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Zapusto

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  1. Daniel: Thank you. I did not think to look under the Content Discovery section to disable search tracking. I was looking under Statistics / Activity /Searches / Manage Search Tracking Settings. To be clear, it's not about hiding it from admin view. It's purely about respect for one's privacy. If we're tracking user's searches, I just think users should be able to optin to being tracked, or at the very least, consent and acknowledge that their search activity is being tracked. Thanks for your reply.
  2. Actually, these indeed can be disabled by disabling the entire reputation system and/or excluding the groups. IPBs devs built in the ability to disable Reputation and Achievements entirely. But did not include the ability to disable tracking people's searches without their consent. That's primarily what I am asking here, to have that ability.
  3. Marc: Yes, I understand. I also understand reactions can be disabled entirely. I used that as an example. Does this ability exist to disable it for other things, such as search stats? To simply not track what people are searching for? That is neither shown on the public side, nor is it something that is disclosed to the user that their searches are being tracked. I think it should be an option to either allow users to optin to being tracked, or the ability to disable tracking their searches entirely. I appreciate IPB making it an option to track emails, and appreciate the option to disable things like badges, reputation, etc. But I could not find the option to disable tracking people's search queries without their consent.
  4. To IPB Staff (IPB staff only please) I know this is likely counterintuitive to those who runs forums for profit. But it is somewhat important from a privacy point of view. Is there an option to disable the tracking of statistical data (reactions, searches, etc) like you can do with emails? For the better part of 20 years that we've run on IPB, one thing we've prided ourselves on is absolutely no tracking. No Google, invited members only, no social media tracking/usage, etc. While again, I understand the reasoning some/most forum admins will find it advantageous, I'd prefer to fall on the side of respect for people's privacy. Thus, is it possible to completely disable tracking -- and display in the admin, of statistics for the new searches feature (in particular)? I'd also like to see an option to disable other tracking, like Tag Usage, Keywords, and Reactions. Thanks.
  5. I've admittedly been harsh throughout this thread for my own reasons. And my opinion on this likely will not change. However, I agree that the response time displayed within that thread is actually faster than I have seen at times via tickets. So, if I could offer one suggestion on that for consideration. If you create a support thread and subscribe to it, also provide the option to limit from whom you get notification emails -- such as limiting the updates to IPB Staff, or everyone. Even more helpful would be the option to include the actual official response, or a summary of the response in the email received. This helps ensure you only see the responses that you want, and let's you keep focused on work without having to come back to the forum unless your input is required to further the ticket. Personally, I'd also welcome TXT message updates from IPB staff notifications with simple "Additional info needed, Please visit ticket or check email" or similar. In this way, you're not having to wait around and can get on with your day.
  6. Understood. If someone wants to do that and has time, great. I have no interest in posting a ticket and hanging around for a response or engaging in a discussion. I have far more important things to do with my day. Jordan, understand I would only be a "member" here by requirement, not by choice, in order to receive "support". I am not interested in spending time here, engaging in discussions, begging for support in a forum, etc. -- this thread aside. The extent of my relationship with IPB would ideally be through the software's admin area for support and the client area for billing. I have no interest in being here otherwise. With Cloud Hosted, this is possible. So I'll keep Cloud Hosted until such time that it changes, hopefully it will not.
  7. Oh, I am not discounting the knowledge of the community. I'm all for a peer-to-peer community. But I expect my products and services to be supported by the company I have the relationship with -- and only the company. All the open forum stuff does is add an extra layer, a hurdle, to doing it via my admin and having it dealt with directly and efficiently. I have no interest in searching or hanging out in a community. I have enough to do during the day (though you'd never know it from the number of replies I've made in this thread). But that's the gist of it. And with Cloud Hosted, I apparently get proper support. I'm good.
  8. Respectfully, no matter which way you spin it, (the lack of) support issue remains. What I am hearing is that if I need a support ticket, I no longer have the efficient convenience of doing so through my admin. I have to drop what I am doing, come here, log in, make a forum request, and explicitly request an actual ticket. At the same time, I have to explicitly state that input from anyone other than IPB -- the company with whom I have a business relationship -- is unwelcome. I suspect there will be animosity. Edited to Add: My apologies, I just remembered the lack of proper support is for self-hosted, not cloud based. Charles told me Cloud Hosted will still have proper ticket support, so I'm good.
