VertexBilly
FusionBB Addict
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Please feel free to use this thread to post your feedback, questions etc. about the recent announce that was posted HERE.
Billy Cooter
Managing Partner, VertexHost.com
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 sb1963
FusionBB Fanatic
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Loc: UK
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In response to VertexBilly
Thanks for the update - it has addressed some nagging concerns I had since V3 came to the fore. I like the sound of the plans post V3 launch & look forward to seeing the support options & a more formalised ticketing system.
3 cheers for FBB! 
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Jason Stix Buckley
FusionBB Fanatic
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Loc: Concord NC USA
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In response to sb1963
Thank you for addressing concerns and telling us what is in the works.
I switched from UBB to FBB back in the day and became the first FBB user to use the forum program in a live forum environment. I have been a supporter and proud user of FBB since that day.
Yes, sometimes the road has been bumpy, but the FBB product is still my choice for a forum-based solution.
One suggestion, which you all are taking care of, is the support reporting. Maybe I am the only one, but between email, posting on the forum (and knowing what forum to post in) and private topic, I think it is confusing to everyone on where to report issues or ask for assistance. Nailing down a solid platform for requesting assistance with an issue will make it easier on the client end and the FBB staff end.
If FBB continues to push forward as the leader of discussion forum programs, you have a life-long supporter right here.
Jason "Stix" Buckley
Owner / Founder
Stix Fx Entertainment
www.stixfx.com |
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backupguy
FusionBB Contributor
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In response to Jason Stix Buckley
As a Tech Support manager for a complex product, I know the pain of not always being able to offer the level of support you really want to provide, especially in the current economy.
As a software developer, I understand feature creep and wanting to release a rock solid product. I would much rather have a solid well tested product that takes longer to release then a product rushed out the door.
Sounds like everyone is making the right choices.
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Jason Stix Buckley
FusionBB Fanatic
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In response to backupguy
There is a hard balance with feature creeping. On one hand, you want to roll out new features asap. On the other hand, you don't want to roll out multiple updates every time you turn around.
On the client end, rolling out new features quickly that we have been wanting is awesome, but the other side of the coin is that for those of us that make some customized changes to our sites, each rollout takes time for us to impliment and readjust to our customization.
So, it is a hard balance.
Jason "Stix" Buckley
Owner / Founder
Stix Fx Entertainment
www.stixfx.com |
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VertexBilly
FusionBB Addict
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In response to Jason Stix Buckley
It definitely is a hard balance. Obviously every ones is going to have their preference and as the saying goes, "You can't make everyone happy all the time".
However I think if we minimize the feature creep so that we can put out the releases a little more quickly, and that they are very stable when they are released, I think we will be able to keep a large majority of our users happy.
As per the support, the support desk will definitely help. Even with the support desk we will encourage our users to use the forums as much as possible before submitting a ticket.
If there is a public post with the fix, it is more likely the next person will be able to solve their issue themselves rather then needing to ask a question that has been addressed many and many times.
Furthermore, with FusionBB there is almost always more then one way to do something. Many times when a user posts a question on the forum, they get a great variety of responses from other users, outlining the different ways to do something, how they have it set up in their boards etc. When replying to the ticket we honestly cannot reply with every possible way to do something, so the end user can actually end up with a much greater sense of how customizable the product is and get some unique ideas from the forum that they just would not get in a ticket.
Billy Cooter
Managing Partner, VertexHost.com
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Jason Stix Buckley
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In response to VertexBilly
I think the multiple ways of asking for assistance is a great thing and a bad thing, all in one.
Sometimes it is difficult to know when to try and get assistance from the forum members versus getting assistance from the FBB staff. Then, from there, it is difficult to know when something is taken to the forums for assistnace and a FBB staffer chimes in and whatever the issue is isn't getting resolved, if the staffer is going to take the next step to help as official support or just as a forum member trying to help with simple quick fixes. I think that is confusing as well on the staffer's end, because it makes the staffers have to check multiple posts, figure out if there is a resolve and go from there ... along with the true initial support tickets.
BUT ... the advantage of this is that some things some people ask or have a problem with doesn't require FBB staffers to assist and can be corrected by the other FBB clients that are on the site, allowing the staffers to focus on bigger issues or feature rollouts.
I am for whatever makes it easier on the clients and staffers combined, that allows open communication and less questions of the "if it is resolved" or "did they forget about me" or whatnot.
I will give you all a good short story ...
The company I work with develops and manages websites for racers. We are always talking to drivers to add into our "family" of drivers. Well, we used to have someone work with the company (that is no longer there) that didn't communicate well with a potential client. They didn't return phone calls, so this driver felt we didn't want their business (they inquired during the summer 2008). I ran into them at a track in December of 2008 and they told me they just never could get anything back from this person, so they moved on and went with someone else to build and manage their site, and the whole experience left a bad taste in their mouth towards the company.
Because of this ex-worker not communicating, we lost a potential client. Needless to say, I am extremely pissed off at this former worker, since recently I have found a few more people that happened with.
The best thing for any company is to have a great line of communication. Even if the answer isn't what a client wants to hear, at least they have an answer instead of nothing. Silence can be deadly in some cases. In the case I mentioned above, we have lost thousands of potential dollars because of one worker's lack of communication.
That is why I appreciate this topic, addressing concerns and a status of where things are at with FBB. Whether it is site status updates, assistance or ticket updates, or whatever, as long as FBB keeps me informed on things, I am more willing to stick around through issues or whatnot.
