JoomlArt Forums 32,862 posts

[questbg Friend questbgJoin date: May 2008Posts: 1912Downloads:0Uploads:1 Thanks: 146 Thanked: 339 times in 197 posts]

#132501

Hi Everyone

OK. I’m tired. I worked two x 48 hour shifts this week in order to get my test Joomla site to a ‘live’ Joomla site (my first ever), so maybe I’m a bit grumpy and I’m sick of drinking strong coffee just to stay awake, however, I have to release my feelings now.

I am totally 100% pissed off with the lack of official support here on the the forum. >:(

I know many people are of the same opinion, and no matter how much we all complain, or threads are locked, nothing changes, “great templates, lousy support”, as I hear in just about every single sentence when anyone discusses JoomlArt (not only here, elsewhere too).

I’ve just been looking back at some of my ‘Subscribed’ threads and have come to the conclusion that I am being ignored intentionally by JA Staff for some reason. For example:

5,000 404 errors in 3 days due to problem with template:
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/zoomin-cur-404-errors-help/

No replies from JA. Only 1 user, lcristian, offered help.

404 errors during user registration:
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/urgent-403-access-forbidden-error-on-register/

No replies from JA (despite my e-mail to 3 members of staff). My Hosting company fixed it for me.

Placing custom code on banners:
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/no-follow-code-for-robots-on-ads/

No replies from JA. Only 1 user, bossep, offered help. Still no solution.

Serious Bug with System Pagebreak:
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/bug-serious-system-pagebreak-problem/

No replies from JA, even after two weeks. Still no solution.

Serious problem with missing images in section/categories:
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/real-weird-problem-with-image-insert/

No replies from JA. Replies from other users having same problem. Fixed it myself after one week.

Problem setting up ‘contact’ form:
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/adding-a-custom-submit-form-for-contact/

No replies from JA. Fixed it with the help of user Cornelio.

Finally, my latest post.
All registered users are not appearing in user list:
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/registered-users-missing-anyone-have-an-idea-why/

No replies from JA, but even worse this time, I know I am now losing subscribers and money.

I spend most of my time on this board trying to help other users to the best of my ability (see my credits and thanks) but I’m now beginning to wonder, why the hell should I? Very few people try to help me (apologies to Cornelio, Menalto, Bossep, Ana, lcrisitan, etc., you all know who you are and sorry to those missed off my list!!).

I expected that having paid for a one year membership, JA would have at least the courtesy to respond to my problems, especially as they are fully aware, from personal e-mails, that my first ever Joomla site went live this week.

But what the hell? I suppose if you can get more money from new members, why bother supporting existing members who’s money has already been banked?

May make a fast buck, but not a good long-term company/financial policy in my book.

Attracting new clients is important, but keeping existing clients is far more important.

Some of these issues may not be JA issues, maybe Joomla, maybe extensions, but if they just told me that, I’d be OK.

Anyone else have the feeling they are being ignored here? >:(

Care to comment before this ‘negative’ thread is locked?

[anisjolly Friend anisjollyJoin date: April 2008Posts: 661Downloads:0Uploads:15 Thanks: 33 Thanked: 96 times in 55 posts]

#266704

hey bud – I hope your message gets through to the guys at JA.

I’d help you out but I honestly do not know where to start with your requests. I’ve got quite a bit of spare time over the weekend (getting rid of my little one and missus) so will have some peace and quiet where i’ll be able to think for a change.

I’ll see if I can spare some time to help you out. I’m not promising to fix anything but two heads are better than one!

1 user says Thank You to anisjolly for this useful post

1. gazoline

[gazoline Friend gazolineJoin date: April 2006Posts: 26Downloads:0Uploads:0 Thanks: 20]

#266706

Because is a shame to have some of the finest things around, but such a lazy support.

