- Joined
- Aug 27, 2008
- Messages
- 128
I'm going to start this off with the fact that I read a lot of negative things and biased comments from a lot of people on this site and maybe its because I primarily read the IPS stuff but I tend to see nothing but downtrodden and generally venomous things in this particular gambit.
While I will sympathize with some of your general plight I'd just like to put some good vibes into the universe because I'll be honest, IPS has honestly put those vibes out there for me and they deserve the good fallout from that.
I'm well known as the original IP.Fangirl:
So its no surprise I have an affection for the platform or where it is. And that's saying something as I'm 100% a hobbyist with little interest in monetizing my platform. Its not an investment that I make lightly as there are plenty of free and or cheaper alternatives. All alternatives offer basically the needs and wants that a forum hobbyist, like myself, could need or want. But I still own a lot of licenses and utilize them in my own hobbyist fashion.
For me its never been about my basic needs, its about all of my needs as a forum owner that really helps me make a decision and keeps me coming back to IPS.
I reflect back on when I wanted to start getting into being a forum or community administrator and how I felt back then. In a way, I'm sure that's what influenced me to IPS in the first place, but I'll explain a little later why I stayed. This was back in the 2.1 days when forums really started to get a personality and they didn't all look the same. Back then, at least for me and the sites I visited, this was IP.Board or vBulletin or SMF.
Hot damn was there a difference. It was like night and day on most sites that I visited. It was an immediate noticeable feel of the site. Even back then, I strayed toward IPS. I liked the profiles better. I liked what I found on their community better. In the end it just was the choice for me.
I mean really it was the sexy profiles that was the selling point but it became more very quickly as I purchased and started working with the software.
After reviewing the products, the possibilities, what I needed, what I wanted, what profile was sexiest in my opinion, I moved forward.... to SMF.
Yup, I started on a free software. I wasn't sure I was ready to jump into the deep end yet! Goodness it was a fun dive into SMF but I wasn't satisfied. I got most of what I wanted but I was new into everything and well it just didn't look nearly as pretty as that shiny IP.Board thing in the distance. So... I took the time to learn the other software with my end goal still being that bright and shiny gold coin, IPS.
Eventually I bought my first license.
I can't even tell you how delighted I was to step into IPS theming and coding and... I can still remember my first days asking for help and AndyF just made my day. He was a volunteer and he... Its hard to describe how good it feels when someone goes out of their way to make you feel like you aren't new, and AndyF certainly did. He wasn't my only interaction when I first started with IPS but he was definitely the most memorable. To this day, he and I are still friends and penpals!
After that.... pretty sure I became IPS's nightmare child for.... (how long did I say I've had a license? crap....) 14 years. I am pretty confident, to this day I'm still a thorn in their side. Finding bugs and making life difficult but I never feel like the problem child. Even if I have to fight for why I believe something is a bug or how I know it is, its not a fight against a person, its a fight in understanding of what is what and that, to me, is a day to day fight for anyone that communicates. I deal with that in my day to day tech support job because while I understand most of it, I don't understand why X is a problem unless someone explains it to me. I have never, at the end of a ticket, not understood my resolution.
This isn't always the same for every company. I'm still trying to figure out why the Amazon seller told me that I didn't understand the product and that they wouldn't refund me and then refunded my purchase anyways.....
ANYWAYS!!!
To this day I've read the good and the bad of any software, including IPSs. I've used every forum software out there and am on sites that use them all. I use everything from Enjin, to SMF, to Vesta (my only true alternate to IPS at this point) to vB to Xenforo, to phpBB to MyBB to Jcink to Discourse and more I'm sure. I know I can use any forum software. Do I like them all? Completely different discussion.
I think, for most, they have the growing pains of the progression (end of support for perpetual licenses, removal of past version downloads etc) but these are things that I appreciate in the long run. The new Marketplace has also been a pain point personally but I understand it and approve of it. I actually think the new marketplace is pretty awesome, wish steam would allow for their mod makers to put prices on their mods so I could support them without going to their discord or adding another Patreon to my list of already too large patreons.
I feel good, like I backed the best horse in the forum race.
For me? The awesome part is that I've never seen IPS stop. The progression, the growing, the improving, the change. It doesn't stop. We aren't on the same point version from last year where other softwares are perfecting something that was created... 5-10 years ago. IPS is still generating new content, new changes, fixing bugs, fine tuning a feature. I can live with growing pains and changes for the greater good, especially if we are moving forward. I know that I've abandoned stagnated software for this reason. When I am fighting modern technology/methods/etc to use it, its more work and less hobby.
What I can say is:
I just want to throw the good vibes into the universe and to let IPS know you still do right by what I want and expect of your platform and I appreciate you for that! Don't let the bad vibes get you down. If a 10 license hobby pleeb like me enjoys it then you're doing something right!
