Moderators

[MultiSync77F]

The moderators need to do a better job at keeping the website going. Way too many of the styles (well over half of them), and other graphics on this website are flagged as "Supported" and yet the designer has not replied or answered a question about their product in well over a year.

This is misleading information that makes people think they are going to get support for something, when there really is no support. These products need to be cleaned up and correctly marked as not supported, or when the designers do not support a product that they flag as supported they need to be warned by the moderators and if it continues they need to have their ability to upload projects, or at least mark them as supported disabled.

Supported = Supported
Not Supported = Not Supported
1 + 1 = 2
2 + 2 = 4

Yes, I understand this is all free stuff, but that doesn't change the definition of "supported". If the don't want to support it, they need to mark it as so and stop misleading people just to get the downloads and install clicks.

[Shelley_c]

I've looked at your threads in the graphics area and you have asked for help in a thread where the author as selected "not supported" so that is the reason why you have not received any support you have made an entirely separate request for another set of graphics.

You have also made a post in one of my threads about .png icons not picking up which is not a issue to the graphics but the lack of knowledge in using .png images. I'll not explain that here due to the fact this is not a support area.

Authors being warned? you simply have to be patient as the author will not always be online to provide instant assistance. Most of the issues are with styles you cannot fix, if your not getting help from the author try asking in other areas of the forum to any specific issues you may have. Someone is always around to help.

[hambil]

Some basic rules could be automated. I'm not saying they should be, but they could be. For example, if an author (coder or designer) hasn't logged in within 30 days and there are replies in their thread in that time, it gets switched to unsupported.

[Paul M]

That has actually been considered, allthough it would be a much longer period than 30 days.

[nexialys]

much longer for what?... if a coder can re-activate his releases when he come back, (ya know, a switch!)...

remember that on the internet, everything goes fast. if you release something on vb.org and tag to support it, you may have a vacation, 10 days is human... but if you leave for 3 months and do not tag your releases as unsupported, a load of requests for support will fill your pm box and the threads...

30 days is enough for a limit, i think... if you are not on the site for 30 days, it's because you do not care about the members you release for... (without anyother reason i mean...)

[hambil]

(without anyother reason i mean...)
The reason really doesn't matter. It may matter from the standpoint of sympathy for the coder or designer, and well wishes or whatever we might all want to send. But unsupported is still unsupported, and the potential users of the mod need to be aware of that status. Regardless of the reason.

[MultiSync77F]

I've looked at your threads in the graphics area and you have asked for help in a thread where the author as selected "not supported" so that is the reason why you have not received any support you have made an entirely separate request for another set of graphics.

Yea I did ask for help in some graphics sections that I knew were not supported. But a silkblack style I installed said suppoted. I installed it and it never worked correctly. I asked for support several times and the author hasn't replied to the thread in over 6 months even though he was just online 2 days ago.

Also, on a couple mods, one was a support ticket system, and the other I can't remember. But both were marked as supported. I needed help with one and had a general question about another and neither has been replied to by the coder for months.

Yes, its free stuff, and people do have lives, so I don't expect replies the same day. It may take a while. But when people haven't replied for months and months and their stuff is still marked supported it gets annoying. I download it, and click install giving them credit, and then rate the product only to find out the designer is dead or something.

As least mark not supported if you aren't going to support it. I also think its a good idea to have a product automatically marked as un supported if the designer hasn't replied in a set amount of time. Maybe there could be a new way to rate a product as "not being supported" and after enough people click it, the product changes.

You know that if you installed the Project Tools for this website, that would be awsome! Jelsoft has a new Project Tools secion that does just this exact thing. You can rate the products, and mark as supported/not supported, and there is a built in feature that lets people petition to have the products status changed. So they could petition to have its status automatically changed to not supported once enough people click it. I use it on my webiste and its awsome!

[setishock]

AnimePlanet is another like that. I was the last to post in that one and still see mine is the last one. I didn't feel in the least bit bad about modding the whiz out of that one. I never claim them as my own though as I have posted several times at my place.
Another one that gets my goat are the ones that get posted then you have to sign up at their forum to get any help. I think there should be a hard and fast rule> "You post it here, you support it here".

