It's usually not a good idea to go with a company whose Dev team is based solely overseas. At best this is a timezone issue - at worst this indicates outsourcing (which is difficult to control even for the best Dev shops).
Also, I wouldn't trust a vendor who claims to be a Drupal Development shop when their site is in Wordpress.
Finally - from what I saw last night, your performance issues seemed to revolve around a combination of your SSO service and a severe lack of caching. Drupal is incredibly resource heavy without the proper caching mechanisms in place (typically involving Memcache + authcache for your authenticated users and a reverse proxy cache, like varnish, for your anonymous users)
This old site is pretty close to the end of what we can do with it to keep it on the up and up. We absolutely need a new design, and it's not us out of our depth frankly. But rather the coders who can't seem to get the infrastructure right.
And visually, this site is broken. It's an antique, and not in a good way. It doesn't even have a fully functional mobile site. If we are to survive until the point when this sort of modular design is cool again (these things are cyclical after all), we need a new site and code base that's built to last.
Change is good!
Proud MMORPG.com member since March 2004! Make PvE GREAT Again!
This old site is pretty close to the end of what we can do with it to keep it on the up and up. We absolutely need a new design, and it's not us out of our depth frankly. But rather the coders who can't seem to get the infrastructure right.
And visually, this site is broken. It's an antique, and not in a good way. It doesn't even have a fully functional mobile site. If we are to survive until the point when this sort of modular design is cool again (these things are cyclical after all), we need a new site and code base that's built to last.
Can you please tell us 3 things you CANNOT do to the current website, that you NEED to, in the new one?
Look as Bill said the site is old and showing it. It is in MMORPG's right to update the site when they choose. For the most part they offer a free service to the community and I think we should just be thankful and be supportive.
With the current Site, I LOVE the 'Current Forum Activity' Section. Honestly, its really the only thing i check anymore. When the new site was visible, i did not see anything like this feature. Did I miss it or will this kind of feature not be front and center.
If not, I don't know how much I will be back.
Frank 'Spankybus' Mignone www.spankybus.com -3d Artist & Compositor -Writer -Professional Amature
This old site is pretty close to the end of what we can do with it to keep it on the up and up. We absolutely need a new design, and it's not us out of our depth frankly. But rather the coders who can't seem to get the infrastructure right.
And visually, this site is broken. It's an antique, and not in a good way. It doesn't even have a fully functional mobile site. If we are to survive until the point when this sort of modular design is cool again (these things are cyclical after all), we need a new site and code base that's built to last.
Can you please tell us 3 things you CANNOT do to the current website, that you NEED to, in the new one?
Just curious.
I'd like to hear that too. And not something like we want to run "x library" or other dependency. What do they want to accomplish. I suspect is it ad related and getting around ad blocker...
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what
it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience
because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in
the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you
playing an MMORPG?"
This site really needs an overhaul. Some of you don't understand how web development evolves. There's a reason people stopped using Geocities, Blogger, Angelfire, Xanga, etc.. Either evolve or get left behind.
With that said, another revert and delay looks really bad. I'm not an expert in contracts or the legality of it, but those designers/coders are being negligent in their duties.
I haven't had a chance to see the new site in action. I keep missing the window. I will say this: if I was in charge over there, I would be looking for a new company to update my website.
Also, on the mobile thing, I haven't found many mobile sites that really work well. I usually hit the request desktop button within the first 30 seconds of landing on a "mobile optimized" website. Layout is generally a disaster, important functionality is non existent, and finding the links to the content you actually want is generally impossible.
Well, if at first you don't succeed... No, wait... that's not right.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
I don't post on here all that much but I do hop on and read up on things and watch streams now and then. But I won't even be doing that with the new format that I saw briefly yesterday. It was not user friendly at all, I fear I'll have to frequent elsewhere if that becomes the norm.
Actually "Coders" may or may not actually know how to do the work your asking them to do for any given project. The skillset is fairly new in the bigger picture and while there are some good coders out there, anyone with a pair of glasses, a big belly, and a few buzzwords can pose as a coder and land a job for long enough to make a few bucks. In the end you might not have a working product still, but that's life. I have seen this done in the professional world as well, my mind is totally blown at the lack of real coding skills out there. I never thought of myself as a coder, but I can manipulate code and dabble from time to time, from the coders I've seen in the industry I work in, they might as well keep it in house and just hire me to do the coding.
I think it is time to scrap whatever company you have making the new site and find a new one. Get a refund and cut your losses while you can. 2 attempts now and the exact same issues over and over. This company you are going with can not do the job apparently. From the small time I seen the new site this time also. It looked like nothing at all really changed. Same issues poping up.