[questbg Friend questbgJoin date: May 2008Posts: 1912Downloads:0Uploads:1 Thanks: 146 Thanked: 339 times in 197 posts]

#266708

Hi anisjolly

<em>@anisjolly 75175 wrote:</em><blockquote>hey bud – I hope your message gets through to the guys at JA.
</blockquote>

Doubt it, my voice is but a drop in the ocean compared to the thousands of other ‘satisfied clients’ on here!
😉

<em>@anisjolly 75175 wrote:</em><blockquote>I’m not promising to fix anything but two heads are better than one!</blockquote>

Ah too true. In fact, if it wasn’t for a handful of ‘regular’ forum members here, my site would not have launched and I’d be looking for a new job right now!

Cheers
Chris

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#266730

when I needed help myself — many of my key requests for help were ignored.

As you can see below my username, I had 116 Thank You’s. Some of the people I have helped, I spent sometimes almost a day. In fact, if all those I have helped used the official Thank You button — my official Thank You’s would be much much higher. I earned most of those Thank You’s mainly from actually helping people solve their problems — “not self-congralutory Thank You’s”, that I have seen in some posts.

As you can see in the Intro page of the Forum

http://www.joomlart.com/forums/index.php

only Menalto (352), and paid Joomlart staff — nguoiabcd (352), hainn84 (320), Hung Dinh (198) — have more Thank You’s than I have — much much more than many paid staff. I have much much more Thank You’s than many moderators and paid staff.

With other customers or by myself, I helped uncover many of the bugs in the Teline II, that have now resulted into a more stable Joomla 1.5.x-Teline II. Sure, Joomlart has to provide the final fix, but it should have been their job to begin, not mine or the other Joomlart customers.

I earned my credit points the hard way — not one liners (that earn almost the same points) like quite a few people earned theirs. I earned my points by helping others, not for asking help myself.

Quite often, before I suggest something, I usually perform the process myself to ensure that I do not waste the time of others. Sometimes I even installed new Joomla-Joomlart Templates just to prove that what I was about to suggest to people do work. I even offered my own hosting service sites — to people, so that they can prove that what I have been telling them works, and that either their practices, procedure or hosting service may be at fault. In effect, I have actually spent hundreds of hours — since I came back in mid May 2008 — doing work that Joomlart staff should be doing. If I get paid by the hour, it would literally mean thousands of dollars coming out from the coffers of Joomlart.

And what is the gratitude returned to me by Joomlart when I seek help myself? Most of my request for help were ignored.

To date, only Hainn has provided some help and sometimes Menalto in the past (not recently).

Some of my more controversial posts (two original threads were deleted or hidden elsewhere). One of my more recent posts — which I am sure would lessen the burden for many customers has been demoted to an obscure Forum that is not visited by many members.

Cornelio

2 users say Thank You to cgc0202 for this useful post

1. mike2
2. mj1256

[mfcphil Friend mfcphilJoin date: September 2007Posts: 2866Downloads:3Uploads:218 Thanks: 211 Thanked: 388 times in 133 posts]

#266735

Sorry to hear you are not getting the help you are seeking….alas I don’t know the answers so I can not help…this does not mean I and other members or mods have not read your post.

I suggest you send a private message to all the developers and top guys, pointing to this thread, in the hope of getting some of your questions answered.

I still think a lot of questions have been left unanswered since we were given the unwanted new Forum design

[questbg Friend questbgJoin date: May 2008Posts: 1912Downloads:0Uploads:1 Thanks: 146 Thanked: 339 times in 197 posts]

#266737

Hi mfcphil

<em>@mfcphil 75210 wrote:</em><blockquote>I suggest you send a private message to all the developers and top guys, pointing to this thread, in the hope of getting some of your questions answered.
</blockquote>

Will do. I did send pleas for help via e-mail to Hung and two other developers about some of these problems, but got no response from them.

Unfortunately, most of the issues were solved by myself, or with the assistance of other ‘Regular’ forum users … not exactly the kind of ‘support’ I thought I would receive when I paid my money!

Still love your Father Jack avatar … awesome!
Cheers
Chris

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#266753

In my case, I sent repeated PMs to some Joomlart staff. For example, I have requested in public posting and Joomlart staff and Hainn to please provide the specific files that were affected in Teline II, and the actual fixed files — so that I can create my own Teline II (Fix) Patch — something that Hung is reluctant to provide.

