Sending updates when a mod is updgraded to 4.0
 

I just noticed the sticky saying this isn't allowed, I just wanted to throw it out there that many have been awaiting a few mod updates (who visited today and post thanks for example) to 4.0 and having those sent to us through the update feature would be welcomed IMO. Whenever I get an update that I am not interested in I ignore it anyway, I don't see why there would be a rule against this.

Sorry if this has been discussed here already, I didn't see a thread on it and I appreciate the chance to throw this out there.

The updates system is for updates to the existing modification, not for notifications about other modifications. This has always been the case.

Isn't a 4.0 update still the same modification? Is vBulletin 4 a different app than vB 3 (as they keep releasing updates for both series), and not an upgrade? Most mods are just increasing their version number, just like vB does.

It's just posted in another topic to keep it tidy. Having bug reports for both versions etc. together would be a mess.

So the trick is just asking to move your vB3 mod to the vB4 section (with all mess included)? Not very deliberate :)

They are seperate releases.

If a member has 15 (say) 3.8 mods installed, and are still running 3.8.4, they they do not need 15 notifications telling them about vb4 versions. Thats almost like spamming. If / when they move to vb4, there are plenty of ways for them to find if a 4.0 version exists (such as simply looking at the authors profile).

I personally would /LIKE/ 15 notifications about vb4 versions. (It'd be better if they could be combined into a digest email sent weekly, but 15 separate emails is better than none at all)

There are a few mods that i'm waiting on a vb4 version becoming avaliable before upgrading my boards.

Has anyone acctually complained about notifications?

Yes

Well stop it Lynne :D I can understand but at the same time the end user should look and search I feel too.

I agree with NOT using the modification system to post about new releases for a separate and somewhat incompatible version of vBulletin.

I don't see a problem with posting a message in the thread or a note in the description that a 4.0.x version is available, just not marking the 3.x version as having a upgrade. You wouldn't mark 4.0.x version as "UPGRADE" when a new 3.x version is available. =)

Along that lines, I wish that the Selective Forum Filter mod was installed on vBulletin.org so I could filter out the forums for items that are for a version I don't need to read about.

4,568 Unread posts and about 3900+ are for something I don't need.=/

We used to have someting like that which would exclude the old premium forums. I think it got removed when they got removed.

Often times I think people opt out of subscribing to a thread because once their question is answered they don't want to be flooded by it anymore. We are always notified when vB is upgraded to a new version as well, just some food for thought.

Perhaps, when there is time, some more control over notifications could be added.

When clicking install/tagging/subscribing to a thread you get the following options:

-Cp only
-PM
-Email (daily digest)
-Email

for each of the following notification levels:

-All (includes, addon releases, new version (eg a 4.0 version avaliable) and other misc changes)
- Updates only (default) notifies everytime the mod is updated
- Critical only notifies only if a mod is quarantined due to security flaws/other issues.

Opt in maybe to receive notifications of when a mod is upgraded to vB4.0. Everyone wins.

I wouldn't. I've received quite a few and they annoy me, I've not upgraded to vB4, and I most likely wont, so why do I need to know about the product being upgraded to vb4? If I wanted to find it, I would find it, it's not that hard, just look at the authors profile, or even better, in the vb4 mods section. If I have a vb3 mod installed, I don't want an email about that mod directing me to the vb4 version.

Same here Mikey, sorry to everyone else but I had not only friends on here but clients as well that said hey Mike.. does this mean I need to upgrade my Thanks Hack? I received several emails.... they all own 3.8 forums and one even tried to download and install the 4.0 mod (and no, not everyone knows all this stuff or has time to know and no not everyone reads either lol... just how life is but sending an update on a 3.8 mod not even regarding the specific version i.e. 3.8 was sent....) so it caused some confusion.

