Understanding the IPS Marketplace - and 'Recommendations'

[dNetAus2]

Hello,

Not sure if this is the right place...

A couple of months ago I asked in the Peer-Peer technical support forum if there was anyway to Print a full topic - now that for some unknown reason the "Print Topic" button that had been a part of the forums for years, has been removed.

A 'frequent contributor' recommended the Show Full Topic plugin which I subsequently purchased from the Invision Community Marketplace.

It doesn't work and I have not been able to get any response at all from the developers, InvisionHQ.

=> Is there anyway of knowing if a suggested plugin, or any product in the Invision Community Marketplace for that matter, actually works or has any support if it doesn't?  

It appears to be a great way of just getting donations for nothing at this point 😞

[opentype]

2 minutes ago, dNetAus2 said:

=> Is there anyway of knowing if a suggested plugin, or any product in the Invision Community Marketplace for that matter, actually works or has any support if it doesn't?  

There is a compatibility field which tells you whether the files will work with the version you are running. If contributors don’t update this field, the resource will get deactivated, so outdated resources will disappear after a while. IPS will also test and inspect new submission. In addition, there are the user reviews and the support topics to see how a resource is doing. So lot’s of ways to minimize your risk. There is no way to not have any risks at all of course. 

[Adriano Faria]

If it is for the version you’ running, it doesn’t work and you don’t get support via proper channel (take a look in the Support Info in file view), it’s enough to report the file. It will probably have purchases disabled, which will “force” developer to fix it. 

20 minutes ago, dNetAus2 said:

A 'frequent contributor' recommended the Show Full Topic plugin which I subsequently purchased from the Invision Community Marketplace.

Regarding this, anyone can recommend a file. It’s up to you to make pre-sales questions and observe everything that @opentype said. You can’t blame someone who recommend a file. 

[DawPi]

1 hour ago, dNetAus2 said:

A 'frequent contributor' recommended the Show Full Topic plugin which I subsequently purchased from the Invision Community Marketplace

[Meddysong]

19 hours ago, opentype said:

There is a compatibility field which tells you whether the files will work with the version you are running.

That particular plugin doesn't show as compatible with 4.4 anyway.

I don't think I'd purchase something for my 4.4 site which wasn't listed as compatible with it and then complain that I'd been tricked out of my money if it didn't work, but I suppose that could just be me...

[Matt]

Generally speaking a "show all topic" feature isn't a great idea, as some communities have hundreds of pages which would likely just timeout trying to show all the posts.

I think a way to generate a word document or PDF may be better but honestly, we don't get asked much anymore for ways to print topics.

[dNetAus2]

Thank you all so very much for your replies.

I definitely don't blame the person who made the recommendation - not at all!  In fact I really appreciated them taking the time to help out!  I understand that the responsibility for what I / we choose to implement in our forums is 100% our own, and that help is just that.    Which is why I was asking for tips on how to minimise the risk... because it is me that needs to do that, not someone making a helpful suggestion.

And the replies here have been incredibly helpful.  We are now going to look at another process that will avoid the need to show or print the full topic.

My very sincere thanks again 💫

[Joel R]

On 5/29/2019 at 6:37 AM, DawPi said:

I'm going to call this the @DawPi disappointment meme.  

Too funny.  🤣

4 hours ago, dNetAus2 said:

Thank you all so very much for your replies.

I definitely don't blame the person who made the recommendation - not at all!  In fact I really appreciated them taking the time to help out!  I understand that the responsibility for what I / we choose to implement in our forums is 100% our own, and that help is just that.    Which is why I was asking for tips on how to minimise the risk... because it is me that needs to do that, not someone making a helpful suggestion.

And the replies here have been incredibly helpful.  We are now going to look at another process that will avoid the need to show or print the full topic.

My very sincere thanks again 💫

One thing that can help for the future is to help explain the actual end goal.  

I know some admins are set on how they'd like to accomplish the goal ("I want a plugin that does A and B ...").  But sometimes there might be other ways to accomplish the goal that the community can advise.