Rick,
<What I did try to stress in my last post is these things take time.>
I didn't get that from your last post. What I want to mention is that there are certain things that are common to BOTH UBB & OT. Leaving them out is unacceptable. If it only takes you 10 minutes to do this kind of stuff, and I'm sure that's the case, then please would you spend ten minutes or more to give us some sizzle?
<Here I agree with you, that instant graemlins should be implemented.> from noox
Wraith, has lightbulbs.
threadsdev.com, to where I have been directed by Infopop's own Help staff, is using a hack to display icons for posters
The commitment you are talking about seems to be a commitment to your personal vision of the direction that UBBT should go.
<The template system was needed in order to improve the interface.>
I hope that in the effort being made to complete the templates you include the sizzle. Consider what the person who has sold individual banners is going through at this VERY moment trying to get them working? On the strength of UBB he has grown large enough to need UBBT. Now, no individual banners? Which I'm sure he has already sold for this month. How would you feel, facing that, this weekend? Further, how happy, or disoriented, will his current UBB users be at the interface they will face?
I realize it takes time, but, and this will be the kicker, again, isn't it possible that your time is being spent going in the wrong direction? How can threadsdev.com have A HACK to display icons? Did you look at cityeast's comment? He ran a limited focus group, and it was overwhelmingly decided in favor of the UBB interface. Are you asking people to wait until your team decides on the best way to handle the MySQL infrastructure? What is the person with the banners supposed to do?
I don't think you are asking that, but what I think you are saying is, later. Well, I am here, trying to tell you, that the time is NOW! You have to believe that whatever it is you are working on, unless it's oriented around the interface and customization, then you need to stop. And, you CAN! Just say, "Wow...our own threadsdev.com uses a hack to post icons? Cityeast's poll shows people want that kind of interface? Ladies & Gentlemen, let's fix this." Now is the time, not later. THAT is the kind of commitment I am asking for. If you go ahead in spite of these indicators, what kind of management should we call that? What would you do if you were the guy upgrading to UBBT and were told to go BACK about two years in time for interface, as a punishment for his growth? Why? Because right now the dev team WANTS to work on different things. How wuld you feel? You CAN fix it, but most importantly you have an absolute responsibility to address the design issue as an emergency, not as a later. Think about the guy who is upgrading right now? He's won his users. How quickly will he lose that person in Poughkipsie who LOVED the graemlins? Or have to refund that fifty bucks he got for selling a banner? How do you think he feels? What are you going to say to him? "Later."?
You can do it now. You only have to make the choice.
