This forum software is awful !

CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
edited December 2011 in Tech Support
I've rarely come across such a glitchy random unpredictable forum in my life !

: )

It really is guess work as to what the forum software is going to do next - posting is very hit and miss, logging in is a random game of chance, editing your posts if you spot a mistake (and even in the allotted time) is nearly impossible (for me at least).

For example with Firefox on a mac you can go to the forum section to report a bug (Tech Support) click on 'add a discussion' and you are then offered the choice of two categories for your post 'Announce Your Game!' or 'Art & Graphics' - both, obviously nothing to do with reporting a bug.

Try it with Safari and you have to jump through hoops to post something, you aren't offered the 'Announce Your Game!' or 'Art & Graphics' choices but all sorts of crap turns what is a 30 second effort on pretty much every forum I have ever been on into 10 minutes of clicking and logging out and logging in and deleting cookies and logging in again and more clicking and more cutting and pasting to save your post and restarting Safari (etc etc).
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Comments

  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    Today when trying to post in Safari a weird blue 'x' appears towards the top of the page (it's like a cancel 'x' button you have in the corner of a pop up window) - it took me a few minutes to spot it as there was no window, just the 'x' - I eventually worked out that you need to close it down before you can continue otherwise the page is locked up.

    The there was a yellow 'x' with a grey circle next to it, again the same deal, the forum locks up unless you spot it and close it down.

    Also today when I opened up Gamesalad forum I was logged in as 'Xibbe 1' !! - That's right I had full access to another users full account, I could check his personal messages, post in his name, check out what he's purchased (and presumably download them for myself without paying) - even change his settings like his password to lock him out of his own account !! (But being a good guy I didn't do any of that).
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    Anyhow, enough whining from me, but why don't you guys simply grab some off-the-shelf forum/BB software, there are free, mature, stable and enormously more usable forum platforms out there (phpBB for example) - why you are using this disaster is puzzling, it really makes this forum a pain and occasionally unusable.


    Sorry for the long moan, it's Christmas, and that's what Christmas is for.

    : )



    Lee


    This post took me 5 minutes to type out and around half an hour to post (seriously) . . . . I finally worked out that if your post is too long you need to chop it into smaller sections and then the forum software accepts it . . . . you get no warning telling you this, you need to spend your time trying all sorts of crap before you work it out.


    Please please please get some proper forum software, this is terrible.
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    edited December 2011
    Here you go . . . . check out the hidden blue 'x' . . . . if you don't spot it and close it down (by clicking on it) the forum is locked up for you and you need to close it down and start again !

    (clue: it's in the middle of the purple 'Happy Holidays bar' - good luck to colour blind people !! Lol.

    image
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    Overall I like the new forum software. Though it does leave a few things to be desired. I thing the login issues have to do with the many different things tied to the Site in General. It would probably do them well to do a complete rebuild from the ground up based around the Current WordPress plugins they have setup. Though that would probably take a while so I don't see it happening. There where some major login issues over the weekend but I think they have that solved since I am logged in and going smoothly this morning.
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    edited December 2011
    Here you . . . . . . I found myself logged in as Xibbe 1 when I went to the forum today !!

    (Don't worry Xibbe I didn't do anything naughty with your account - although I could have)

    image
  • LeonardDeveloperLeonardDeveloper Member Posts: 4,630
    @tendrmer +1
    Also please try and retry to my email; so i can get started on your free promo
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    @tenrdrmer

    ". . . . since I am logged in and going smoothly this morning."

    The fact that you even need to say that suggests the forum software is inherently problematic.

    " . . . It would probably do them well to do a complete rebuild from the ground up"

    Why not just throw it in the bin and migrate to one of the many mature, stable and free platforms ? There are - as far as I can see - no advantages whatsoever with using this buggy, crashy, random, unstable and all round awful forum software ?

    . . . . (continued)
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    . . .


    I can log in at any one of several forums I am a member of, I can guarantee the log-in will work first time, I can make a post and know it will actually be posted . . . and quickly . . . but here, like I say, it's a game of roulette, lots of attempts, lots of logging in and out and resetting and restarting your browser and random things like broken pop ups and progress bars that never stop and a few "There was a problem, please try again" warnings, and jumping between Firefox and Safari to do one thing in one browser (like check to see if you images have posted correctly) anf then back to the other browser to edit a spalling mistake . . .



