We have started activating beta accounts.

We are activating accounts in stages so as to ensure that our infrastructure hums along as planned.

Once you receive your login details please login and use to your heart’s content.

Please also register on the discussion board and give us your feedback.

The link to the discussion board is in your email.

The team will be hanging out at the discussion board and we look forward to sharing ideas.

Please email us with any problems to admin@spellr.us .

The spellr.us team.

Our offices are in the CBD of Sydney.

We love the buzz, convenience, vibe, diversity and multitude of lunch choices.

Not to mention it allows me to take the ferry to work - the only form of public transport where you arrive in a better mood than when you got on.

A couple of years back around the corner of us I noticed a hole in the ground.

When I went back a few months later there was an entire skyscraper there!

I remember thinking - “Gosh, they put up an entire skyscraper with glass lifts etc in what felt like a few months.”

The last few weeks have reminded me of this story.

A month ago we had a very raw spell check engine spitting out email reports.

Today we have officially finalised spellr.us beta version 1.0.

I always knew that the team was smart and good - but even I am impressed - which actually takes quite a lot.

It has been quite something to see - “extreme agile development” - at its best - with design and usability thrown in along the way.

There is only one person who external to Melon Media that has access to spellr.us so far - and that is the folk at one of our favourite blogs Techcrunch.

We are all holding out to see what they think of it.

We will be testing testing testing today and tomorrow and if all goes according to plan the beta testers will have access to the system.

Then the real fun begins and I think Charl and Adam will have the fun task of ensuring the system can handle the loads and optimise and scale if need be.

As an entrepreneur who loves the start-up phase of business - the creation of web businesses certainly allow for fast momentum - a fun roller coaster ride for all involved.

Kevin

All of the spellr.us team except for Charl (backend developer extraordinaire) are based onsite.

However co-ordinating this project has been interesting and a few tools and techniques have helped us a long the way.

• Forum: we have set-up a forum, created a bundle of categories.  We post ideas, tasks etc.  Works a treat and cuts down dramatically on the number of emails flying around.  Emails have never been a good tool in projects involving more than 2 people. HIGHLY recommended as a project management tool. This “old school” web tool has streamlined our project very well.
• Very limited face to face meetings. We really are highly selective when we decide to meet.  We are aware that “meeting” for every little thing will kill momentum - and we are very focussed on momentum. Our face to face meetings stay very focussed.
• On the technical side  - the developers Adam and Charl seem to still like using 1-1 email - that is as most of the heavy technical stuff is dealt only between them. They will have to comment more about how they have managed the separation of tasks etc.
• Skype- even for inter office communications and great to bring Charl in from offsite.

Moving forward I think we could maybe use a Wiki to create documentation - other than that I think it is all working well.

I would be very interested to hear how other people manage the development of internal projects.

Kevin

spellr.us fans are welcome to join the spellr.us Facebook group.

A spelling tool for the web…. I’m very excited!

Spelling is one thing I never mastered at school and still haven’t

I rely heavily on spell checkers in word, mail programs and online dictionaries.

To be able to spell check web entries without copying and pasting them into other programs…. about time!

Can’t wait until it is up and running.

And oh, watch for some changes over time to the spellr.us owl!

Fiona - Designer @ spellr.us & Melon Media