IP.Content 2.3: What To Expect

Whatever do you mean?

I'm not sure how much clearer I can be Ryan A. I found it interesting.

Anyone that reads that that would be interested in getting IP.Content, don't even bother. They don't support the product at all. Most of the variables in order to even create your own pages aren't known to the average user. The few variables that are known were figured out by the IP.Content user community themselves. There is no user manual whatsoever for IP.Content and absolutely zero support for how to actually use the product by IPB support staff in the support forums. In fact, they almost never post in the IP.Content support forums. IPB has promised a formal manual nearly two ago. The only thing they have is two or three vague code examples. Nothing more.

There are literally pages and pages worth of unanswered threads regarding IP.Content in their support forum. The only way you will ever get anything done using IP.Content is if you end up paying one of the few guys that actually knows what he is doing like Marcher Technologies. Marcher Tech will tell you up front that he learned IP.Content the hard way and he too has openly expressed his frustration over support and usability of IP.Content. Don't believe me? Look at some of his IP.Content related posts or just ask him yourself.

http://screencast.com/t/aD5Vo12IU
http://screencast.com/t/pofEPDlK
http://screencast.com/t/QdAXztoY

Not arguing that IP.Content is easy to use... just pointing out that the average can indeed find every variable available to the template they are editing.

Your average administrator doesn't understand HTML or CSS; this is going to confuse the majority.

So this average administrator should look for an other hobby. Without any knowlegde of HTML and CSS he won't be able to adapt any software to his needs.

You've just alienated 90%+ of your member/customer base. I doubt IPB will take or adopt this method of thinking.

I agree with that, but I live in reality, and most people do not have the time, or the understanding to learn HTML or CSS.

Lets go a bit further though. Administrators that do not know the following shouldn't run websites: HTML, CSS, jQuery (Or another Javascript library), basic networking, basic troubleshooting, basic PHP, and basic MySQL. I mean, if you can't be self-reliant, you'll just be wasting peoples times right ?

Folks: ... "he won't be able to adapt any software to his needs."

Running != Adapting

Nobody is self reliant.

I can't count enough time developers have came to me to get opinions what would look better on their products and implemented it. Point, being self reliant means you would never contact anyone ever for help for anything. Can anyone here actually say they've never asked for help?

That's my point. IMHO the biggest mistake of IPS was to name it IP.Content. Everybody I know (including myself) thought, it is a CMS like Joomla/WP etc. with the same ease of use and version 1 definitely was something I would use the word "easy" only in a context like "easy to mess up your site"

My point exactly. Even knowing the basics of things wouldn't help much, as you're always likely to run into situations where it is outside your expertise.

That last bit was complete sarcasm fyi.

Yeah I know. I just think that when I hear a response such as "people whom don't know html/css" should not be running forums is like saying people whom are in comas shouldn't have any help with external breathing machines to stay alive. It's really a sloppy response to a problem that is being on the borderline of conveying accross that they know it all, when infact they don't.

Sharing knowledge = educating people. Regardless of what I think, I will rarely ask for help for anything and if I can't manage doing accomplishing something myself I will normally go without. I personally don't mind helping people with the little knowledge I have it's a pity the world we live in most people don't adopt this method of thought.

God knows. I'm not into the habit (not today at least) in deciphering messages I left my enigma machine in the (about to go all out american) "attic" we call it loft in the uk just in case it looses translation.

I doubt IPS see it that way. Unless your going by product implementation than that kinda vaguely makes a little sense. *shrugs*

I only speak for myself. It would be commercial suicide if IPS saw it my way

I never said anything about the ease of use. I said the support for the already half-made product was a complete joke. Ip.Content developers have stated many times in public forum sections that they are working on making IP.Content more complete. Every IP.Content customer knows that the product is incomplete. Why you would somehow make people believe that this is not the case is beyond me.

the link located at http://community.invisionpower.com/topic/311647-list-of-feed-variables/ (only IP.Content customers can see) is a thread where the community were the ones who put together a list of feed variables. You and i both know Ryan, that the curent list of variables actually located inside of IP.Content is not complete. That same topic last time i remember also had a promise from IP.Content developers to complete a manual. That post was made last year. I want to thank you for intentionally ignoring that portion of my last post. Maybe it was the rush of posting super cool screenshots.

As for official support. This is the garbage documentation IPB has left for IP.Content customers.
http://community.invisionpower.com/resources/documentation/index.html/_/tutorials/content/
http://community.invisionpower.com/resources/documentation/index.html/_/new-docs/ipcontent2/

Since you seem so well versed in creating screenshots; I will be more than happy to have the current license holder take a screenshot of the current first page and the community thread where the variables are located. We checked two days ago and the first page contained 10 zero replied posts out of 26 normal support threads and 4 stickies. After screeninig pages worth of threads we noticed that all of the support threads were being attended to by normal users, Not IPB Staffers. We also both know that IP.Content developers rarely post in the IP.Content support forums anyway. Last i checked the last major support notice given was by bfarber notifying everyone that eventually the media demo page, one of only two complete IP.Content demo pages was going to be replaced.

As i mentioned before, had it not been for Marcher Technologies (props also to Dmacleo) replying to a sizable chunk of support requests in that forum, IPB staffers would likely have been met with torch and pitchfork wielding customers banging on their doors by now. Even Marcher tech has been critical of the work being done in IP.Content.

I agree. Problem is, IPB doesn't no support IP.Content at all. Literally. IPB staff use a very clever statement to cover themselves for their poor support of IP.Content. They use the claim that code generation is your responsibility and thus wash their hands of any questions, comments or concerns you may have over the product or just the sheer lack of support. They also use this as a guise to release an incomplete product.

I agree. This has always been advertised as a CMS. Nothing could be further from the truth. I would more accurately call IP.Content a tool that allows you to access the IPB API a bit more easily for webmasters. Too bad its not complete.

IPS insulate themselves from that by reminding customers if they have a problem with one of the official applications, they should raise a support ticket to receive help.

Which points out one the things I absolutely do not miss about IPB - I don't mind searching for an answer in the forums, but they have set up their forums the same way they set up their applications. A little bit in here and a little bit over there and some more hidden w-a-y over there. There were times I was finding more application solutions in the company blog than I was in the support forums. But don't stop there, because you might find your answers in the feedback forums. And if not there, mind you check the Tracker. I was like as not to find solutions and answers in places other than the support forums. I never could see the need to raise a ticket if there was an answer already available, I prefer not to waste anyone's time. But I always needed a coon dog to hunt down the possible answers. Heaven forbid all of that information could be drawn into one central location. Watching Mr. Warner pat himself on the back for how *choke* well *cough* IP.SEO was working when there were countless unanswered threads in the very forum he was posting in was the final straw for me. He went so far as to remark there were no open issues in the Tracker, when it was painfully obvious he was not bothering to check issues marked resolved, where customers were continuing to complain after Mark was claiming to have resolved the issues.

How can there be such a sense of community on the vBulletin company forums and on the XenForo company forums, whilst the IPS company forums seem so impersonal and indifferent?