Actinic Please Listen To Your Users

[leehack]

I have a site being handed over to a client, it's actually in transit as i write. It's important that he is using the same version of actinic as i am, which is HFUA. I always try and use the latest versions, but to be honest with the amount of things that have gone wrong on 8.5.1 versions, i am certainly nervous on upgrading at a critical time in a project, so leaving well alone and sticking with HFUA.

So of course i direct him to your site to get the HFUA version. I get asked what he needs to get and from where as he doesn't want to mess things up. I then have a look myself and you provide HIZA plus a link for HFUA or HERA versions to click on. Once we click on that, we are greeted with the following:

v8.5.1 HIZA is incremental to the earlier v8.5.1 HERA and HFUA. It fixes various issues relating to desktop credit card encryption.

You will need to upgrade to this new release IF you have Card Encryption enabled, AND

You have multiple Actinic Business sites OR
You sometimes start Actinic v8 from the command line (e.g. for the automatic retrieval of orders, or using One Stop Automation from Mole End)

So if we don't fit that bill, and we just want HFUA download, how on earth do we go about getting it in a simple, logical and straightforward manner? I have ended up sending this guy to another website to get the download as your site is just plain confusing. This customer, who has just spent £950 with you, has just written these words in an email to me after visiting this other site to get the download he wants:

Hi Lee
Thanks for the link – why don’t Actinic have such a clear page?
That page tells me current edition is called 8.5.1_HIZA – previous is HFUA
We are running HFUA – shall I leave as it is or upgrade?
Cheers

This is your customers confused, not me, not any other designers, your users find your site confusing, how many times are we going to have to tell you to get this part of your site sorted out, it's plain shoddy. YOUR customers are going to exterior sites as they are easier to understand and get what they want - how can that be, it's just a simple list of files for heavens sake?

To top it off your support area hasn't even got the umpteen different 8.5.1 versions listed yet. For heavens sake can we get some basics right here please. You make the simplest things so darn complicated at times.

THE WAY FORWARD
1) A link to download the latest full version from this page, no patches, only full downloads available, why do we even have a patch facility? - problematic and plain ridiculous.

2) A link on the same page called something like 'to download previous versions of actinic' with a recommendation that the latest version should always be used. If you click on the link, it takes you to something like the support area page.

3) Only other thing needed is someone to take 5 minutes to update the support page each time a new version is released.

So simple.

[Duncan Rounding]

I've been in exactly the same position regarding v851. All previously released versions should be available for download on the Actinic site with a list of change notices for each one.

This certainly needs addressing. You can't take the risk to schedule and labour with an upgrade to a newer (unproven) release midway through a project. You can so easily loose time and money with a problematic upgrade.

Personally I would like to see the version change for every released build - even if it means adding another digit so you wouldn't have to be concerned about which build you have of that version. At the moment when v851 is referred to it could be one of at least 3 or 4 different builds.

[jont]

I now save the downloads for this very reason and FTP to clients when they are unable to find.

And yes - incremental digits please.. even 8.5.100, 8.5.101, 8.5.102 would be preferable.

[los_design]

Although I agree with Lee's comments about the confusion that currently reigns as to which version etc I think the problem is a lot easier to resolve.

Sort the software out BEFORE RELEASE AND DO NOT BE IN SUCH A RUSH TO MARKET A HALF FINISHED TOOL!!

I have never know a software title release so many mod patches in 12 months. All we should be seeing is added security patches.

LEARN YOUR LESSON FOR VERSION 9 PEOPLE!!! Rushing to generate a faster income will only cost you money further down the road....turtle, hare springs to mind!

JMTC

[cdicken]

Thanks for your suggestions chaps. I agree that the area needs an overhaul, and I have distilled your suggestions into a proposal, and passed it on to the relevant people.

[fergusw]

Lee,
In the meantime you can download the version your after from here

http://www.teclan.co.uk/patch/v8.html

It needs a little tidy up, but the links and files are there for downloading...

We only go back as far as 6.1.3 through to current versions.

[RuralWeb]

Its really hacking me off as well - constant upgrades that wipe scripts every time mean that they all have to be re-done constantly as snapshots go backwards and forwards. I dont bother with versions I upgrade to the latest release everytime a client send a snapshot.

[pinbrook]

I now save the downloads for this very reason and FTP to clients

this is what i do too. much easier to send the correct version to a client that let them loose on actinic site, additionally it means the client gets the full version (rather than patch if i am upgrading rather than a new installation).

another one for the danger list, and another example of developers already having their own workaround

[pinbrook]

Out of curiousity why have there been 3 x 8.5.1

surely it would be less confusing to increment to 8.5.2, 8.5.3?

or if there an office sweepstake as to what patch number will be the final one - with ChrisB's money on 8.5.2?

[pinbrook]

constant upgrades that wipe scripts every time mean that they all have to be re-done constantly

A client has to put me on a rack before i will do script changes

[george]

A client has to put me on a rack

Wrong forum Jo?

[gabrielcrowe]

george!

keep your debauchery to yourself please, this is an s&m free zone.

now, pm me about joining me in my dungeon later on.

[pinbrook]

Wrong forum Jo?

actually its now academic George as i have quit design....

[brucet]

Thanks for the feedback. We will be reviewing this.

It is a difficult balance, because the most recent release generally offers the best quality - it will contain bug fixes, and sometimes enhanced functionality. So getting users onto the most recent version improves the customer experience and reduces calls on support. On the other hand, upgrading a site that's been customised can create its own problems and there are times when it's better not to fix what's not broken.

For anyone who really needs a specific release, we do have a version archive that can be accessed via technical support, and is added to on request.

As regards the latest release of v8.5.1, it fixes a couple of bugs that are quite severe, but only occur in very specific and quite complicated circumstances. I apologise if I haven't explained it very well. I did actually spend considerable time over the wording, and trying to balance the need to be informative with the need to provide a clear and simple explanation of something that's inherently quite complicated.

Basically there are no down sides to upgrading to HIZA; it's the version we recommend everyone to use; and in the particular circumstances specified, you WILL encounter the problems described in the release notes if you do not upgrade. (There is a permanent link to the full version 8 release notes on the download page)

[pinbrook]

Basically there are no down sides to upgrading to HIZA;

Here's one...

constant upgrades that wipe scripts every time