When will we see IPB3?

[The Gamers Force]

We are preparing the first public preview of IP.Board 3.0.0 alpha and look forward to everyone's feedback and help in testing. It is our current plan to preview IP.Board 3.0.0 alpha the second half of next week (around Nov 10 2008 +/- a day or two).

[ErwinB]

they've said a million times now that 3.0 gold will be released before 2009. ;)

I'm wondering about it.

[TCWT]

sadly us customers with valid licenses but currently have no use for support are treated as second rate customers....

I agree. <_<

[Keven Fox]

Customers only get the sneak peak like a week in advance before everybody else.

I think that's our point though, while it doesn't show that we have the red bars under our names many of us are license holders. We simply don't have support options.

[Brandon D]

I don't see what's wrong with giving people who support IPS by continuing to pay the support fee early access to IPB3 Alpha. For one, it's only like a week earlier than everyone else. Second, it may be too much to open up it to current customers + license holders in terms of keeping track of report bugs (30 pages of bugs already reported) and feedback. Finally, it just might not even be possible for them to easily distinguish accounts here on the company forums that have licenses but no support.

[RevoDS]

I don't see what's wrong with giving people who support IPS by continuing to pay the support fee early access to IPB3 Alpha. For one, it's only like a week earlier than everyone else. Second, it may be too much to open up it to current customers + license holders in terms of keeping track of report bugs (30 pages of bugs already reported) and feedback. Finally, it just might not even be possible for them to easily distinguish accounts here on the company forums that have licenses but no support.

Why would they even open it up at all if they're unable to keep up with the bug reports?

And that "impossible to distinguish" part is BS. If they were able to make a Customers group out of their Client Area data, they're able to do the same to people with no active support using another group (or even throw everyone in the existing Customers group).

[Brandon D]

Why would they even open it up at all if they're unable to keep up with the bug reports?

I don't know... maybe for the sake of releasing a product?

Software releases with large user bases go through multiple stages. It's much easier to manage all the bug reports and there is less chance of decent feedback slipping through the cracks when you slowly open the flood gates instead of opening them instantly, letting everyone in at once. IPB3 went under testing with the developers and misc outsiders, then it was opened to the next logical step: people who own a license and continued to pay the support fee. I don't see what the big deal is.

Why do you you think companies like Microsoft have closed BETAs?

There's only a handful of them and tens of thousands of us.

[stoo2000]

I don't know... maybe for the sake of releasing a product?

Software releases with large user bases go through multiple stages. It's much easier to manage all the bug reports [b]and[/b] there is less chance of decent feedback slipping through the cracks when you slowly open the flood gates instead of opening them instantly, letting everyone in at once. IPB3 went under testing with the developers and misc outsiders, then it was opened to people who own a license [b]and[/b] continued to pay the support fee, and next it will be opened to everyone. I don't see what the big deal is.

There's only ~10 of them and tens of thousands of us.

As a perpetual license holder, I see where the others are coming from they want a look, they want to see what its like. But on the other hand I 100% support IPS' decision to only allow current customers to view the new software (i.e people who are giving them money now, not years ago).

As said multiple times, they will get higher quality feedback and far less duplicate bug reports.

I'm still eagerly awaiting a chance to have a look and a play with it though, I've been postponing some of my website intregration projects, just to see if the promised website integration features will work for me, or wether I have to rely on a 3rd party mod.

[joelle]

The IPB 3.0 policy is okay BUT...
What I really don't understand is why customers with active licenses but with no support are getting an error message when trying to download free 3rd party apps at he resources site???

Error

We're sorry, but you cannot download files from our Download Manager. If you are seeing this message, it is because you do not hold an active IPB license

That is really a joke!
At vbulletin.org you get lifetime access to the free modules once you bought a license.

[Alex]

IPS Resources is a perk for customers with current support contracts. There has been much discussion on this, but the outcome was still the same. If you have an issue with that, its best to open a topic elsewhere, but this topic isn't the place ;)

[Rikki]

Don't take it personally - it was just done this way for ease. First of all we wanted to limit the number of people using the preview site to begin with, otherwise we get swamped with bug reports and it becomes incredibly difficult to sift through them. Secondly, it was much easier to just duplicate the permissions from this forum - if you're in the customer group here converge will let you log in to the preview site.

It's not at all because we don't value customers without support - we do, of course, and we hope to convince you to buy that extra support :) It's in our interest. But right now, for those reasons above, initially only those in the customer group as of now could log in to the preview site.

