Site Issues

Firstly lets dispell the idea that you are some exceptionally cheaper solution and thus cannot afford to do things like “email the client” and let them know of things like “we’re about to overwrite several dozen files you’ve been working hard on for the past several months.” There are plenty of services out there that although they have ‘monthly fees’ allow you to pay for a year in advance and work out to be about the same or even less expensive than your service … and somehow they manage to at least give forewarning if they are going to do something that will completely delete user’s custom built files and applications.

Secondly lets get everyone on the same page as to the fact that you do in fact know how to contact me as you send me billing reminders and special offers all the time. You have my email address, you use it to contact me for domain specific tasks (so long as they involve me giving you money), and you have used this email address many times.

Today is at least the 5th time you have overwritten the phpBB files on my system. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND that sometimes this has to be done. But this is at least the 5th time I have BEGGED you to notify me before you do that (surely, SURELY you know you are going to do something before you do it).

I realize that for some people there might be the perception that phpBB is a plugin that people just use … but that perception is NAIVE IN THE EXTREME. phpBB is an open source system that is HEAVILY modified by any webmaster worth his title.

Everyday phpBB is mod’d to suite the specific needs of the site/applications which is supports. NO SERIOUS use of phpBB is completely un-MOD’d. NONE!

Those modification (on which your customers depend for the functionality of their site which you are hosting, and on which your customers have spent COUNTLESS HOURS working one) are completely deleted each time you just overwrite the files in this manor … and you INSIST on doing so without even just 12 hours notice. A simple “Dear user, please be aware that some phpBB files will be overwritten tomorrow. Please make a backup of any incremental changes you have made. Please be aware that any phpBB MODs may no longer work after the phpBB upgrade.”

HOW DIFFICULT WOULD THAT BE?!

Now, I have to go through EACH file and try to see what exactly has changed, what has been uninstalled, and what has not been. Then I have to go through and try to come up with a way to redo what was undone, and now my phpBB admin (which lists ‘approved mods’ that are installed) will NEVER be correct again.

Other cost effective competitors of yours manage to do this. (I know because I have some sites with them).

I’d hate to have to move all of my hosting accounts to another provider, but honestly you are not inspiring the slightest belief that you care one lick about the sites you are hosting, the customers that own them, or the hard work and time they put into them.

I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND that upgrades to phpBB need to be done even if the customer doesn’t really want them. BUT SIMPLE NOTIFICATION OF THAT SHOULD NOT BE TOO MUCH TO ASK!

SHAME ON YOU … All development on my site has to now stop … and I have spend a good week just figuring out what you’ve done … then another week to just get back to square 1. This is not the sort of service people are looking for from a company that says they can host a website. Websites are not just static pages anymore people … they live. And when you stop them from doing that you stop effectively hosting the site.

START VALUING YOUR CUSTOMERS enough to just send out a simple warning “be sure to back up your incremental changes you may be working on, and be prepared for changes to the system which may require some adjustments to any MODs you have installed.”

SHAME ON YOU …. **** AGIAN ****

I WILL FUCKING NATURALLY SELECT YOU OUT OF EXISTENCE YOU COCK JUGGLING PILE OF INEPTITUDE!

FUCKING REPLY TO THIS WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN “sorry” I GOD DAMNED DARE YOU.

DO IT! GIVE ME ONE MORE BLEEDING REASON TO PEEL YOUR EYELIDS OFF AND SHOVE THEM UP YOUR NOSTRILS.

EVER SMELL YOUR OWN EYELIDS JACKASS???

HARD TO ERASE MY SHIT WITH NO EYELIDS!

THE NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS AND YOU DON’T EMAIL ME FIRST I WILL SEVER YOUR HEAD FROM YOUR NECK, AND STORE IT IN A COOLER ON MY DESK SO THAT I MAY SLAP YOU AT WILL”