Cut alpha release

README.md

@@ -6,12 +6,18 @@ performant binary encoding for geographic data based on
 
 ## Project Status
 
-Advancing rapidly toward alpha status. An alpha cut is expected by
-December 31, 2023 and a `v1.0.0` by mid-February 2023 at the latest.
+An alpha cut was released on 2023-10-19 under the tag `v0.9.0-alpha`. A
+beta cut is expected by 2023-12-31 or sooner, with a stable API and
+`v1.0.0` release by 2024-01-31.
 
 You can already peruse the documentation at the official Go docs
 website, [here](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/gogama/flatgeobuf).
 
+The goal between now and beta is to gather **YOUR FEEDBACK** on the
+API, documentation, and discoverability of features. Issues and pull
+requests are gratefully accepted, although they may not get looked at
+until the end of November due to vacation. 
+
 ## Getting Started
 
 coming soon.

TODO.md

@@ -1,19 +1,18 @@
 NEXT STEPS:
-    1. Cut v0.9.0-alpha. (By Friday 2023-10-20)
-    2. Request feedback.
-    3. Finish unit testing package flatgeobuf.
-    4. If possible, fix openFile to perhaps embed the test data files
+    1. Request feedback.
+    2. Finish unit testing package flatgeobuf.
+    3. If possible, fix openFile to perhaps embed the test data files
        if that will make the examples run on pkg.go.dev?
-    5. If I'm committing to Go 1.20 due to unsafe.String, then:
+    4. If I'm committing to Go 1.20 due to unsafe.String, then:
         (a) replace all interface{} with any.
         (b) consider using a generics-based heap which is faster? Or
             maybe do that another day.
-    6. Clear up all CODE and DOCUMENTATION references to Ref.Offset and
+    5. Clear up all CODE and DOCUMENTATION references to Ref.Offset and
        validate that it works as expected. I think the code and docs are
        ambiguous or assumey about whether offset is relative to data
        section start or relative to file start.
-    7. Cut v0.9.5-beta.
-    8. Cut v1.0.0.
+    6. Cut v0.9.5-beta.
+    7. Cut v1.0.0.
 
 Future directions:
 1. Another interesting interaction system would be an Appender which