    . . . . yes 'spalling' lol.

    : )
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    edited December 2011
    Vanilla is a Stable Free platform. The issue imo is the many changed the Site has made over the last 3 years. Every aspect of the site has been changed more than once. So there are going to be bugs to make them all mesh properly. THe old forum was an Off the shelf stable platform, it had issue too. I have run several websites. Keeping your site from looking like every single other site on the web and have it work properly in a nightmare to say the least. Some plugins break other plugins and then changes are irreversible to the standard user. Maybe thats case here maybe its not. But the fact is Every part of the site works great on its own. But making them all work together right is a tough chore sometimes and I think they are doing all they can to solve the problems.
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    >"Keeping your site from looking like every single other site on the web and have it work properly in a nightmare to say the least"

    I'd rather the forum simply worked well - rather than looked great but didn't work very well.

    >"But the fact is Every part of the site works great on its own"

    I am only commenting on the forum section, I am sure the rest works great, but the forum is so bad it's often unusable.
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    And what I'm trying to tell you is they know at times it's unusable. And they are actually actively working in fixing the problems.

    I would much rather they go the extra mile to make something nice work right instead of fall back on what everyone else already has done. But hey you cannot please everyone so they have to make a choice that will inevitably leave someone unhappy.
  • SteamworksSteamworks Member Posts: 61
    all i care about is that you need to fix the forum :/ (new software or rebuild it)
    I have been having the same problems as tyrnan with the posting in random categories and the logging in issues. hell i'm logged in correctly on al the pages EXCEPT for the forums. my old name was bluesmurph but when i changed it, it stayed on the forums. oh and every other day i can't access the forums. 3 days ago i couldn't then i could the next day. now yesterday i couldn't but today i can? i hope this can get fixed soon.
    oh also i think it would be nice if their were prebuilt buttons that added quotes, bold text, linked pictures, ect. all other forums have this but it seems that we have to write out the html code and everyone gets it wrong so we have weird posts with code.
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    edited December 2011
    @tendrmer
    "But hey you cannot please everyone so they have to make a choice that will inevitably leave someone unhappy"

    I am pretty sure what would make most people happy is if the forum was robust and stable, I can't imagine many people would log in to complain that it just doesn't look very cool so they are not going to post anymore, whereas you will find people will log in (if they are able) and complain about a great looking forum that doesn't work, loses your posts, gives away your account details and locks up your browser window on a fairly regular basis.
  • LeonardDeveloperLeonardDeveloper Member Posts: 4,630
    @Tynan yes this problem needs to be sorted but @tendrmer is also correct
    Just my two cents,
    Jack
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    @Leonard

    That's a matter of opinion, my opinion is that it would be better to not sacrifice usability and utility in pursuit of a cool looking forum.
  • LeonardDeveloperLeonardDeveloper Member Posts: 4,630
    @Tynan
    Oh yes, yes it is your opinion
    but what i stated was my opinion hence the "Just my two cents" part....
    Good luck :),
    JAck
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    I understood what you wrote was your opinion, in fact if I remember correctly I even state as much ("That's a matter of opinion") !

    : )

    Just my three cents.
  • GraphicWarehouseGraphicWarehouse Member Posts: 927
    tyan you can be a real smartass but I totally agree
  • LeonardDeveloperLeonardDeveloper Member Posts: 4,630
    @tynan
    No!, you see that is where your wrong, it was a whole conspiracy when you wrote "that's a matter of opinion" because you may not have wrote that, just like we may not have had this conversation..........
    That's just my 8 cents
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    @MjMDesign
    "tyan you can be a real smartass but I totally agree"

    Lol ! I know, I can be a regular pain in the ass !

    : )
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    @Leonard

    "That's just my 8 cents"

    We can take all these cents and give them to Gamesalad to help them buy some decent forum software.
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    But that's just it some people will stop coming around if it feels like every other forum. The login issue is just that and issue it's being investigated and it would be stupid to abandon the entire thing over an issue. That most likeh wouldnit play nice with any forum software due to underlying issues on the site.

    Everything else you mention I have never experienced or even seen reported by others. ie. posting in odd categories. Login into people's accounts, losing posts completly.
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    edited December 2011
    @tenrdrmer
    >"But that's just it some people will stop coming around if it feels like every other forum.'