I don't think the ones using the update feature that way even thought about using it to their advantage in any way at all to be honest, they are great coders, great mods too, they just wanted to inform everyone who had been waiting... I see nothing wrong with that but the confusion that one simple act caused should not be allowed imo as I said above it's not like everyone has time to know all this.. I have some who tell me "I only have time to run the forums (the specifics, knowing their niche and members) and you do the forum work and mods ok?" I mean we have to look at it from every angle not just the ones we are used to viewing... no one likes change but neither do they like confusion.

Mike

Agreed, something like "notify me of major vbulletin upgrades".

Were they equally as upset with the email notification from vBulletin alerting them of 4.0?

Why does it always have to be a one way street? Why for the love of... the ways some of you think is futile, absolutely futile if I read that right Eric. Why would they be upset by an email from vBulletin IF it's about their entire software i.e. vBulletin... I don't think so, neither would they be about an update notice since there was an exploit and they needed to upgrade to a patch level. It sounds similar in theory but your not going to get past the point with me that a 3.8 mod someone signed up for an update on just the 3.8 series, that it should have been used just for a notice on that series mod not to notify some about it as a 4.0 release, it's an entirely different mod... instead it was used to send out an update about a 4.0 mod, it should not be seen any other way then that unless you want to keep addressing the issue perhaps the system should be changed in which case you should know from browsing that is not possible now with the 3.6 here they have stated possibly when they do upgrade vb.org it might have some overhauls. I mean we can keep posting questions in the feedback all day long and go back in forth about our opinions but it does not matter since this has already been addressed, I hope you agree that it's like spilt milk or a dead horse by now, like software... complaints about changes become outdated very quickly.

MEH!

I don't know that it's futile, we've already had a great suggestion about opting in. discussing this here in feedback could very well serve to address the question for both sides. they are reasonable about fulfilling requests when they see a need for it.

I really want to avoid any more significant changes to vb.org code, its already complicated enough, and with one eye on eventually upgrading, its not helpful to add more complication.

JFYI, Ive been thinking about an idea based on a system we already have. At the moment you can define a modification as being an add-on to another, so it becomes like a child, and when you view the main mod, its add-ons (children) are displayed. This system is not perfect as the child mod does not list its parent (due to the way it works).

What id like when I have the time is to re-do that system so it works both ways (a parent mod lists its children, a child mod lists it parent), and also try and use the same (or similar) system to link different (major) vb versions of the same modification - so if you viewed the 3.8 version of a mod, it would list the 3.6, 3.7 and 4.0 versions as well as any add-ons.

It might even be possible to then send an e-mail when a new (higher version) link is added. So if you add a new link to your 3.8 mod, for the 4.0 release, it sends out a notification, but if you add a link to an older version (like 3.7), no notification is sent.

Anyway, just something ive been thinking about for a while, no idea if / when I will have time to actually do it.

I meant just that one statement Eric:
Futile, why even say that... you know what I meant now quit being coy with me and address the statements otherwise it has been addressed for each side this was posted after you saw the info right? I mean why do I have to sound like an arse to tell you that your contradicting even yourself? I hate sounding this way honestly I try not to.

Come on Eric help me help you understand the flawed logic here... do we have a member named Spock who would care to comment?

Ok so I can understand the announcement about the update notifications. But what is the actual update procedure?

i.e. I am planning on very shortly releasing an update to the only mod I have released so far. i.e. to make it work for 4.x. Now at the moment as I have updated it (rather than start from scratch), the product id is the same and surely for people upgrading that would need to be the case? As it would need to overwrite the old plugin i.e. ppl shouldn't have to uninstall the old version (lose all their settings in the process) and then install the new one.

So how should I go about this? This will be the first time for me releasing an updated version (on a different series) of my own mod.

EDIT: Sorry if there's already an article/thread that answers this question but it seemed like a good place to ask seeing as the topic of updated mods was already being discussed.

After taking a look at one of your mods Paul it seems you have used separate product id's but what about the issue with install/uninstall code? Surely people uninstalling the old version would remove database fields that are added on the install. Shouldn't the upgrade process be as simple as possible for everyone?