While I will sympathize with some of your general plight I'd just like to put some good vibes into the universe because I'll be honest, IPS has honestly put those vibes out there for me and they deserve the good fallout from that.
I'm well known as the original IP.Fangirl:
So its no surprise I have an affection for the platform or where it is. And that's saying something as I'm 100% a hobbyist with little interest in monetizing my platform. Its not an investment that I make lightly as there are plenty of free and or cheaper alternatives. All alternatives offer basically the needs and wants that a forum hobbyist, like myself, could need or want. But I still own a lot of licenses and utilize them in my own hobbyist fashion.
For me its never been about my basic needs, its about all of my needs as a forum owner that really helps me make a decision and keeps me coming back to IPS.
I reflect back on when I wanted to start getting into being a forum or community administrator and how I felt back then. In a way, I'm sure that's what influenced me to IPS in the first place, but I'll explain a little later why I stayed. This was back in the 2.1 days when forums really started to get a personality and they didn't all look the same. Back then, at least for me and the sites I visited, this was IP.Board or vBulletin or SMF.
Hot damn was there a difference. It was like night and day on most sites that I visited. It was an immediate noticeable feel of the site. Even back then, I strayed toward IPS. I liked the profiles better. I liked what I found on their community better. In the end it just was the choice for me.
I mean really it was the sexy profiles that was the selling point but it became more very quickly as I purchased and started working with the software.
After reviewing the products, the possibilities, what I needed, what I wanted, what profile was sexiest in my opinion, I moved forward.... to SMF.
Yup, I started on a free software. I wasn't sure I was ready to jump into the deep end yet! Goodness it was a fun dive into SMF but I wasn't satisfied. I got most of what I wanted but I was new into everything and well it just didn't look nearly as pretty as that shiny IP.Board thing in the distance. So... I took the time to learn the other software with my end goal still being that bright and shiny gold coin, IPS.
Eventually I bought my first license.
I can't even tell you how delighted I was to step into IPS theming and coding and... I can still remember my first days asking for help and AndyF just made my day. He was a volunteer and he... Its hard to describe how good it feels when someone goes out of their way to make you feel like you aren't new, and AndyF certainly did. He wasn't my only interaction when I first started with IPS but he was definitely the most memorable. To this day, he and I are still friends and penpals!
After that.... pretty sure I became IPS's nightmare child for.... (how long did I say I've had a license? crap....) 14 years. I am pretty confident, to this day I'm still a thorn in their side. Finding bugs and making life difficult but I never feel like the problem child. Even if I have to fight for why I believe something is a bug or how I know it is, its not a fight against a person, its a fight in understanding of what is what and that, to me, is a day to day fight for anyone that communicates. I deal with that in my day to day tech support job because while I understand most of it, I don't understand why X is a problem unless someone explains it to me. I have never, at the end of a ticket, not understood my resolution.
This isn't always the same for every company. I'm still trying to figure out why the Amazon seller told me that I didn't understand the product and that they wouldn't refund me and then refunded my purchase anyways.....
ANYWAYS!!!
To this day I've read the good and the bad of any software, including IPSs. I've used every forum software out there and am on sites that use them all. I use everything from Enjin, to SMF, to Vesta (my only true alternate to IPS at this point) to vB to Xenforo, to phpBB to MyBB to Jcink to Discourse and more I'm sure. I know I can use any forum software. Do I like them all? Completely different discussion.
I think, for most, they have the growing pains of the progression (end of support for perpetual licenses, removal of past version downloads etc) but these are things that I appreciate in the long run. The new Marketplace has also been a pain point personally but I understand it and approve of it. I actually think the new marketplace is pretty awesome, wish steam would allow for their mod makers to put prices on their mods so I could support them without going to their discord or adding another Patreon to my list of already too large patreons.
I feel good, like I backed the best horse in the forum race.
For me? The awesome part is that I've never seen IPS stop. The progression, the growing, the improving, the change. It doesn't stop. We aren't on the same point version from last year where other softwares are perfecting something that was created... 5-10 years ago. IPS is still generating new content, new changes, fixing bugs, fine tuning a feature. I can live with growing pains and changes for the greater good, especially if we are moving forward. I know that I've abandoned stagnated software for this reason. When I am fighting modern technology/methods/etc to use it, its more work and less hobby.
What I can say is:
- I appreciate IPS for being there and being consistent.
- I appreciate the community on IPS.
- I appreciate that IPS' staff actually communicate and don't demean me for not being a developer.
- I appreciate that my problems are their problems. While they can't fix all of my problems they do put in the effort, especially if I advocate for the solution.
- I feel solid in my progression with IPS and what it can and does do for me.
I just want to throw the good vibes into the universe and to let IPS know you still do right by what I want and expect of your platform and I appreciate you for that! Don't let the bad vibes get you down. If a 10 license hobby pleeb like me enjoys it then you're doing something right!
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