First of all, we updated the release plan to reflect the latest changes in the software and its schedules.

As usual, the announced dates are well estimated but without obligation and subject to change without further notice due to unexpected events. Nevertheless, we hope to give a quite realistic and deliberate perspective of Antville's future.

One very important task is not contained in the list (since it is about the development of Antville, the software, only): we hope to upgrade the Antville installation at Antville.org to a fresh and clean version (ie. 1.1final) until the end of May 2004.

We think the lovely folks hosting their weblogs at this first and already famous incarnation of a public Antville installation really deserve this upgrade already since a long time. Thus, we promise to take some of our spare time and the appropriate measures to make the transition from this meanwhile pretty patched-up Antville version to a full-featured Antville-as-we-know-and-love-it installation a snap and as easy as possible.

Then there is the Antville Library, a side-project of our development activities, which serves as a generic scripting code base for publishing applications using Helma and which is – besides in Antville itself – already used in other software projects, too.

Not so surprisingly, this library lacks documentation and still needs to consolidate and settle down to become a reliable toolbox. We expect it to be finalized this summer, probably together with another library project which will contain generic Helma extensions like e.g. a more flexible HTTP client or SSH-capable file transfer features. So far the gossip goes.

The most important step, however, already has happened last month behind the scenes and apart from public attention – but it probably will have the biggest impact on Antville Project: we founded an association called eigentext to promote open-source publishing software.

This association will become the future owner of Antville as well as of its library and is thought as an open platform for related projects. (E.g. parss is a potential candidate to crawl under eigentext's wings.)

In consequence, this means that there will be minor changes in the Antville license, transitions in the CVS repository, slight shifts in the Antville mailing-lists and a new focus of our general approach in developing Antville.

As you might already wondered: it certainly is possible to become a member of eigentext. Memberhip acquisition and application will happen on the association's website which is yet to come. So please hold on a little further. We will keep you informed.