3DKiwi

Hi,
Before I complain, I want to start off with a nice note. Since joining IPB my users have loved the website, commented on how nice it works compared to VB & I have loved your support. When ever I have a bug or problem you guys usually reply pretty fast, sometimes during the night!
But here is where I am confused, angry & very, seriously sad.
I love IPB. I think it is one of the most solid products in the market, I think it is also the most professional both company wise (how you guys release things when it's ready & not before) and also product wise, it's very professional.
For over a year now, I have STRUGGLED to get to grips with pages. I look at the documentation & it's longer than the bible & not very user friendly at all!
For over a year now I have messaged support asking how to do things in pages & they say I have to come to the forums as it requires custom code! For simple things like adding the article image in the listing page!
For over a year now I have Tried pages, given up... Tried again, given up. There is so much potential in pages - I have seen it on professional website (websites with coders & budget!) but people like me CANT use it.
 
Why.... WHY can't IPB make pages easier. Why can't there be a wizard or Pre made templates!
Front page templates... Do you wanna display articles like a blog (photo to the side with description beside), or like a polariod (image with description below), or like a grid. 1 main article & then smaller articles below etc. Joomla asks you things like... Display title, date, time, author. Main article: 0-10, Secondary Articles 0-10. Its so easy!
Listing pages... Do you want to display the first image in the article, do you want to display article rating, do you want to display article sorting bar.
Article pages... Have a page builder, similar to what you do with blocks. Where you can create fields on a preview page & move them around/edit them. Currently if I want an image uploaded in an article and displayed to the right of the content, I have to custom format it, look up HTML guides on Google etc.
 
I just wish IPB could make pages & frontpage more like Joomla. Joomla frontpage is so easy. Then also keep the difficult custom options for people who are more pro & who know what they are doing.
I am so annoyed by the fact I can't easilly create a beautiful looking frontpage & article area, that I am considering going back to another software. Your forum software is so easy to use, but pages is rocket science.
 
Support won't help me, I have seen users here struggle to create things even when working together and helping eachother, and the only other option is to pay someone tons of money... Please consider making pages easier for noobs. PLEASE
Danny

Bump for forum auto-prune. This needs to be an integrated feature of IPB.

Each to their own I guess. I wouldn't want them like you have them. Too much visual pollution.

As mentioned Post Icons are there just like they were in version 2. Just conveniently tucked away.

3DKiwi

+ from me

Definitely would be nice, especially when deleting a number of spam posts but trying to keep the acceptable posts from a member or with certain keywords in it.

The biggest complaint I'm getting from members about version 3 is the way image attachments load up. In version 3 we have 2 options:

Lightbox

Disabled Lightbox. Images open in the same window i.e. you are redirected to the image.

Members are requesting the old system from 2.3.7 where images opened in a new window. This then allowed several images to be open at the same time so that comparisons could be made. With Lightbox enabled you can't save images unless you do a hack of the code. I would like to see a range of options for dealing with image attachments just as the gallery has.

3DKiwi

From the service I've gotten so far, basically IPB is straining the boundaries for it not being possible for them to improve their customer service. I cannot believe how helpful and knowledgeable they are in all their documentation, support (from tickets, and various forums); and I basically can't be anymore satisfied. I just wanted to share it with you guys. Just all the possibilities they give us and the amazing board to start out with, it astonishes me to no end. Things like iCommerce and auto-pm modifications are just great and I seriously think this is one of, if not the best software, customer support/forum company on the web. ;)

I agree with MindTooth. Some of those suggestions seem pretty reasonable. I don't mind not using TinyMCE. It's nothing important really. IMHO, we really don't need it. But the last suggestion is a must, really. The site has been moved for quite some time now.

Donald

I know of not a single software company that offers refunds. Try buying a boxed software at a physical store. Once it's open you cannot take it back.

:) is difficult to have a button to approve them all simultaneously?

File Name: Black Sun
File Submitter: Mama Gail
File Submitted: 02 Nov 2009
File Category: Dark Skins

Supports
Download Manager
Links System
Includes Blank Logo Banner

Click here to download this file

I was a long time vbulletin user. Watched and participated in the discussions on EZBoard when John first started to develop vbulletin and was the first install on a large active site converting from UBB. I was the first to test the converter, John sent me many variations until it was right, and use it to convert the site I owned at the time. I never really thought I would ever use any other software. A couple months ago I decided having all my eggs in one basket wasn't a good idea. Many of the things that were going on with IB looked eerily similar to what was happening with UBB years ago. I bought my first IPB license for a new site. Since then IB decided that long time, loyal customers like me had no place with them and basically kicked us to the curb. I have since bought 2 more forum licenses and one suite license and converted 2 of my sites. I have 5 sites left. More licenses will be bought over the course of the next month or so I will convert the rest of my communities.

I am thoroughly impressed the software and the support. It says a lot when the owner, Matt, offers help via twitter. It used to be that way with John. It helps to build loyalty and trust. The software itself runs far better than vbulletin. I will be here for a long time and want to say thanks for opening my eyes. If I didn't buy my first license I would never have seen how powerful IPB is.

When you get a new PM on IPB, the cool little AJAX popup comes up.. I read it, fine, but it is still marked as unread until I go to my Inbox. Perhaps add the ability that if I click on the popup once, it will be automatically marked as read.

PLEASE

Thanks. Pretty handy for us IPB long time users as well. I have saved the 2 pages as a pdf so that i can easily refer to them.

One tool that I found indispensible for tweaking skins is the Firefox plugin called "Firebug". This shows you the css element of wherever you click. You can note that down then edit the appropriate style sheet. The best part is you can test making changes of the css but without having to go into the ACP and physically changing the css file.

Cheers
Nigel / 3DKiwi

OK guys,
I am currently running a vbulletin forum with a professional design set. My first and foremost worry about moving over to invision was the design of my forum. My thought behind this is that it is going to be a big enough move over to invision as it stands without the fact that the forum will look completely different.

NOW, bare in mind I only purchased invision less than 24 hours ago. I have almost managed to duplicate the look of my forum with only a very very basic knowledge of CSS and some knowledge of photoshop. How have I done this? I would seriously urge you to have a good read through the topic on this forum http://www.smartestcomputing.us.com/index.php?showtopic=37422

This tutorial, I would print out and have at the side of you throughout your transition. Its simple, and it works...... Dont worry about your skinning guys. IMO its easier than vbulletin 3.8 and at the end of the day, you would have to learn 4.0 anyways.

Looking at your most recent tickets:

608369: We waited for you to accept our disclaimer, which you eventually refused to do and closed the ticket yourself.
606915: We responded about 4 hours after the ticket creation.
604629: We responded about 40 minutes after the ticket creation.
603845: We initially responded about 15 minutes after the ticket creation, and then you replied on a Saturday, and even then we got back to you about 8 hours later.

In fact, I can't see any tickets that have been open anywhere near 48 hours. I see one that is open now, but that was also only created yesterday.

Am I missing something? If you can provide the ticket IDs for the cases your referring to where you've had to wait, we can see what's going on.

Not sure I buy that Matt. I think it would be more advantageous if people here could find what they were looking for. If that means IPS needs to install Sphinx then that's what they should do. For instance I want some help / ideas with the Lo-Fi skin. A search on "Lo-Fi" turns up zero results.

I'm looking into installing Sphinx on my forum. I've just come up with a permission error when installing it that I need to resolve with my host.

Nigel

negative rep for posting my experience here?