Dear HE,
Any chance of allowing us to upvote and suggest features or see your backlog?
Thanks
Ben.
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One thing that has remained consistant since the beginning...
HE does not release a ‘roadmap’ or a timeline for any new features etc.
This is really just to manage peoples expectations if focus for resources change.
They are extremely good at responding to bug fixes etc and very good at responding to feature requests if they are reasonable.
Andy
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Maybe just a voting system, then?
I dont believe they would or should do anything that would potentially set an expectation that did not originate from their own staff. If there is an official voting system, users who want that feature will always point to it as validation for their impatience.
As a user myself, I would love this feature and as a community we could do whatever we want. But I've also been a part of enough communities to know that doing this officially can lead to false expectations. This is just my opinion though. I cannot speak for the HE staff.
That being said, there is a feature request section where we can post our suggestions. I know they look through this...and other posts...and they have responded where they could with adding functionality. In fact I cant think of another team that has responded as quickly to feature requests as this one. You can't please everyone...but at least it feels like they try.
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I agree HE should not publish a detailed roadmap or vote for features. That decreases creativity and stress resources available.
I would however consider that time to to time to align customer expectations to internal team assumptions that a VOC (voice of the customer) should be carried out by HE.
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I disagree, and 100% think there should be a community voting system/capability on feature requests.
It gives them more accurate voice of the customer, and in the end they are never obligated to implement anything regardless of vote status.
There is zero downside to implementing this.
I don't care about seeing a roadmap, though, and actually think there is a lot of downside to publishing one.
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Nothing wrong with a community vote on features. We don't even need HE staffs for respond or expect them to implement the feature.
It's actually beneficial for HE to see what we would like to have for the benefit of the ecosystem. There are companies out there giving away prizes to encourage people to this this type of thing.
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Do you want a voting system for the community?
- Yes
- No
0 voters
See how easy that is. Doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get what you want from it unless you write your own app.
Why not just provide feedback as @stephack suggested and if you really can’t wait or have to have a feature, write you own app. Isn’t it nice you have the freedom to do that? 
4 Likes
@JasonJoelOld, I'm not sure if you were replying to me or the OP because we seem to be 100% in agreement. I like the the community based voting system and not an official one.
@SmartHomePrimer 
I think we need to vote on whether it's ok to vote for a voting system.
Sorry, it was to Somel's post right before mine.
I think he was saying pretty much the same thing. No official voting system. Community run voting would essentially be a way for HE to tap into the VOC he was referring to....I think
Pretty accurate 
You guys are free to do whatever you want, however, we are not seeking input from a voting system. We have a planning process in place, and It is not possible for us to share that process with the community. That leaves a voting system something happening in isolation from a bunch of relevant information.
We do pay attention. If you have an unmet need, articulate it.
6 Likes
Im quite happy with what i have seen so far.
My biggest wish is probably an official and community driver and app "store" within the hub with one click install.
But that might be very far away
Lots of users have lots of unmet needs (or desires, if not needs) - I can find 20-30 in 5 minutes of forum reading. I think that was the point of a voting system to let you know how many share commonality with others to help your planning process...
I for one certainly don't want development resources going to something only one person wants, over things many people want... If it is whoever yells loudest, it won't be a very fun process as more and more users arrive.
But whatever, it's your product, and I understand your stance on this. I don't have to agree with it.
I think what @bravenel said is key. The voting system serves little purpose if we are unable to take into account information that we are not privy to as the customers, but could have a huge impact on how they roll out features.
I don’t think that the loudest voice on here for feature requests necessarily wins (for example, some people really want webcore to be supported...), but if it’s a reasonable one and it fits with what they’re trying to do, they have been great about implementing them.
The voting system isn't meant to serve a purpose for US, it is meant to serve a purpose for THEM by giving them more non-subjective data in a consistent and formalized form. And avoid the same request over and over in separate forums/posts to track.
But whatever. I've said my piece on this, and so have they - so I won't bother posting more on this thread. If they don't want more feedback/data, then that's fine - we will all carry on as-is.
I'm not sure I want to get involved here but there is a category called 'Feature Requests' where I have seen posts from people requesting device integration, feature enhancements etc.
Perhaps requests are better suited to be put in this section.
People can then add weight to the request by +1'ing it (if thats a word 
) or adding comments on how great an idea it is. A form of voting I suppose by people adding comments and therefore weight to the request.
I have seen posts in that category that have been answered by 'Not Possible' 'already in the pipeline' etc.
Just my 2p worth.
PS. It doesn't hurt to ask for things so please keep doing it. All things start from someone's idea.
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No one is disagreeing with you @JasonJoel...and I think what Bruce is trying to get across is this.
If the community decides to create a voting system, it should be with the knowledge that it has no DIRECT impact on their timelines. There will always be someone who will point at these votes and try to use it as a sledge hammer to dictate what HE prioritizes. It's better for them to downplay its importance from the get go. I assure you they will look at it to get a pulse of the community and it will be a potential factor in their decision making. How much of a factor would depend on a multitude of things we are not privy to.
I've been here for a while and I can tell you they read through a LOT of the threads and are ridiculously responsive where they can be. I can point to my Virtual Container app as a perfect example. They didn't have to make changes, but they did when the community asked for it. That's way more than I can ask for or expect from engineers with a product that has this many moving parts. Voting system, no voting system...doesn't really matter if you ask me. Just post where you feel there are gaps to fill and they might surprise you.
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I like how Microsoft uses UserVoice (https://www.uservoice.com) to collect user feedback and requests. I personally think it's more useful than trying to examine forum posts. MS doesn't make functionality promises, but they do use it to help prioritize and communicate.
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