I've seen some of the coders and style makers that pour their hearts in to what they do and give first class support. Those deserve our thanks. The ones that don't offer any support when they've checked "supported" really should be dealt with and as soon as humanly possible. And include those that have you have to sign up at their forum to get any support.

[Paul M]

If a developer has not logged into vb.org for more than 180 days then their mods will now show as unsupported.

[iogames]

Maybe 120?

[Paul M]

Lots of values are possible, but 180 is the figure decided on.

[Dean C]

So if I go on a backpacking trip this Summer, that means that after 180 days I will have to login and manually set every single one of my mods to supported again? What if one of our top mod authors falls ill, is he going to have to do this for 50+ mods individually?

[Shelley_c]

So if I go on a backpacking trip this Summer, that means that after 180 days I will have to login and manually set every single one of my mods to supported again? What if one of our top mod authors falls ill, is he going to have to do this for 50+ mods individually?

Chances are whenever anyone goes away for a 5 odd month stint or longer they'll have access to an internet cafe of some sort or own a mobile device which allows them to login to the site which will automatically reset the 180day limit.

180 days sounds good to me. If someone knows they'll be away for 180 days they'll most likely notify the people using the mods that they'll be away for a specified amount of time. If they don't, then the mod should be reverted to unsupported.

I know if I was away for 180 days and I have all my submissions supported I'd feel the right thing to do is have them reverted back to unsupported.

Mind, if you fall ill, that's another story, but then there has to be some kind of balance that will allow the author to log back in for this limit without it being too soon and for members who think the mod is support when it's not prolonging their wait for a mod that could be unsupported for a year or longer. 180 days sounds good, you'll never get a setting that will keep everyone happy. For authors, they'll always want their mod support and kept as supported whilst it's only fair on the members that they know asap when and if a mod becomes unsupported even before the 180 days.

[hambil]

If a developer has not logged into vb.org for more than 180 days then their mods will now show as unsupported.
Nice work, again :) Thanks Paul.

[Shelley_c]

@ Dean C - I checked your releases and all but one of your mods leading down through the 3 series are all unsupported. Only one of your scripts are marked up as supported which is for the 3.67 line so I doubt you'll get many complaints plus it would take you but a second to mark it back as installed if there is still demand for this product to be supported.

I'm replying back because they way you were talking I thought you may have had at least a score of scripts marked up as supported. I'm guessing the complaints would be warranted if you had a high count of scripts on the supported list.

it'll take you a second to mark it back up dean.

I dunno, I was looking at the profile page. I don't know how difficult or time consuming it would be to implement a icon/select box alongside Release Date - Last Updated - Total Installs were members from here and deselect whether or mot the product goes into the supported. I know they'll do it when they first post their mod but i was thinking it would be easier to select/deselect it for the authors with 20+ and on the off chance they are away for more than 180 days. Eitherway, I'm not fussed.

[nexialys]

So if I go on a backpacking trip this Summer, that means that after 180 days... you must be rich enough to go backpacking for more than 180 days... so i suppose you would hire a slave to click these support checkboxes again...

What if one of our top mod authors falls ill

you really have to focus on your own situation instead of arguying for the others Dean... these Top Posters can have their own opinion, and i'm sure they do not care the same way as you are...

[Paul M]

So if I go on a backpacking trip this Summer, that means that after 180 days I will have to login and manually set every single one of my mods to supported again?
Nope. The supported status is not changed, just the display.

Just for once, it would be nice if people actually remembered we do think about things before we do them. The fact that people would not want to change all there mods status back again did actually occur to me.

[Dean C]

Nope. The supported status is not changed, just the display.

Just for once, it would be nice if people actually remembered we do think about things before we do them. The fact that people would not want to change all there mods status back again did actually occur to me.

Hey don't tar me with their brush ;) I was just asking a question about a scenario! Good implementation anyway, thanks Paul.

