Hello,

 

I have done several threads on here about a project called ATMS - the name has since changed, and we operate in an organisational fashion (ATMS, which is now known as UnitManager is a project of the organisation UniTools, meaning Unit Tools, a Unit being Team).

 

The project that we are currently recruiting for is called UnitManager (as mentioned above), and this will eventually be the main selling point of the organisation. It is a web-based application which allows organisations and individuals to manage the teams that they direct with ease and effectiveness. This powerful software that we are attempting to develop will do the following:

- An innovative and effective public area in which users can browse the staff directory (limited information), staff vacancies and terms on which all staff and public must act. This can be enabled/disabled as required from the Administration Panel.

- A scalable and secure staff login area, accessible from staff.example.com/login

- A staff dashboard, incorporating quick links, organisational announcements (blog), recent staff knowledgeable additions, along with a few other features (can be modified via admin panel)

- Instant Messaging (between departments, specific to departments and between staff)

- Voice messaging (between departments, specific to departments and between staff)

- Files (My Files, Department Files, Global Files, Admin - full access)

- Knowledgebase (staff can lookup common questions that are asked, and submit new requests)

- Directory (staff can see staff information, send private messages, request to see more information,a ll from within the directory)

- Advanced Administration Panel (permissions for all of the above, customisation, etc)

- Custom branding (depending on plan and addons)

- A powerful developer API/SDK for which developers can create their own addons/modules

- Other features in brainstorm phase.

 

We are currently looking for front-end and back-end developers to take on a position at UniTools or just on this particular project (UnitManager). This would be on a voluntary basis, but depending on the number of people that actually volunteer, you will be allowed to say that you assisted in the making of UnitManager, and you may or may not eventually get some sort of physical reward for doing so (this may be through equity/money, or by giving you unlimited free licenses, or something along these lines). In this position, you would belong to the Engineering Solutions Department (or Higher Management and Development depending on when you apply and how qualified you are).

 

We are also looking for Project Managers, who would belong to the Higher Management and Development DepartmentThese individuals see that the day-to-day operations of the organization run smoothly and ensure that, as a whole, the team interacts, connects, and collaborates well together. The department will hold periodic meetings to discuss the overall health and productivity of the team, a myriad of subjects will be discussed within these meetings and a curated list of topics will be published before the meeting is called.

Not only the above, but we are also looking for sales and marketing team members. Our sales and marketing department mastermind the display of our team management software. They are responsible for creating effective marketing campaigns and generating sales.

Lastly, support always pays a huge role in gaining clients, keeping them, and ensuring that they all know how to use our software. They resolve issues that any client may have, and report any ideas back to the higher management and development department. They are the frontline of the business, and are the ones who communicate with the public on the most regular basis.

If you would be interested in helping out in any of the above ways, then please reply to this topic or send me a private message, and we can discuss your position further.

Thank you for your interest in UniTools.

 

Oh this sounds so exciting! So I get to give up my own spare time in order to use skills that have taken me years to master in order to *possibly* be able to get a bit of credit and *possibly* get *some sort* of physical reward in the future! What a great deal for the professional web developer community!

 

Hey, while you're at it, why don't we all just form a line, bend over and pull our pants down to make the whole process that much easier for you?

I am sorry if I offended you sir, honestly, I am, but this a great opportunity to expand your skills, and is something great to put on your portfolio.

I do not believe that I deserved that kind of comment.

 

I do wonder, what have I exactly done wrong please?

Edited October 4, 201511 yr by J N Quinlan

NOCK:

Thank you for your kind and helpful advice - much appreciated.

I am looking at crowdfunding at the moment, and hope that some will be interested in helping with this. I have already got two front-end developers and a project manager, so some are interested, however, we could really do with more, especially back-end developers.

I believe my idea could be successful, so I will stick with this idea for a while now, and if it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out, however, this is all experience.

 

Citypall:

I can understand this, however, I do not see any reason for your hostility. I am looking at crowdfunding as we speak.