Just imagine this: the bugs were there because Joomlart did not do a good job of doing the needed diagnostic work to detect them — the customers did not create those bugs. Not only that, it is us the customers who found many of those bugs. I and a number of the customers happen to have been involved in not only reporting the bugs. Many of these bugs have confounded so many Teline II users because the observed problems and initial solutions seemed to work on a case to case basis

In Teline II alone, considering the amount of work spent by everyone, that would have costs a lot of money if we paid our time spent.

And, yet Joomlart expect us not only to solve the problem but also to do all the work. Just read the official response from Hung in my previous post.

Cornelio

[TomC Moderator TomCJoin date: October 2014Posts: 14077Downloads:58Uploads:137 Thanks: 948 Thanked: 3155 times in 2495 posts]

#266755

<em>@mfcphil 75210 wrote:</em><blockquote>
I suggest you send a private message to all the developers and top guys, pointing to this thread, in the hope of getting some of your questions answered.[/quote]
That is exactly what I was going to suggest.

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#266765

If you really are sincere in what you stated, there is something you can do for us. If you have been following my “feedback” posts, you may already know that Hung has implemented a new policy — ordinary members like myself can no longer include a Poll to get a sense of what the membership feel about an issue. As such, Hung deleted my Poll that showed unanimous support — except for one Poll participant who wanted more information — for the latest proposal I suggested the:

The new policy is that only Moderators or Staff can now initiate a Poll. So, I challenge you mcphil or any moderator and staff. If you believe in our cause, please let me know. As many of us members realized, there are things we need, and save a lot of time, if Joomlart provides what I suggested as the

“Need for “Joomlart Template (Fix) Patch Update“

Otherwise, the “I feel your pain” talk is just wind.

Cornelio

[questbg Friend questbgJoin date: May 2008Posts: 1912Downloads:0Uploads:1 Thanks: 146 Thanked: 339 times in 197 posts]

#266767

I think the time has come for JA themselves to respond.

They quote thousands of ‘satisfied’ clients, yet the mood on the forum is anything but.

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#266768

<em>@tcraw1010 75232 wrote:</em><blockquote>That is exactly what I was going to suggest.</blockquote>

Well I did, several times and I posted here even.

Instead, I get unsolicited PMs:

<blockquote> You have just received Credits!
Hello cgc0202, you have just received 15 Credits from directcorrespondentlender.

The following comment was made: you have a bunch of credits, and here’s a few more!
You may view this transaction in your Transaction Log.

Be sure to use them wisely, and have a nice day!
</blockquote>

Yeah right, I get 15 points I should be dancing. But wait a minute a one liner like yours earned you 9-10 points, as I demonstrated awhile back showing a series of one liners.

Will my 15 points solve the threads I requested actual help?

Cornelio

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#266769

To prove the point: 8,120 credits previous to this

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#266771

8,131-8,120= 11 points for a one liner

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#266775

In effect therefore, one can easily get a developer license with one liners and some to spare.

1000 one liner posts x 8 points/post = 8,000 credits

1000 one liner posts x 6 points/post = 6,000 credits => Developer license => unlimited domains plus all those unique extensions that will be paid by regular members.

I exposed this a long time ago because it demeans the actual effort by those who actually help people here — customers helping other customers — a job that should be done by Joomlart.

I suggest that the credit system must be reformed. Only those who provide help that lead to resolution must get points. Those who uncover bugs. Those who provide useful suggestions.

No points just because we agree with someone’s opinion.

Those who ask for help should not get the same points — in fact no points at all. If I were to make the changes, it would even be more harsh or apply a carrot and stick.

1. Plus points for those who provide something useful
2. Negative points (like buying expert help)

but, I would not recommend the latter system in Joomlart because Joomlart does not provide sufficient documentation and help for its customers so that they can learn on their own. So, why should customers be penalized for asking the right questions because there is none that they could turn to?

This is the essence of the original post by Chris. There would be less questions in the forum if there was adequate support in terms of literature for products, less buggy templates and propmt service for justified request for help. Instead, coupled with no support or inadequate literature we get lousy support or ignored completely with respect to questions asked.

In my case, I think my posts requesting for help are intentionally ignored. I have an idea why.

Cornelio

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