Fed up with Ansca Support

Solar2D General Questions/Discussion
#1

Hi All,

For weeks now I’ve been requesting an ETA on a fix for a major problem with the native WebPopup control (details below). So far I have been totally ignored by all Ansca staff with regards to my requests for some kind of ETA. I’m a paying subscriber and have even indicated by willingness to pay extra to get the problem solved quickly.

Peach and Carlos…how hard is it for you guys to simply reply to say, we’re aiming to have it fixed by the end of June and will keep you informed or whatever the case may be. If it’s not going to be fixed or a workaround provided I’d rather know that and get my money back. When working with developers who have clients it’s important to be able to give ETAs and keep communication channels open, though that’s business 101 so I’m sure you know that already!!

The bug is a very very serious bug which renders the webPopup UNUSABLE. To reproduce:

  1. Grab the tutorial at http://mobile.tutsplus.com/tutorials/corona/corona-sdk-webview/
  2. Change the URL in main.lua (line 77) to something that takes a while to load.
  3. Run the program in XCode or on the iPhone (webpopup is native so doesn’t display in the Corona simulator)
  4. Click the button to open the webpopup, then click back before it’s finished loading, then immediately try to open the webpopup again…

The webpopup will not display on the screen at all until the previous request is completed, even though it has been already been cancelled using the native.cancelWebPopup command.

Don’t get my wrong here, I’ve really enjoyed developing in Corona, produced a great looking app for a client that runs fast and found the learning curve for Corona/Lua exceptionally easy. It’s a great platform and an excellent SDK, but it all comes to nought if I cannot release the product on time, and worse still cannot even provide my client an ETA because as a paying customer I get no support :frowning:

Please provide an ETA or workaround for the bug.
Thanks,

  • Will [import]uid: 61273 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 311242[/import]
#2

Have you emailed me directly to share with me a bug number? Did you enter a bug?

How come this is the first time I hear from you?

** EDIT Just found your bug. I will fast track it tomorrow. The bug was entered on Friday June 10th.

Carlos [import]uid: 24 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40769[/import]

#3

> Please provide an ETA or workaround for the bug.

You’re right.
We need an updated roadmap showing what features Ansca is working on and an ETA for each entry, also an accessible bug database (the one in place right now is not good at all).

The thing is, all the “we’ve great features we’re working on and we’re going to show something cool very soon” messages from Carlos and Ansca are quite useless. I mean, we’re not final customers, we’re developers (and paying subscribers), we need to know where Corona is headed, what we’ll be able to do, and when.

As I said somewhere on the forum, I had to turn down some projects because of Corona SDK limitations. Basic stuff, like multi-line input textboxes. I asked if Ansca was working on that feature and an ETA. I received only a few cryptic messages giving some hints that they were working on that… like 6 months ago, and still… nothing.

No idea if they’re working on that, no idea when it’s going to be ready, no updated roadmap… more transparency, please.
[import]uid: 9158 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40771[/import]

#4

Hey Carlos,

Thanks for your direct email, I actually reported the bug initially on 25th May and was advised it was already a bug in the system, followed up on the forum and through support requesting an ETA. Anyhow, glad there is communication open on it now, I really appreciate you stepping in. Apologies for the flaming message, but my frustration level has been pretty high with the client on my back :slight_smile:

I would definitely second Shedder’s suggestion of a roadmap, or at least a priority list (in order) of bugs/features being added, so developers can see what engineers are working on and estimate how long until they get to a bug/feature request affecting them.

Thanks,

  • Will [import]uid: 61273 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40776[/import]
#5

@shedder and Willk4,
I agree with you that there should be a roadmap. However, as a person that has spend many years in the IT industry and and have seen the 8-bit computers right through to the 64-bit, I can tell you this that estimating an ETA is the most difficult task. You would want to fix something as soon as possible, however there are so many factors that affect these outcomes.

