When Software Starts to Look Like a Pandemic – Update Aug 28 2020 Testing the app This week has been dedicated to testing the first 30 lessons of the digital software app. Its a little like fighting a pandemic without a vaccine. Your best defence is to test everything to see that it has not been infected. When you are done, you get to do it all over again in case that any changes you made triggered the infection somewhere else in the system. As with a virus, the more you test, the more likely you are to find something. That is what is happening here. Some of our testers are highly sophisticated in the use of our method. They will find every content flaw in every lesson. Some of our testers, like the Nesda crew are highly skilled with the hardware and software and will ferret out all of the technical glitches and then repair them. Several of our testers including me had trouble even getting into the app. Some of our testers are not computer nerds, more like computer rookies. They, including me, got locked out of the program for exceeding the allowable number of random attempts. That costs the tester an entire day before you are given absolution and allowed to try again. The system works well and delivers the lessons as expected. We just need to buff it before we open the sales window. What our testing process is starting to feel like⦠Unexpected Delays    We are getting better each and every day. Also there is an unexpected benefit from the current plague situation. The Covid-19 crisis not only provides a good model for demonstrating the need for intensive testing, but it is also creating delays to allow us more time to get the testing done. Schools are pushing back start dates, so parents are still homeschooling. Our Louisiana Charter School pilot project will not begin until at least mid-September because schools will not be open until then. Meanwhile the downloading of our Rotary initiative of free reading, spelling and math scripted lessons and worksheets just keeps climbing to new heights we never anticipated. After Labour Day we will be charging a small fee for our downloadable lessons – US$4.95 for a block of 5 complete lessons (i.e.The Instructor’s materials, and the student materials). Marketing and Advertising The magazine and e-mail blasts are on hold until we are ready. Finances Our revenue stream from subscription sales will also be later than wished for. At the moment , people can download the first 5 lessons of our new digital reading program from the maloneymethod.com/mmdl website literally to “Try before they buy.”  That will not generate a penny in revenue, but it may create a hunger for more of a program that is working for someone’s child. We hope to have the “Buy ” channel open within a week to ten days.  We will, of course, keep you well informed. Thanks for your comments and your continued support. Michael
