Sending updates when a mod is updgraded to 4.0

[Carnage]

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.

[TNCclubman]

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

[mikey1991]

Originally Posted by Carnage-

I personally would /LIKE/ 15 notifications about vb4 versions.

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.

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by Carnage-

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?

Originally Posted by Lynne

Yes

Originally Posted by mikey1991

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

[ericgtr]

Originally Posted by TNCclubman

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

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

Originally Posted by TheLastSuperman

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

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

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by ericgtr

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!

[ericgtr]

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.

[Paul M]

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.

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by ericgtr

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 meant just that one statement Eric:

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

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?

[consolegaming]

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?