Yes, there are times when even I get frustrated with waiting for a feature, but then we have to realise that Ansca are doing their bit and hopefully as best as they can.

I personally think that the Android path is overshadowing the feature set, but then if they stop concentrating on Android, then Corona will be another iOS framework, it will lose the edge that it has today.

cheers,

?:slight_smile: [import]uid: 3826 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40832[/import]

#6

Well, cough cough cough cough and Cough !
@willk4 : Glad we sorted it out.
@shredder : “more transparency, please.”

How much more can I get : http://blog.anscamobile.com/2011/06/the-day-the-earth-stool-still/ dated June 6th, 2011.

@jayant : Thanks

=

When Will and I dug a bit further into the issue, we found out several things that went wrong thus causing frustration. Looking into it, we realize and nailed where it went wrong and I am taking measures to prevent this from happening again.

And also, one more time, everyone with me, one more time, group hug! Just kidding.

If any issues arises and you are getting nowhere, remember this little gem “cicaza @ anscamobile dot com” << that would be my direct email.
Carlos [import]uid: 24 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40849[/import]

#7

>> We need an updated roadmap showing what features Ansca is working on and an ETA for each entry,

And lollipops, we should all get lollipops. :slight_smile:

I’d *love* to know exactly what’s happening and when, but in my decades of programming I’ve never known any dev company to be as open as Ansca. A “broad stokes” roadmap is the only thing I’ve ever seen from a dev tools company (of any size) and anyone who’s done “big things” should know publicizing features with release dates are usually mistakes.

It would suck to get 95% done with a project and then be blocked because something doesn’t work, but bug fixes are different than upcoming features. Basing projects on the latter will only make you go insane. :slight_smile:

Jay
[import]uid: 9440 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40881[/import]

#8

I understand all the work behind Corona, and I’m satisfied with the product. However, I still believe my two points are valid:

A) The bug database (http://bugs.anscamobile.com/) and all the bug submit thing / send email to Carlos, is not working well enough. I submitted a bug (btw about the tuner volume) months ago, and it never appeared on the bug database… the status is still unknown.

Every bug should be filed on the database and paying users should be able to check the entries freely and maybe updated with descriptions, examples and tips. There should be a communication, accessible by everyone, between developers and Ansca on each bug submission.No just private emails.

B) I still continue thinking we should know what features Ansca is working on.
I’m not asking to know all the technical details or the exact day when you’re releasing something. I’m saying we need an updated roadmap and know the progress on each point.
Check the roadmap (http://www.anscamobile.com/resources/roadmap/)… there are things you’re working on that are not in the list, and things on the list I’ve not idea if you’re currently working on (paypal integration for android? improved webpopup?.. how are you going to implement those features, are still in development? still top priorities? And there’s no CoronaUI, performance improvement for android and Super Rewards platform in the roadmap).

About new features/bug fixing, what do you think on doing something like votebox (https://www.dropbox.com/votebox), where paying subscribers can suggest and vote on what features work on next (and be able to read your opinions)? It would be a huge help.

Thanks,
Ruben [import]uid: 9158 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40911[/import]

#9

ruben

i don’t think that your points were muted

you do bring up good points and some of the ones you brought up I have discussed internally here and some of them we are working to address and find a happy medium. Notice I didn’t use the word fix.

In regards to the roadmap, that is completely 100% my fault. I take full responsibility of that, and it has mostly been driven by our Android build infrastructure. How can I give all of you a guesstimate of when a feature is going to be available when we can’t even get our darn product to build properly, both internally let alone externally? If we didn’t had to redo our build infrastructure, then, for sure the roadmap would have been updated. Even BS-guesstimates I would have put up there. But then for what? To get crucified by putting stuff up there that we didn’t deliver?

It is a balancing act. And I even blogged about our tribulations with Android and how it is delaying just about everything and even something as simple as integrating the long over due OF has been delayed due to the re architecting of our Android builds.

