I am working on a few things, all are half done, and i dont have enough time to finish them all before i possibly close the b2evolution book for myself.So, let me know if you think any of below would help you;
[Projects]
My two projects are based on "doing it right" mostly focused on extensions.
Extensions Directory:
A rather simple extension directory with all plugins/skins/widgets that you can 'easily' choose from, that complies with your selected b2 version and those are reviewed and rated fairly in addition to detailed description, screenshots and whole lot of information&feedback.
Skins Directory:
This would be a subset of the above theoratically, but if i do this, it would be focused solely on skins/templates so you could review them easily and in a more beautiful way, very much like a themeforest/tempalte monster.
[Plugins]
Plugins i have in mind are mostly jquery based enhancements to make life easier rather than complicated plugins that exceed my knowledge.
Lightbox Pack:
This is the easiest of all..There are lots, i mean lots of lightbox plugins around.They pretty much focus on the same but differ much in terms of functionality and weight.Would you like to see a round up pack of them available with configurable settings ?
Gallery Plugin:
Ideally this would be
a.) a simple plugin that creates a gallery out of a folder of images.
b.) a plugin that creates a gallery out of posts from a selected category.
c.) a plugin that renders a gallery out of a syntax so that you can insert galleries into your posts.
Slideshow/Content Slider Plugins:
Self explanatory.It is already easy for average user to insert/implement a content slider into his/her blog.But there are also people who have difficulties figuring it out, and how to do it the right way easily.Again, this would be available with whole lot of settings that would allow you to slide your content (posts) from a selected category ideally.
[Skins]
I have a few b2 skins that were sketched quickly without paying too much attention in a few hours/days.I know i can do a lot better, but it seems b2 user base is relatively small to spend weeks on a single skin.Therefore, i started building a template framework for b2 but i dont think i will be able to complete it since it would take months to complete a whole template framework with a one man operation.
Do you desperately look for a b2 skin/template that is modern and highly customizable.Well, let me know, i still might have some time to pull it off, just tell me what you need.
Self Q&A:
You might ask: "if you are not going to use b2, why do those ?"
Answer is simple: b2 has taught and helped me much, i feel i haven't given back enough.
"Why abandon b2 anyway ?"
- I am not going to completely abandon b2 it seems.But i think i should spend less time with b2evolution as i can not progress further with it, i.e. there are not enough information around to take it and myself further.
"What's wrong with existing directories / extensions"
- Everything.Noone knows which plugin are still available, which are working with which versions, and how to install/use them other than general idea of how a plugin is installed/used.There are a lot of useful extensions that are not even listed in those directories, just laying around people's blogs with dieing links and getting lost in time because of either dead links or not getting updated.
"What are you going to do, and what we should do ?"
- Well, i will be looking into more stable cms's like Wp or joomla while evaluating quamplures (b2 fork (; ) and watching where b2 will go.
There are a lot of complaints on the future of b2, but the main developer says there is nothing to be worried about and there are no recent plans of discontinuing the development of b2.So, it's really up to you.
Bottomline: The above may/may not look hard to do, but they all take time, which noone has plenty, and no one is getting paid for doing such.
Speaking of which; would you pay a modest fee for any of these, given that all the amount would be forward to a charity or organization (kiva maybe).
General Support
b2evolution CMS Support Forums
I selected Extension Directory out of the above choices but mostly because all other choices would benefit the most by having a solid extensions directory. A skins directory as a subset of the extension directory sounds good but I think the current Skins directory does its job pretty well. The other options seem like something that could be worked on as time goes by but not necessarily something needed ... well, at least not now o.O
With that said, choosing the extension directory option is very much a self-serving choice, since I'm just getting started with B2E again after a couple years of WP and Joomla development. My reasons for abandoning WP and Joomla are very similar to your reasons for moving on and I can't really *whine or complain* about your decision without reconsidering my own and I wish you the best.
As far as, donations and such goes, I can honestly say I would not be able to pay a *modest fee* for any of the above due to my own financial situation. I design and develop for fun and to challenge myself, in 7 years I've made $125 ($100 from winning a contest and $25 in donations o.O) for designing/developing. What makes that a bit unusual is that I do this full time and take clients that either can't afford a professional or clients that are also just doing it for fun ... I avoid commercial projects or *get out* when projects go that way. If I had any disposable income, yes I would be more than willing to contribute donations, skill and time to almost any of the above :)