[IBTheme]

I think it is nice that those of us in the "customer" group who upgrade their support packages each year have at least some privileges over those who don't. Otherwise, what's the point? :wub:

[Yuksel]

What do you mean with "what is the point"? You get the support you are paying for. As extra you get access to many third party ipb plugins and so on.
We are also customers. We dont pay for support because we dont need support, but we don't even get access to the preview site for the sofware we have paid for?

[IBTheme]

I never use the support either, (knock on wood) but I just consider that I'm paying $30 a year for full membership and access to all resources. To me, that alone is worth the $30 a year. The support is just an added bonus. But that's only my opinion. I understand where you all are coming from, but personally, I'm quite pleased with the privileges we receive as paying support customers. :)

This is only my opinion. It's not like it's inscribed in stone or anything. :wub:

[Coca-Cola]

I never use the support either, (knock on wood) but I just consider that I'm paying $30 a month for full membership and access to all resources. To me, that alone is worth the $30 a year. [/size]

$30 a month? wtf

[IBTheme]

I'm pretty sure that's all it is. I could be wrong.
I have a perpetual license. (2)

[Coca-Cola]

I'm pretty sure that's all it is. I could be wrong.

I have a perpetual license. (2)

But how come it's per month ? :)

[IBTheme]

ahhh, I meant per year. (sorry)
Thanks for the correction. :)

[FCB-Mo]

I never use the support either, (knock on wood) but I just consider that I'm paying $30 a year for full membership and access to all resources. To me, that alone is worth the $30 a year. The support is just an added bonus. But that's only my opinion. I understand where you all are coming from, but personally, I'm quite pleased with the privileges we receive as paying support customers. :)

[size=1]This is only [i]my[/i] opinion. It's not like it's inscribed in stone or anything. :wub: [/size]

But fact is for $30 a year, we would be paying for something we don't need. I don't need support right now so i don't see why i should have to pay $30. I paid for a license which gave me full access to IPB for life so for the life of me, i cannot see why i cannot be given a preview of a product which i paid to have the privalage to use.....

[Michael]

Guys, these issues with support contracts getting you access to perks like IPSResources and now the sneak peek of IPB3 have been this way for years, it's not anything new. IPS wants to reward those with active support contracts with extras. IPS is not required to give you access to IPSResources, nothing in the agreement you made when you purchased IPB said you'd get that. IPS is not required to give you access to the IPB3 preview, nothing in the agreement you made when you purchased IPB said you'd get that. You got what you paid for, you chose to let your support lapse, and now you don't have the same perks as those of us who chose to not let our support lapse. Why should those that chose to not pay for support, and thus give IPS less money over the years, get the same perks as those of us who have kept valid support licenses on our perpetual licenses?

[TCWT]

Will all those bug reports and topics in the private forum be made public later?

[teraßyte]

As IPS staff already said several time: yes!

They will open the board to everyone once they are done with a great part of the bug reports and the script itself is more stable :o

[MGBrose]

Guys, these issues with support contracts getting you access to perks like IPSResources and now the sneak peek of IPB3 have been this way for years, it's not anything new. IPS wants to reward those with active support contracts with extras. IPS is not required to give you access to IPSResources, nothing in the agreement you made when you purchased IPB said you'd get that. IPS is not required to give you access to the IPB3 preview, nothing in the agreement you made when you purchased IPB said you'd get that. You got what you paid for, you chose to let your support lapse, and now you don't have the same perks as those of us who chose to not let our support lapse. Why should those that chose to not pay for support, and thus give IPS less money over the years, get the same perks as those of us who have kept valid support licenses on our perpetual licenses?

I completely agree. very good points made...

[RevoDS]

I don't know... maybe for the sake of releasing a product?

Software releases with large user bases go through multiple stages. It's much easier to manage all the bug reports [b]and[/b] there is less chance of decent feedback slipping through the cracks when you slowly open the flood gates instead of opening them instantly, letting everyone in at once. IPB3 went under testing with the developers and misc outsiders, then it was opened to the next logical step: people who own a license [b]and[/b] continued to pay the support fee. I don't see what the big deal is.

Why do you you think companies like Microsoft have closed BETAs?

There's only a handful of them and tens of thousands of us.

I know how a beta test works, thank you very much.

However, don't say it's because they can't keep up with the reports when they clearly can.

[Rikki]

However, don't say it's because they can't keep up with the reports when they clearly can.

With all due respect, how do you know? We currently have 100 bugs open and awaiting a fix. How would have an additional couple of thousand users help us right now? :) Almost all beta processes start small to catch most things, then gradually widen to catch other things. Dumping several thousand people onto an alpha board would be of no use at all, to be honest.