[nexialys]

Hey don't tar me with their brush

hum, actually it was YOUR brush, don't try to diminish your impact here, you asked the question, we did not type if for you...

tsssss

anyway, i have no need for a toothbrush!

http://www.killsometime.com/Pictures/images/No-Teeth.jpg

[EnIgMa1234]

I've seen some of the coders and style makers that pour their hearts in to what they do and give first class support. Those deserve our thanks. The ones that don't offer any support when they've checked "supported" really should be dealt with and as soon as humanly possible. And include those that have you have to sign up at their forum to get any support.
You can't punish someone for releasing FREE software to a community. Where the author wants to handle support is up to him, not the members downloading it. These coders releasing their work do have lives and are not working for the members of vbulletin.org despite popular belief.

[Hasann]

You can't punish someone for releasing FREE software to a community. Where the author wants to handle support is up to him, not the members downloading it. These coders releasing their work do have lives and are not working for the members of vbulletin.org despite popular belief.

YES, that's the point we don't get paid for the support that the members want.

[BlueNinjaGo]

I don't see how changing the display to "not supported" is a punishment... I think it's a punishment for users if they're tricked into believing something is supported when it's not.

And if the developer logs in every day, but never even checks the modification's thread, does it still show up as supported?

[Dean C]

I don't see how changing the display to "not supported" is a punishment... I think it's a punishment for users if they're tricked into believing something is supported when it's not.

And if the developer logs in every day, but never even checks the modification's thread, does it still show up as supported?

It's not meant to be a punishment :rolleyes: Stop taking for granted the hard work someone puts in here giving people like you mods for free. Circumstances change, people get busy, and don't have time to offer support. Big deal. Get over it. If you want dedicated support, pay someone for it :)

[Guest210212002]

If a developer has not logged into vb.org for more than 180 days then their mods will now show as unsupported.

This = good stuff.

[lasto]

180 days is a long time esp seeing as theres only 365 days in the year.
So basically before a mod can automatically be ticked Unsupported you have to wait 6 months.If the author has not logged in in the past 3 months then you should take it they are not going to log in - in the near future and start supporting a mod they released a few months back.
In my view 6 months is way to long - 1 month should be enough because if they on holiday then they not going to be away for 4 weeks are they.

[Lynne]

In my view 6 months is way to long - 1 month should be enough because if they on holiday then they not going to be away for 4 weeks are they.
Don't forget that it says right at the top of the modification when the last time was that the developer was online. You can make your own assumptions about support from that information without just waiting for the box to automatically change to 'unsupported'.

[UKBusinessLive]

Don't forget that it says right at the top of the modification when the last time was that the developer was online. You can make your own assumptions about support from that information without just waiting for the box to automatically change to 'unsupported'.

Very true lynne, Another thing i've found out since being a member here is how often people will ask for help on a matter concerning the mod, when its already been discussed in previous posts. if perhaps people made more of an effort to read the threads not only will they quite often solve their problem , but may also find other tips from other members on improvements.

I think in general Support is duely given but members could do their bit by reading the threads for that particular Hack or Mod.

I've just had a few good weeks off with work and other commitments but i still made an effort to pop on briefly via my mobile.

Folk need to remember that Support is not a god given right and most members do have lives outside vbulletin, so go easy guys ;)

@Nexy - you gotta change your dentist :D

[Guest210212002]

As shocking as it is for me to Side with Paul for once, I think people are being a bit unreasonable. A concern was brought up, he addressed it pretty cleanly. Everyone's going to have their own idea as to what the best time limit is, so it's moot to debate it. Let's see how the 180 days works out, and if it needs adjusting I'm sure he'll get to it.

Man.. Next I'll be agreeing with Nexi. The horror! :D

[BlueNinjaGo]

It's not meant to be a punishment :rolleyes: Stop taking for granted the hard work someone puts in here giving people like you mods for free. Circumstances change, people get busy, and don't have time to offer support. Big deal. Get over it. If you want dedicated support, pay someone for it :)

I do appreciate every single developer, coder, and designer, and I completely understand people get busy and have lives.

All I was trying to say is that either a modification is currently supported, or it isn't. If the developer gets busy, that's completely understandable. I don't think of support as a requirement, but a privilege. But the "support" status should accurately reflect that.

[nexialys]

Man.. Next I'll be agreeing with Nexi. The horror! :D

i feel a SLIGHT sense of sarcasm here... you never have to agree with me, just not be against me is good enough... Shelley is trying to from time to time... she even name me for no reason in any thread she comment, in case i comply or complain again...