Please start a new thread in the vb4 area as your question is unrelated to this one. Thanks.

Just glad to see this info Paul, seems we posted about the same time last night so I missed that completely but good to know and no rush, I've seen the statements before mentioning something *might be done *possibly when you upgrade the version here. I reckon all that just depends but you know me... I always have a spare 12 pack of Dr. Pepper to bribe you with... well actually my wife buys it all.. keeps me stocked lol.

Ok enough being silly time to see what vb.org has today!

I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents - I saw the recent announcement and was deeply disappointed. I've gotten a few updates so far for the vb4 versions of mods I have installed and was not only happy to receive them - I was thankful that the coders took the time to let me know they had a vb4-compatible version. It cuts my time in half - now I have a separate e-mail folder to house the vb4-compatible notification e-mails (or atleast ... the ones that were sent before the announcement was made) and when I go to upgrade to vb4 in the near future, I can just refer to those e-mails instead of having to search through the vb4 mods forum. Makes my job a heck of a lot easier.

IMHO - Better to delete an unwanted e-mail than to never receive a wanted one.

To those who consider a vb4 announcement spam, with all the real spam I get already, hitting delete on a few more e-mails that I had originally opted into but now am not interested in receiving is no big deal. Fact of the matter is that by installing the modification and clicking "Installed" we're opting into receiving these e-mails.

It's too bad that people who aren't upgrading to VB4 (and thus don't want the VB4 compatible announcement e-mails) have to ruin a good thing for the rest of us.

That was never the intention, it's just all fubared now because everyone has their own opinions of what is easier for them and no one else. I have 3.x and 4.x and I have a reason for it. I have friends and clients who have mods that are not out for 4.0 yet so why upgrade and lose half their boards functionality.

Think before you leap ladies and gents otherwise the rest of us see it as gibberish, what? I'm sorry and I said above I hate sounding that way but it's like you missed key arguments from the other side of the fence meissenation before you posted no way to beat around the bush in regards to that and to sum it up there's other factors, more than just the few you all are causing a ruckus about as to why the system should be used for updates of only that series mod.

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And just to be clear, I had no problem with the notices myself what set me off was friends and clients becoming confused over it and pm'ing or emailing me with questions, no matter how clear something is... if it causes confusion then it needs to be addressed. It has and now you know what to do, look for a new mod like all of us have been for years on here by browsing and using the search up top OR bookmark/favorite the coders profile and check it once a week/month.

I noticed earlier while updating a mod; under member options there are the following checkboxes:

tag modification
recieve manual updates
recieve automatic (eg an email when a new version is posted) updates

There already exists the ability for people to opt out of the manual update notifications if they wish to.

Exactly Carnage ;)

The only thing I meant in regards to that is why should a 3.8 owner opt out of a 3.8 mods update because the author simply wants to send out updates about their 4.0 mod using the 3.8's update system?

3.8 = Updates on that 3.8 mod only.
4.0 = Updates on that 4.0 mod only.
= No confusion and problem solved.

Maybe we should simply ask for a new feature when the forums are updated.. Subscribe to Coder or Designer and when they post a new mod in any specified section i.e. you click checkbox to "Send a notification when [username] posts a [vBulletin 4.0 Modification]" etc and BAM you get a new message that btw you asked for specifically :D alerting you of a new mod by that coder in the mod or add-on forums for your version ;).

Hmm? Now that's an idea ;)

that only notifies you if there is a new update to the current version. Not when the mod is available for the latest vB version.

Doing so would mean they dont get notifications related to the modification they have installed, which is the whole purpose of the system. No one should have to opt out of all notifications so as not get notifications unrelated to their installed version.

If you want to see if a 4.0 version has been released, look in the authors profile, thats one of the reasons they are listed there in the first place.

You know, I've been meaning to suggest that.

Hey! Can we opt out of getting any posts that ask if a vB 4 version is ready/in the works/a general timeline on when it will be done? Just sayin'... >_>