  9. Matt, let me clarify as I can see how this was, and could be, misinterpreted. I agree that a peer-to-peer forum would, could, and will be helpful. I disagree that paid license product support should include peer-to-peer assistance. Note, tone does not often convey in text. But understand I am not the least bit angry. Disappointed, but not angry. And I hope the following is received in the manner I intended. My own personal thoughts. In your example with the barista, my responsibility to a barista (or any company) is to be cordial and pay for my order, product, goods or service. Their responsibility is to be cordial and deliver it as ordered. And if my order is not correct, they support it by correcting it. They don't expect me to to turn to another customer on a laptop and ask for assistance as that would be unreasonable. Certainly, the price I pay for their coffee doesn't come with the expectation of creating/contributing to a customer handbook. I understand entirely what you are trying to do, but I feel it is personally really misguided. To illustrate, already it has been pointed out that this new plan effectively segregates, and places a support value, between one type of customer and another (self-hosted versus cloud -- which admittedly I appreciate and benefit from). Further, customers incur higher fees that not only eliminates proper, direct IPB ticket support, but now comes with the added expectation of crowdsourcing a live knowledgebase just to get any level of support. Respectfully, if we're being honest, I think this entire concept is quite arrogant. Truth be told, I think a much better use of hiring all of those new tech support staff would be to provide better, more efficient ticket service for all paying customers, regardless of how trivial the request may be. And then IPB themselves should extrapolate and collate non-identifying information to create an official Self-Help Guide. And then this would be used as a live search in people's admin areas when they click support and type their request out. And still have the ability to file a ticket if still needed. But my assumption, and fear, is that these "triage" personnel will be more like junior entry level techs who will do little more than add one extra step in the process before finally getting actual support. So, to summarize the above misunderstanding, it it simply that I expect support from ONLY the company with whom I have I have a business relationship. Nothing more, nothing less.
  10. That's putting words in my mouth and cherrypicking at its finest Matt, and is beneath you to do so. I am your customer. I pay for your product. I have a business relationship with you, no one else. If you want to extrapolate non-identifying information and use it as part of your knowledgebase, then fine. I have an expectation of support from IPB, and ONLY IPB, to support the product I am paying for, and to do so properly. No one else. I think an expectation of proper ticket support is hardly outrageous.
  11. I've already canceled the self-hosted license because of the open forum support policy. The ONLY reason I have not canceled my Cloud license is proper ticket support is continuing. For me it's basic principle. I pay for a product. I expect proper, private support for that product from the company with whom I have a business relationship. No one else. It is not my responsibility to create a living knowledge base, nor contribute to it. I have no interest in being part of a "community". I am a customer. That's it. That's the end of the relationship I want, and need, with IPB. It's crazy that I've posted more times in this thread than I have in 17 years. Suffice it to say, should ticket support end with Cloud, so will my license for it.
  12. DavyC, I'd be very curious to hear your findings. Would you be open to a private discussion relating to alternatives?
  13. With any change, there is indeed an imminent danger of resentment and customer trust issues that may arise. Once either of those sets in, it can be awfully difficult to overcome regardless of followup initiative(s). Indeed, it is a fine line and a balancing act to enact change. The Internet is/was(?) full of companies who made a change to their detriment. The impact of resentment and brand trust is quite often underestimated. Time will tell if this is the case with IPB.
  14. Same, I appreciate your point of view. As a businessman myself, the reality is that the smaller accounts usually cost the most in support, in both time and money. And, let's be honest, your job is to increase net margins. And these changes serve to streamline that. In most cases, changes are usually met with a public backlash, a lot of huffing and puffing and sky is falling talk, and that's the extent of it. And the truth is, IPB will not miss smaller accounts like mine. Such is life. I get that. As a thought, you could have simply retained proper ticket support as part of a monthly subscription -- or even capped it at 3 or so included support tickets a month, then a fee per ticket afterwards -- as incentive to go post publicly in the forums. At the same time, IPB could easily aggregate information from private support tickets internally to then create an official knowledgebase of answers that could be the first line of support within people's admin areas. But still offer private ticket support directly. FWIW, and I will preface by saying the following is via conscientious choice when making a purchase. There isn't a company I deal with that does not offer a direct line of private support communication as part of my subscription/lease/product cost -- it's a big reason why I pay for services instead of the "free versions". I expect products I pay for to be properly supported, privately. I admittedly never expected IPB to shift away from this model. On that note, I'll bow out of this discussion. Best regards.
  15. Matt, either I was unclear or you missed my point entirely. I run a couple of non-profit, small communities for both sentimental reasons and for some loyalty to those who enjoy it. And when there are problems, one of the users will hit me up on Skype to let me know something is wrong. I confirm the issue and then login to the admin of the forum, click get support, describe the issue and then IPB looks after it (admin user for IPB is auto created, et al). Having direct support is why I kept an active IPB Subscription. And this was an efficient method as I am much too busy to deal with it. What you are introducing is a "triage" step which requires users to first take time to come here, publicly justify they need a ticket, no doubt have it publicly disseminated asking to explain the problem first, do the back and forth, have it finally deemed worthy of a proper support ticket, then having to explain the issue. It's reminiscent of an call center before you get actual support. I just don't have the time to do it. I absolutely won't be posting support information for others to disseminate. When I request support, I expect it directly with the company, and only the company, with whom I have a business relationship. The price increase will not affect me, and in fact it's something I understand. But the method of support all but ensures I will be looking for alternatives. Like I said, I wish you well. I followed you over from Iko, and have been with IPB through it's various iterations. And throughout that time there's always been a means of direct support. I'm just too busy to have to justify getting a ticket. Prices attract customers. Support keeps them. It's been a good run. I wish you well in future.
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