I did state that I did not want to offend anyone, as I always remember to do when I'm requesting such a thing as this.

Your sarcasm is not appreciated, and hostility, likewise.

Again, I apologize if I insulted you - this was not intended.

 

 

Thank you to both of you, and anybody else that replies to this thread.

Paul works as a senior developer for the BBC so I doubt this would even make a blip on his CV.

 

Like Nock put, if this idea is so good then seek some investment from venture capitalists and use that to pay a team of developers. - A good dev will require in excess of £40 per hour.

We only contribute to open source projects that we have a vested interest in. I can improve my CV through paid gigs so why would I work for free - especially in something that doesn't really excite me. My time is incredibly valuable and I expect to be paid and paid well for it.

 

The only devs you'd get working on something like this just to improve a CV are very likely to be way too inexperienced to take on a project like this without making a big mess of things. leaving you in a heap of technical debt. I can tell you no developer worth his/her salt will not wanna work with a poorly written codebase and you will likely end up starting again from scratch. It pays to get it right first time.

 

Take a read of this article: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2987236/application-development/where-are-all-the-good-web-developers.html to see where I am coming from

Edited October 4, 201511 yr by rbrtsmith

Paul works as a senior developer for the BBC so I doubt this would even make a blip on his CV.

 

Like Nock put, if this idea is so good then seek some investment from venture capitalists and use that to pay a team of developers. - A good dev will require in excess of £40 per hour.

We only contribute to open source projects that we have a vested interest in. I can improve my CV through paid gigs so why would I work for free - especially in something that doesn't really excite me. My time is incredibly valuable and I expect to be paid and paid well for it.

 

The only devs you'd get working on something like this just to improve a CV are very likely to be way too inexperienced to take on a project like this without making a big mess of things. leaving you in a heap of technical debt. I can tell you no developer worth his/her salt will not wanna work with a poorly written codebase and you will likely end up starting again from scratch. It pays to get it right first time.

 

Take a read of this article: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2987236/application-development/where-are-all-the-good-web-developers.html to see where I am coming from

Thank you for that - I understand.

I apologize if I have come across rather rash.

 

Are there any good places where I can learn how to develop web applications (that may eventually allow me to create projects like this) for free (preferably online)?

Treehouse and codeschool are good places to start. You'll likely need upwards of 5-10,000 hours of study to learn everything required to make a robust application like you describe.

 

There's a reason why good developers are so well paid - programming is hard and complex, and takes sustained effort over an extended period to get competant.

 

This really concerns me. Learning how to build a web application is not something that you can 'just do'...it takes years of experience with multiple languages.

 

That said, if you get crowdfunding and are going to pay developers then I might be interested in coming on board as a back-ender.

Thank you.

 

Treehouse and codeschool are good places to start. You'll likely need upwards of 5-10,000 hours of study to learn everything required to make a robust application like you describe.

 

There's a reason why good developers are so well paid - programming is hard and complex, and takes sustained effort over an extended period to get competant.

Very useful - I have the time for that, so I'll get started right away.

Thanks.

These are some good answers in this thread. Sorry if I flew off the handle a bit - it's a bit of a cliche for people to do this to web developers - the amount of times people have pretty much asked me to give up all my spare time for essentially nothing but a vague promise is staggering. We see it on this forum quite a bit too.

 

I'd also recommend reading up on agile methodologies, and particularly something called the lean startup, which might help you focus your attention on what really matters by proving there's a demand before you invest lots of time and energy (and money, potentially), into something like this. You'll find working in smaller increments and constantly adapting to change will help you build something more relevant for less cost.

 

Here's a book you should really read before going much further: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Lean-Startup-Innovation-Successful/dp/0670921602

 

Big design upfront just doesn't work. I'm telling you this after many years in the industry and having experienced successful and not so successful products out there in the wild. If you're serious about this, you should check out that book.

Thank you very much Paul - your advice is very much appreciated.

I honestly didn't mean to ask for your services free of charge - I appologise.