On 12/01/2016 at 03:57, xxxxxxxx wrote:
It's now 2016 and I was wondering when you think you might get some decent forum software instead of this obsolete old dinosaur in use at present. In all seriousness this board is an antique and doesn't do Maxon's reputation much good. Not talking about content you understand, but the board software itself.
Steve
On 12/01/2016 at 04:24, xxxxxxxx wrote:
No.
Seriously, NO.
I've had enough of so-called "modern" pages where you wait for twenty-seven overdesigned javascript frameworks to load in the speed of a slug on tranquilizers just to read a plain text message. Provided you can read it at all because the one decisive script that makes anything visible belongs to a site that you don't trust, that tags and tracks you, and that you have blacklisted in NoScript.
Unless there is an actual security issue (like integration of intransparent ad networks...) I can happily do without the "updated" crap that "modern" pages slam into your face.
On 12/01/2016 at 06:47, xxxxxxxx wrote:
I think you're over-reacting. I don't want (this is a personal opinion, of course) a bloated graphics-hungry piece of social media kiddiware, but for goodness' sake, a board dealing with graphics software in 2016 where you can't attach an image or embed a simple movie to demonstrate a problem? Come on.
And that's to say nothing of the apparent inability to prevent spammers loading the board with garbage, lack of a decent text editor, weird double-spaced display for code fragments, the list goes on.
Steve
On 12/01/2016 at 08:20, xxxxxxxx wrote:
Not to mention that there isn't even a mark forums read option(or at least I can't find it).
I log in from two different computers. And on every other forum I visit. If I read a thread. It gets marked as read no matter what computer I'm using. The forum software handles that.
This forum doesn't even do that!
So every night before going to bed. I have to log in here using my other computer. And click on all the new threads that I've already read on my other computer to keep it up to date on what I've read.
It's beyond annoying.
I'm surprised nobody else complains about it.
-ScottA
On 13/01/2016 at 01:40, xxxxxxxx wrote:
Hi guys,
we are aware of the state of our forum solution. We are already looking for options and discuss new solutions. But currently, we think, updating the forum software is of less priority compared to other projects we have, like improved SDK documentation, etc.
So I have to ask for your patience. If you think, we should shift our priorities, then let us know (not saying we will, but perhaps you have arguments, we didn't consider, yet).
On 13/01/2016 at 09:06, xxxxxxxx wrote:
IMHO.
Spending time on the forum software will be a lost cause. Because your hearts clearly aren't in it.
Based on past company history and the blogs. Things don't go well when you guys are not interested in what you're doing.
But if there's a simple way to add a mark all read option. That would be helpful.
-ScottA
On 13/01/2016 at 14:23, xxxxxxxx wrote:
Originally posted by xxxxxxxx
IMHO.
Spending time on the forum software will be a lost cause. Because your hearts clearly aren't in it.
Based on past company history and the blogs. Things don't go well when you guys are not interested in what you're doing.But if there's a simple way to add a mark all read option. That would be helpful.
-ScottA
I don't think that's a fair thing to say. The current employees focusing on the PluginCafe are relatively
new, so it's not comparable to the past (and things have been a lot better since Andras, Sebastian and
Yannick are here).
And I do have the feeling that their interesting is our interest.
Cheers,
-Niklas
On 13/01/2016 at 16:42, xxxxxxxx wrote:
It's not a reflection on their support roles Niklas.
AFAIK. Those guys are not in charge of handling the forum software.
And based on what I've seen from them. I think it's reasonable to say that they probably don't want that extra task.
I've been told that SDK support is not a paid (or well paid) position. So I can understand that they don't seem to have the time, or the desire, for managing forum software. Which is perfectly understandable.
Things always take the same path.
Users complain that they want something. Then they try to appease them by saying they will try to do something about it. And that's how we ended up with three blogs.
Two that started out hot and then died fairly quickly. And a new corporate blog that is really struggling to even get started.
I believe that a new forum would suffer the same fate as the blogs. And asking them to take it on is setting them up to fail. And it would be yet another thing that users will eventually point at and complain about.
So no more blogs(what we have now is good enough). No more forums stuff. No more extra communication stuff.
Just answer SDK support questions. And that's good enough.
I think asking them for anything more than that is setting them up to fail.
Now if someone new comes along that does have the time and passion to manage a new forum properly. Then sure that would be great.
But no. Not by the support guys we already have. That seems like giving them extra headaches and setting them up to fail.
That's just my personal opinion. I could be wrong.
-ScottA
On 14/01/2016 at 06:17, xxxxxxxx wrote:
Hi,
@Scott: I have to admit, I felt personally assaulted by your second last post and even, if it was corrected a bit in the last one, I'm still wondering, where you get the information about our internal structure, workload and even payment.
I really don't want to discuss the workload and tasks of the SDK Support team (and I surely won't discuss payment), but supporting you guys for free here in Plugin Cafe is only one part of our job description. And let me add, each and every one of us is not only fully devoted to his job, but also to the final product Cinema 4D and especially to the one feature of Cinema 4D, probably every one on these forums cares most about, the SDKs (I can already hear you scream "PLATITUDE!", but I really mean it).
One thing you are right about:
Currently we are not managing the forum software, its installation or the servers it is running on.
And while we do not plan to add these topics to our tasklist, it is still us working in these forums and we deem these forums (and their user experience) one vital building blog of SDK Support and the SDKs. We are aware of the problems the current solution has, and, yes, it is us, discussing about an alternative solution. Afterall we think, we know best, what's best for you (the forum community) and us.
But this is no easy choice, as there are lots of things to consider. There are several valid points in this thread, already, and I could add to the list.
Changing the forum solution will in any case cost a lot of effort, so it should be well thought.
For now, our priorites, as mentioned before, are a bit different, as we think, while the forum is not working perfectly and it is missing modern features, it is working though. So there are other areas like the SDK documentation we want to concentrate on first.
To come to an end, please stop extrapolating, how things might end up. Measure us by the things we do and accomplish, instead of things you think we might not do in the future. And if you have suggestions, how to improve SDK Support, then let us know. For example in this discussion, I'd rather see posts like: Look here, this link, that's how I'd like the Plugin Cafe to look like and work.
On 14/01/2016 at 08:36, xxxxxxxx wrote:
I apologize if I worded it poorly Andreas.
I was just answering your question:
Originally posted by xxxxxxxx
If you think, we should shift our priorities, then let us know (not saying we will, but perhaps you have arguments, we didn't consider, yet).
There's no way to answer that kind of question with a specific forum option type of reply.
That's an opinion type question. So I gave my opinion.
Sorry if that came off as sounding like an insult. Or implying that you guys don't care.
If you want forum specifics. These are the ones I would personally like to see:
- A mark read all option.
- Viewed threads marked as read. No matter what computer you log in with
- Better forum search results (old threads often don't get found)
- Last time I checked. The member name search was limited to only last 100 posts. But I haven't used it recently to see if that's changed
Other than that. I think the forums are fine for SDK support.
But I'm a minimalist. And others may not share the same opinion.
-ScottA
On 14/01/2016 at 08:51, xxxxxxxx wrote:
Hi Scott,
apology accepted. :slightly_smiling_face: (maybe I was also misreading your post)
Thanks for your requirements on a new forum software. I added these to our list.
Regarding the search function, I'm not sure, you know, we changed the default settings some time ago. Before the default was to search posts of the last year, only. This was changed to any date, so it should be at least a little bit better now.
And personally I always enable "Display Results as Topics" (in advanced search) or "Show topics", which provides a much cleaner result (at least in my opinion). I wouldn't mind to have this as default...