Hi all - I am still trying to get some proper communications etc sorted but thought I better chip in to this thread to advise that I am stepping back from Stacks development. Realise this will be a bit of a shock to some but I will continue to support users as much as I can. More information here:
@habitualshaker: This is definitely the saddest announcement on this forum in years. It’s depressing…
4 Likes
An extremely sad announcement 
but I wish Stuart all the best for all future endeavours and would like to thank him for his unwavering support throughout my RW journey.
4 Likes
All the best Stuart. You have to do what’s right for you and your family. When Adam stopped developing F3 and shut up shop I bought source as the closet replacement.
It was only source that was keeping me on stacks and I’m unsure if Stacks 6 have anyone left to develop for it.
1 Like
In light of the above maybe it’s time to jump into Blocs!!
2 Likes
Thank you, thank you, and a billion thanks for everything I’ve received from you over the years.
3 Likes
Yep…think you are right. Stuart and Source was the last remaining framework I wanted to use…and he was always so personal and responsive…will be sorely missed
It may be a personal preference of you that you have no interest in jumping into Foundation 6. Only fair. As for my part I am (of course) very happy that the last 50 client sites I built have solely be done in F6 and Total CMS 1. And with TCMS3 only a few more weeks away from official release we’ll have the best CMS ever(!). And there’s also UiKit. I think I read that Lucas actually intends to bring UiKit to Stacks app. So there’s at least the choice between UiKit and Foundation 6 (while the ‘Platform’ framework seems to have disappeared quietly).
3 Likes
I did try F6 back in the day and could re explore it again. I have a small project I’m doing now in Blocs so I have an idea of how that all works and my larger site will need a refresh. Only option now is F6 - which I have, and Uikit which I won’t purchase before stacks 6 is released. I also dint need to add another framework to my library!
All of this hinges on release of Stacks 6 - I didn’t want to start anything until stacks 6 is stable and up and running incase something happens with RW/stacks versions. If that keeps dragging in then I’ll likely just use Blocs and move on after many, many, years.
2 Likes
Hi…I started this topic and I know Foundation 6 is a viable option but I have never been able to get a handle on it properly. I think a lot of it is the lack of short and to-the-point vidoes of how to do something.
I cannot sit through 90 min videos and livestreams…I dont have the time tbh or the patience. I think thats why Adam’s Foundry was so good…each video for each stack was clear and short and to the point…
So sadly why I didn’t consider it as a framework to use.
Mind you I still need to find something…all too tiring
6 Likes
Much success to whatever you pursue in the future Stuart!
It was great working with Shaking the Habitual stacks in RW8.
4 Likes
Thanks all. Very much appreciate your comments/wishes.
And just to confirm…if you are using my stacks/Source in RapidWeaver with the Stacks plugin then nothing is really changing. I will continue to support that whenever a need arises.
17 Likes
Stuart has been my favorite developer in the RW/Stacks ecosystem since he exploded onto the scene 7+ years ago. He excelled in every aspect, from creative and thoughtful stacks and the wonderful Source theme, to his educational tools, and most importantly, his DOCUMENTATION. He set the standard in many ways, and this is a gut-wrenching blow, but I absolutely understand the move from his perspective. It’s a sad day, nonetheless.
Thanks for everything you brought to the community, Stuart, and best wishes for you with whatever lies ahead.
10 Likes
Oh dear.
1 Like
I’ve showcased your framework in my demos for years, along with those of our colleagues.
It’s a great sadness, but you’ve explained your reasons clearly.
Everyone will surely appreciate your effort to remain available, that’s what being a true professional means, even in difficult times.
Thank you for all you’ve done for the community over the years.
8 Likes
Hi, I do use web development as a business. Using Foundry until Adam stopped this, I looked at all other Frameworks and options and finally settled with RW elements. I did not really get into the workflow with Blocs, same with Foundation. Elements provides a way to design sites which appeals to me the most. And now that Eldar and other developers I know from blocs provide their solutions and themes for Elements as well, I do see a sustainable future there. I agree with @wolf about the CMS and foundation, but for my sites I do not need it as much.
3 Likes
Have you found Elements to be more intuitive to use than Blocs; or did you have some familiarity with the way things worked coming from Stacks/RW?
Sad to see Stuart leave, but not exactly a shock. Why would anyone in their right mind stick around?
My only comment for those looking for a new way forward is to forget all the things like RW out there. They are all going to be gone in the next few years. Sure, new ones will take their place. If successful, they’ll get sucked up into a larger system and the costs will ramp, or they’ll remain a cottage project and eventually fizzle out as the returns for the dev(s) involved will slowly diminish to nowt.
It’s time to jump onto the hideous bandwagon that is WP, or cut out the bloated middleman and go AI.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if, in the coming months, the savvy devs who are still around the RW eco-system start making versions of their stacks that will work in the wild, ie. with no requirement for a third-party platform like RW. The technical side of doing that is fairly straightforward (although for some, not easy), but the hard part will come with marketing.
Products like RW and Blocs etc. work not because they are great etc. but because they bring together a base of users to whom third-party devs can sell. When your plugins have no “community”, that becomes much harder, but I dare say such marketplaces will become commonplace soon. There are already lots out there, but more will I suspect, will follow.
The challenge will be adjusting to being a small fish in a big sea, as opposed the the community-based approach of big fish in a pond. But there are ways.
7 Likes
I’m using Blocs as a transition and no doubt AI will become the way forward, but for my two sole trader websites I like the process of building the site and found the structure of Blocs easy to get to grips with. I know my business and can get the look and wording right as I go along.
Blocs will suffice for the foreseeable. I have to update the sites for next year and I cannot wait any longer - if RW stopped working tomorrow then I would be stuffed. Relying on too many components RW/Stacks/Framework/add-ons is not good for business continuity
Blocs is being actively developed and I have confidence Norm will be around for a while. I’m finding the use of CSS styles to be easy and less cumbersome than using multiple stacks to achieve what I want. The price is reasonable and you can port stuff off to WP if need be.
Even if Stuart wasn’t packing it in I would be cautious of the whole Stacks 6 thing because I’ve seen nothing tangible. If I was a betting man I’d say that the Stacks 6 will become integrated within another framework.
1 Like
No sensible bookie will take that bet 
1 Like