So, if I update the roadmap and don’t deliver, am called a liar and/or we suffer a black eye for not delivering the features. If I don’t publish the roadmap, we are immature, secretive, and again crucified for not publishing the roadmap.

We do daily builds, an open bug base, subscribers only forums. We actively twitter, facebook and blog just about everything that going on daily with us. We jump into forums, irc chat, skype, and on top of that, we have to run a business.

But sometimes, things will break, today, it happens that this broke. It is part of the growing pains of running a company, and we will do our best to learn and prevent it from happening again.

:slight_smile:

C

ps: and if you must know, it was Walter and I who decided to push back in order to get our Android infrastructure up and running smoothly. We are poised for growth, and the last thing we needed was to continue down the rabbit hole we were digging ourselves into and not being able to turn around in the future fast enough to fix it.

There is a great book called “In Search for Stupidity”. I witnessed a lot of those chapters in the book. I also been privy on how other Fortune 500 companies have done things that merit them a chapter in the book. Guess what? we can afford to push back today at this stage in our company rather than earn a chapter in the book a few years from now.
[import]uid: 24 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40931[/import]

#10

Hi All,

Just wanted to thank Carlos for his personalised attention to these issues, the original communication issues that led to me creating this thread has been rectified I believe by Carlos through his staff procedures…and of course I look forward to the bug itself being rectified soon :slight_smile: Carlos, feel free to rename this thread to something a little less abrupt if you feel it is in any way detrimental to your business.

I definitely think Ansca is pretty transparent with what they are working on, and daily builds and such are great. I guess rather than a complete roadmap itself, I would like to see a list of bugs/issues that reach the queue for engineers to work on in order of priority…obviously this could jump around a bit, but at least when something enters the queue (and it could enter it anywhere of course based on the importance your team puts on it), but that would give us some indication of whether we expect it to be done in the next few days, weeks or months.

Anyhow, it does sometimes get lost as this kind of thing takes more time which could be being used to be productive and actually improve the SDK, so it’s always a juggling act trying to work out how much time to spend on communication and how much on actual development. Having been on both sides of the fence I realise how frustrating they can both be. Perhaps something as simple as a report on a forum (where only Ansca staff can post) every couple of days on what is being worked on at the moment by engineers so users know what to expect in the next week or so?

Cheers,

  • Will [import]uid: 61273 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40935[/import]
#11

Having been on both sides
of the fence I realise how frustrating they can both be. Perhaps something as
simple as a report on a forum (where only Ansca staff can post) every couple
of days on what is being worked on at the moment by engineers so users know
what to expect in the next week or so?

Now I like this idea and I will see how we can implement it. I think it will help tons.

Carlos [import]uid: 24 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40939[/import]

#12

Thanks Carlos for your answer.
I’m sorry for the “more transparency, please” part… honestly you’re doing a great job always checking the forums and replying emails.

I understand the current Android mess, and it’s good you’re focusing on that right now.

But when you resolve that, it would be awesome to have an update roadmap (and keep it updated) and maybe as Will suggested, every couple of days or every week an update on Corona development status (on a forum only for Ansca staff, a newsletter or a only for subscriber blog), maybe previewing what’s going to be released in a upcoming daily builds or some infos on new apis and examples.

Also, in the future please consider revising the bug submit system, and something like votebox would be a nice addition…

Ruben [import]uid: 9158 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40943[/import]

#13

as soon as we are out of this quagmire we will update the roadmap.

as for votebox - actually have looked at it. not me personally but our web guru for exactly the reason you suggested.

C.
[import]uid: 24 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40945[/import]

#14

Group hug !

:wink:

c. [import]uid: 24 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40947[/import]

#15

Ah, the Corona family! :slight_smile: [import]uid: 9158 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40949[/import]

#16

Now, please don’t Incest on it :wink:

Whoops, how do you spell insist? [import]uid: 3826 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 40955[/import]

#17

Thanks, dad! [import]uid: 10389 topic_id: 11242 reply_id: 41415[/import]