Vbulletin support service feedback: REALLY BAD!

[Wayne Luke]

We do post template changes when we can. However we don't support them. People need to know HTML and basic CSS in order to customize their sites beyond the stylevars and style generator. We have never support customized templates, even if we provide the customization code. There are simply too many variables to absolutely please everyone without it taking up too much time. IN the end it is all about time and efficiency and while we would like to spend hours trying to resolve each and every issue, that simply isn't going to happen. Hiring people to provide unique one on one service isn't going to happen either. Instead we divert that energy into real problems like database failures.

[malmazan]

After observing vb com and vb org for the last couple of years I have come to this conclusion. 90% of the problems with VB software come from edits made to the templates

I doubt template generate many support problems. When in doubt, one just needs to select the original style to see if that is the cause.

Template editing is essential to vB. Before vB, even changing the logo meant changing a template. I do not think it is very reasonable to assume that a 100% standard forum that looks like thousand others is fine.

[Wayne Luke]

I doubt template generate many support problems. When in doubt, one just needs to select the original style to see if that is the cause.

While probably not 90%, a large portion of support issues are related to editing templates where someone did something and things broke.

[CAG CheechDogg]

Let me start of by saying that I am a new member of this Community and about to become a paying member of vB.

I have been reading through the forums for the past 2 weeks and I just came across this very thread. The tittle caught my eye and I was like "OH NO! Not this, not here!". So I read every single post in this thread and I am relieved after reading through this thread from beginning to end.

I currently use Kunena as my forums solution and I am quite happy with it, I am actually a Moderator and offer support for the community over at Kunena.org and I come across a lot of these type of threads over there on a daily basis. As many of you have said and it is very true, many times people ask questions without searching the forums or the internet and when their questions don't get answered in what they think is a timely manner, they think or believe that they are being ignored or screwed over. Now I have yet to come across someone from the vB who has answered someone's question in a rude manner or belittling demeanor and I am quite sure some answers in the past will look as such, but in all honesty, sometimes it is better to just point someone in the right direction or provide them with a link for them to acquire a solution themselves.

I used to think the same way as the OP when I first started using forums, but now that I know how to find answers to my questions and the fact that I am now part of the Mod and Support Team, I understand why things are they way they are. Most of the times we merge someone's thread with an already existing thread or similar thread and have them find the answers themselves.

With that said I have already found very useful answers to questions which I just happen to come across just by browsing the forums. My answer to people who think they have a legitimate reason to complain about the support service for any product is that the forums are a "Free Self Serve" option. Just like when you buy an XBOX 360, TV, or even a car, if you decide to make modifications to your products, those very modifications "WILL" void your warranty and any kind of support for that product.

Now the forums offer everyone limited support and that is something everyone should acknowledge and accept when registering or buying a vB script. While it does sometimes seem unfair, it is more unfair for the support team and the developers of vB to have to answer questions to problems that are mostly created by people who have decided to take the risk and modify the script without having the basic HTML and CSS knowledge or experience to do so.

So my advice to anyone who decides to modify their scripts without the basic HTML, CSS, PHP or MySQL knowledge, "DON'T DO IT ! ". If you must, hire or befriend someone who has the knowledge and experience with what you need done. While I highly doubt that the Support Team here at vbulletin.com hates helping those that need help, I am sure they would rather be improving vB for future releases.

Now this will be my 12th day or so in a row that I have spent browsing through the forums here at vbulletin.com and I must admit that I like what I see. I am looking forward to having my very own vB script and who knows, maybe becoming a volunteer Moderator and forum support staff member or adviser for those who need help once I become familiar with the vB script.

A big thanks to the vB Dev. Team !

[weather101]

This is why you MUST MAKE BACKUPS!!! Please don't blame the VB staff for stuff you do to your board!