and Redhat)
b) Much easier installation of quickr, connections in conjunction with Domino
ie, less depenencies
c) A guide in admin client for setting the most common values in terms of
mainteince, log files etc, reporting to admin when maintiance is needed
(smaller firms may not have a dedicated Lotus Notes admin)

1. In the Designer:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Add ajax & dojo stuff
b) Fix the "Not a form" error
I also really want to see......
a) a way to search into & version the design elements (SVN-Like) : diff,
rollbacks, etc.
b) Found a way to highlight text & paragraphs with hide/when formulas

I'd like people to recognise that the admin client exists, it always seems to
be an afterthought.

Personally, I'd like to be able to unlock my client (after an ID timeout) from
any one of the client, admin, designer screens and not just the random one in
which the dialog appeared. I'd also like said password prompt to always be
visible.

I also thinks it's too late for 8.5, there are builds already available
internally.

Dont ship server 8.5 without:

a) New better and modern version of Teamroom, something that we actually can
use for collaboration of projects, ideas etc. No, not Quickr, a template that
is there from the start.
b) Couple this to a doc library with access from Symphony and/or Nautilus in
Linux
c) Modern templates for discussion etc

I wish 1 thing for Domino and its comunity:
Features that are implemented, should be implemented thouroughly and not half
baked.
It sounds so nice democratic that any self declared enterprise architect could
wish his pet proposal without any assessment of the opportunity costs.
IT WILL LEAD THIS PLATFORM AND ITS COMMUNITY NOWHERE.

1. In the Designer:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Have a text editor that doesn't ever eat my code.

Snarky as it sounds, that's the primary thing that kills me - everything else
is icing. Very, very important icing, but icing nonetheless.

1. In the Client:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Improve the performance radically and shrink the memory footprint
b) Add modern import and export capabilities -- Excel at a minimum

I also really want to see......
a) Updated out-of-the-box apps -- most have not been touched since R5
b) Proper iCal and contacts import, export, and sync - I run a Mac environment
and this is critical

2. In the Server:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Provide a workable alternative to SharePoint, which is dominating my markets
b) Fix the lousy HTML rendering, add CSS support, and upgrade the servlet
container

I also really want to see......
a) An alternative HTTP engine, such as Apache, like has been done with IIS for
years
b) A password sync and reset facility that is usable by help-desk level
personnel

3. In the Designer:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Make DXL fully supported and give it 100% round-trip fidelity
b) Give us full OO awareness, type-ahead, and web file editors (CSS, JS, HTML,
etc.)

I also really want to see......
a) Designer on Mac
b) Eclipse-like functionality so I can code in Eclipse for all my Domino needs

1. In the Client:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) PDF support for exporting emails. I wan't to export the complete email in a
PDF file. Think in a new button like "convert to pdf" and "convert to pdf and
send". Imagine I want to archive one PDF email in an external repositore.
b) Telephone Memo PLEASE, PLEASE in the New button not only in the Actions->
Especial......
c) More and more default templates. Make USERS Love lotus Notes. Please, think
in FINAL Users not only in programmers. For example, a birthday template. Users
want predefinet templates (can you revise the oldest Outlook Express?.....).
Think in NOT ONLY business templates/memos.
d) Users complaint about they can't establish a bigger size font as a default
one. This is important to fix. Imagine final users can use diferent type of
predefined memos (with diferent fonts, sizes and colors).
e) Users complaint about tables in Notes. Users make in Excel and then paste in
Notes memo. Please, check copy/paste from IBM wordprocessor productivity tool.
It does not work fine.
f) Think in an optional modern EMAIL template based in tags NOT in folders.
This is the way FINAL users will understand tags !!! The new way to archive
emails.
Please consider it.

Many thanks,

1. In the Client:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Make it optionally independant of the .id file
b) Make reconfiguration for another user easier instead of us having to delete
files / edit notes.ini
I also really want to see......
a) Archives treated as a native part of the inbox/folders etc
b) Let the Notes client participate in an EIM single-signon network(!)

1. In the Server:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) For smaller organizations, let the admin client optionally perform many of
the adminp tasks directly to make changes on the fly instead of waiting x
minutes/hours/days.
b) Give us much more control over SMTP (antispam etc) when using Domino as an
MX. Black/whitelists helped a lot but much more could be done.
I also really want to see......
a) Give us iPhone Symbian mail/calendar/contacts push OTA. As a simple
servertask that's available on all platforms. You can even charge for this if
you like..
b) Get rid of the 64GB db limit.

One of our bigger quests has been to see full Java applet support for the Mac.
We are hoping that since 8.5 is based on Eclipse it will just happen, but if
something special needs to be done, then do it.

Project4Domino on the server side completely operating system agnostic. We
have no server add-ins, so we run on all six Domino platforms.

On the client side however we have a Java based Gantt charting tool (called
Genius Planner). It is a Java Applet launched from the Notes client or the web
browser (depending on how the main application is accessed).

We have a fair number of customers with a fairly decent number of Mac clients
that would love to run our application natively on the Mac.

I'm just tired of getting lied to. At Lotusphere 2007 Mike Rhodin promised
Quickr Personal and Quickr Entry in the first half. We finally got those
nearly a year and a half later. Lotusphere 2007 was relatively light on
announcements, too. Quickr was one out of about half a dozen new things that
were announced, and IBM couldn't deliver all that on time.

Lotusphere 2008 was full of promises that were much larger in scope: Domino
Designer 8.5 on Eclipse, ID Vault and Live Text, not to mention Bluehouse,
Foundations and Symphony. There were commitments made regarding each of
those. The only part of that we've seen so far is Live Text, and it shipped
with some hefty limitations. I'm extremely worried that the rest is either not
going to be delivered in a reasonable timeframe (if at all), or we'll get it in
a half-baked implementation that's not useful.

1. In the Client:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) speed it up (supposedly coming in 8.0.2)
b) reduce memory consumption (supposedly coming in 8.0.2)
c) support at least 30 Standard users on Citrix / Windows Terminal Services

1. In the Server:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) remove the need for ID's at every step of the process (ID Vault)
b) generate valid XHTML
c) get rid of deprecated tags

1. In the Designer:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) deliver a LS class browser
b) deliver Eclipse editors for LotuScript and JavaScript
c) have better type-ahead that works consistently

I'd also like to see...
a) type-ahead that is aware of custom classes, functions, script libraries and
variables

1.
a)more mobile options for syncing mail,to dos, contacts and calendar
b) Update (facelift) some of the most used templates (team room, document
library, etc.)

2. In the Admin Client:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) Easy way to re-create ID files for users already in the directory.

3. In the Server:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 if you don't.......
a) Native Peristant login for web client using session based authentication
b) more mobile options for syncing mail,to dos, contacts and calendar


4. In the Designer:
Don't bother releasing 8.5 it if you don't.......
a) build in JS libraries for web devlopment (dojo)
b) full roundtrip DXL and itegration support for major source control products
(SVN) etc.