Jason "Stix" Buckley
Owner / Founder
Stix Fx Entertainment
www.stixfx.com |
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greg
FusionBB Community Support Specialist
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Loc: Tombstone, AZ
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In response to Jason Stix Buckley
I think the biggest thing here is communication. Even if there is no huge revelations to reveal, just a short update will go along way to keeping people up to date on what's going on. Silence can kill a project/product faster than a bug ridden release. If people don't see a presence, or get some feed back they will move on. Billy's post was absolutely just what was needed and I'm sure everyone is happy to read what is going on. And yes, they do need more Alpha testers, but if they don't get them, we will push on and keep working to get the releases to everyone just as fast as can be done. Fusion is an awesome product and has a very bright future ahead of it.
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 JoshPet
FusionBB Developer
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Loc: Charlotte, NC
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In response to Jason Stix Buckley
We're looking at a variety of ways to increase the support options. Currently our only method of official support is via posts in the forum. Our stance has been that we do not offer one on one support.
With the addition of the ticket system, we will, but as Billy said, we will have some ways in which the first line of defense will continue to be posts in the forum.
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greg
FusionBB Community Support Specialist
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In response to JoshPet
the 1 on 1 support, if ever "officially" offered should always be treated as a last resort type of thing. You guys, as developers, should not be put in the position of always being expected to do the basic setup and trouble shooting. But, once in awhile, if a solution to a problem just can't be found, then it would, in my opinion, be justified.
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JoshPet
FusionBB Developer
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Loc: Charlotte, NC
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In response to greg
Exactly.
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Jason Stix Buckley
FusionBB Fanatic
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In response to JoshPet
I agree, but there is going to be confusion with paid upgrades. In my opinion, if I pay to have the forum upgraded, then later on I find something that isn't working since that paid upgrade, I should get one on one assistance. Maybe I am wrong in thinking that, but my thought process is that if I pay to have something installed or upgraded, if it isn't working right afterwards, I shouldn't be SOL and forced to figure it out on my own.
Jason "Stix" Buckley
Owner / Founder
Stix Fx Entertainment
www.stixfx.com |
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greg
FusionBB Community Support Specialist
Posts: 4804
Loc: Tombstone, AZ
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In response to Jason Stix Buckley
Knowing the guys here, I've no doubt if they did the upgrade and it went kaflooy they would do a one on one to fix it, if there has been no other modifications to their code since then.
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Lori
FusionBB Documentation Goddess
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In response to Jason Stix Buckley
Just wanted to update everyone on the Knowledgebase section of the new Support Desk that Billy mentioned.
I've finished transferring the completed articles that have been written regarding 3.0. Billy transferred the majority of the existing 'Docs' topics--to which I owe him a big 'THANK YOU' 
Having said all that, the topics list is by no means 'finished'  I currently have six topics 'In the Queue' (so to speak) in various stages of completion: some relating specifically to FBB 3.0 and others of a more general nature.
I'm always on the lookout for topics that can be added/tweaked--this won't change with the launch of the new Support site.
As in the past, I welcome any suggestions/ideas/tweaks that others might have! This is YOUR knowledgebase and I want it to be as user-friendly & helpful as possible
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JoshPet
FusionBB Developer
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Loc: Charlotte, NC
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In response to Lori
Yeah, nobody will be SOL on anything. The biggest support issue we get, is people asking general How To questions to us via email which either already have, or could be answered quickly in the forum. Or people reporting bugs to us directly. We can't fix bugs one on one. They need to be reported in the forum as that's the list we work when fixing stuff in the code.
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 Nikos
FusionBB Addict
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In response to JoshPet
Thanks for the update Billy.
In my opinion any support system will fail if the end user (myself included) does not follow a couple of simple rules. To elaborate:
Users must read the manual - period. You cannot have all the potential questions answered in the documentation - nicely laid out - and receiving a question about the same thing again and again. I know however that this might not be very easy to do at times, especially when you have hundreds of forum members nagging about something that is not correct and your technical expertise does not allow you to provide the fix there and then.
The forum will be a good area to ask a question as a second line of support.
Lastly the user should open a ticket if all the above fail.
This is my honest opinion. Have I followed that route? Not always. I have too posted a question (or more) when I was in deep trouble - which in effect was in the documentation.
I think with a bit of common sense everything can be resolved and all the support options offered now will be adequate to address any issues.
/0.02 USD
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Stephen
Mostly Harmless
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In response to Nikos
We're half way thru February? Any updates?
Stephen Dolenski
FileMaker 7 Certified Developer
FileMaker 8 Certified Developer
FM Forums.com Administrator
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VertexBilly
FusionBB Addict
Posts: 862
Loc: Las Vegas, NV
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In response to Stephen
We're still working out the last few kinks and bugs. I wish I had more to report, but basically we are still spending lots of hours on this to try to get it out to everyone as quickly as possible.
Billy Cooter
Managing Partner, VertexHost.com
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sb1963
FusionBB Fanatic
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Loc: UK
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In response to VertexBilly
I'm a little confused re the support. I paid for a licence (hence the L flag by my username?) & I pay yearly for ongoing support & downloads but in the forum support appears to be given to anyone who asks for it. Downloads aside is the annual fee for off-forum support?
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VertexBilly
FusionBB Addict
Posts: 862
Loc: Las Vegas, NV
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In response to sb1963
I'm a little confused re the support. I paid for a licence (hence the L flag by my username?) & I pay yearly for ongoing support & downloads but in the forum support appears to be given to anyone who asks for it. Downloads aside is the annual fee for off-forum support?
Due to some recent confusion about our policies as well as some new tools we want to release to better your customers experience we are actually in the middle of re-vamping our support system and rules, etc.
I'll be making a post within the next 7 days that outlines the changes and better outlines our entire support policies so that everyone is on the same page.
Billy Cooter
Managing Partner, VertexHost.com
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