    I can't imagine that's true, I don't remember anyone - in any forum - ever complaining that they would leave a forum because it looks too familiar, while basic lack of functionality and fairly regular buggy weirdness might put you off posting - but this looks to be heading towards a circular argument, let's just agree to disagree on this one.

    >"Everything else you mention I have never experienced or even seen reported by others"

    let me quote from this very thread :[Bluesmurph 7:40PM ] - "I have been having the same problems as [Tynan] with the posting in random categories and the logging in issues"

    >"Login into people's accounts"

    Yep, that was a weird one, I simply opened Safari went to the main Gamesalad website, then clicked on forum . . . . where I found I was logged in as 'Xibbe 1' with full access to his account !?
  • MotherHooseMotherHoose Member Posts: 2,456
    Forum looks good! … does not work good!

    @Tynan … please keep reminding people when the Emperor is naked … good to be a regular pain in the ass … otherwise we wouldn't know when to get rid of the crap!

    @Leonard … straddling fences … may get one some splinters in private places (put in some ¢ for me, please ;)

    @tenrdmer … Forums are supposed to look like and behave like Forums … as email pages feel the same … and nobody stops using them …
    and, because Forums are primarily for function rather than form … we want high functionality!

    MH
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    @tenrdrmer:

    "Everything else you mention I have never experienced or even seen reported by others. ie. posting in odd categories. Login into people's accounts, losing posts [completely.]"

    T8TRG8TR reported today that he opened the forums and discovered that, like me, he was logged in as Xibbe1 - with full access to Xibbe1's account (as evidenced by his posting under that account name) - as I mentioned above Bluesmurph reports that he also gets the random categories issue when posting (it happens in both Safari and Firefox for me now) - and everyone can agree that logging in can be a bit of a nightmare, as for the things like the weird blue 'x' that locks the forum up (again in both Safari and Firefox) hopefully the screen shot will convince you it's a genuine issue.

    So hopefully these other reports might convince you that it's not just me (although I did drink a preposterous amount of alcohol over Christmas). : P

    T8TRG8TR post on the subject: http://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/37212/what-in-the-world-this-isnt-my-account
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    @MotherHoose "good to be a regular pain in the ass"

    Us pedantic smartass pain-in-ass never ending whiners are greatly under appreciated. Lol.

    : )
  • beefy_clyrobeefy_clyro Member Posts: 5,394
    Have to admit for the 1st time in 2 and a half years, i find myself rarely coming on here because of all the issues with it. The login stuff just winds me up! I know SpriteAttack has also pretty much stopped coming on here and he was doing a load of great tutorials but got fed up of the forum!
    As for that logging in as others, i had that once before on the old forums, reported and they fixed it quickly.
  • LeonardDeveloperLeonardDeveloper Member Posts: 4,630
    @motherhouse
    … "straddling fences … may get one some splinters in private places" (put in some ¢ for me, please ;)
    ________________________________________________________________
    What does the underlined mean?
  • RDRD Member Posts: 88
    edited December 2011
    There are actually a few strange problems with the GS website, for instance, see my account name on the left? That isn't my proper account I want to use. Try click my name, I don't exist anyway (It is an old account that blocks me using my new one). The Idea of having only 6 minutes to edit your post, gets really irritating if you want to update an image in the first post instead of spamming everyone with a whole new post.

    • Make accounts deletable by the user. (Once created - they are there FOREVER.)
    • Bring users straight to the "discussion" page when they hit "forums". (two clicks to find the forums page gets confusing)
    • Edit your own posts any time! (I have to spam people if I make a mistake i spot later)
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    beefy_clyro "Have to admit for the 1st time in 2 and a half years, i find myself rarely coming on here because of all the issues with it. The login stuff just winds me up! I know SpriteAttack has also pretty much stopped coming on here and he was doing a load of great tutorials but got fed up of the forum!"

    I've abandoned several attempts to help out people by posting answers to their questions - after 10 minutes of trying to post my response I just forget it and get on with something else, I can well imagine some people are going to be put off interacting with this forum if (depending on the mood of the forum software) your efforts are going to be frustrated or even wasted.

    beefy_clyro "As for that logging in as others, i had that once before on the old forums, reported and they fixed it quickly."

    Looks like they didn't really resolve whatever is causing it as it still happens.
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