Axelerant Technologies, Pvt. Ltd. 207/2A Solitaire Plaza M.G. Road, Gurgaon Haryana 122002 India
I am also in the technology field, and having tried quite a few times to deal with Indian companies, it never went well. I have never dealt with this company but after three tries they would be DONE. I hope they got paid on delivery not promises.
When I click on "page 1" however it takes me to the "Riders of Icarus" glossy advertisement. What I would get if I clicked on the right or left banner advertisements.
Actually "Coders" may or may not actually know how to do the work your asking them to do for any given project. The skillset is fairly new in the bigger picture and while there are some good coders out there, anyone with a pair of glasses, a big belly, and a few buzzwords can pose as a coder and land a job for long enough to make a few bucks. In the end you might not have a working product still, but that's life. I have seen this done in the professional world as well, my mind is totally blown at the lack of real coding skills out there. I never thought of myself as a coder, but I can manipulate code and dabble from time to time, from the coders I've seen in the industry I work in, they might as well keep it in house and just hire me to do the coding.
I agree. Like Doctors and Lawyers we expect professional to know everything about their given field when in reality most often specialize in one given area. Go into the back office of a lawyer and you may find books like, The Idiots Guide to Copyright Law. Some doctors on the other hand will just bluff and if things go sideways tell you there was a chance it might not work in the first place, rather than it wasn't their specialty.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
I'm not saying this site doesn't need to be updated... it does. It's showing it's age. But seriously, the white on silver look is the "hipster" thing to do. Don't be that guy. Friends don't let friends grow hipster douche beards.
Sooo.....why does the new site look like the mmo site that was closed down? or was it sold i dont know it was on our news awhile back. I like how this site looks the mobile is fine to keep up to date with. If this site turns into something like face book or most other newer websites ill be disappointed. What i mean is constant advertisements ever ywhere, and trick click bates constantly to the point i just stop going to that site. if each article turns into a paragraph and i need to click 10 times to read an article....who knows maybe this change will be good, but seeing how the launch is going ill just hope they stay the same. Not sure what code makes this site unable to compete unless its not being supported anymore.
Axelerant Technologies, Pvt. Ltd. 207/2A Solitaire Plaza M.G. Road, Gurgaon Haryana 122002 India
I am also in the technology field, and having tried quite a few times to deal with Indian companies, it never went well. I have never dealt with this company but after three tries they would be DONE. I hope they got paid on delivery not promises.
Dude, everyone knows that when you want quality, you outsource to India!
Comments
It's usually not a good idea to go with a company whose Dev team is based solely overseas. At best this is a timezone issue - at worst this indicates outsourcing (which is difficult to control even for the best Dev shops).
Also, I wouldn't trust a vendor who claims to be a Drupal Development shop when their site is in Wordpress.
Finally - from what I saw last night, your performance issues seemed to revolve around a combination of your SSO service and a severe lack of caching. Drupal is incredibly resource heavy without the proper caching mechanisms in place (typically involving Memcache + authcache for your authenticated users and a reverse proxy cache, like varnish, for your anonymous users)
Proud MMORPG.com member since March 2004! Make PvE GREAT Again!
Just curious.
New players can get a welcome package and old/returning players can also get a welcome back package and 7 days free subscription time! Just click here to use my referral invitation
It's dark down here in mom's basement and too much white light from my monitor makes my eyes hurt.
If not, I don't know how much I will be back.
Frank 'Spankybus' Mignone
www.spankybus.com
-3d Artist & Compositor
-Writer
-Professional Amature
I'd like to hear that too. And not something like we want to run "x library" or other dependency. What do they want to accomplish. I suspect is it ad related and getting around ad blocker...
Epic Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
With that said, another revert and delay looks really bad. I'm not an expert in contracts or the legality of it, but those designers/coders are being negligent in their duties.
Also, on the mobile thing, I haven't found many mobile sites that really work well. I usually hit the request desktop button within the first 30 seconds of landing on a "mobile optimized" website. Layout is generally a disaster, important functionality is non existent, and finding the links to the content you actually want is generally impossible.
No, wait... that's not right.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
207/2A Solitaire Plaza
M.G. Road, Gurgaon
Haryana 122002
India
I am also in the technology field, and having tried quite a few times to deal with Indian companies, it never went well. I have never dealt with this company but after three tries they would be DONE. I hope they got paid on delivery not promises.
When I click on "page 1" however it takes me to the "Riders of Icarus" glossy advertisement. What I would get if I clicked on the right or left banner advertisements.
"We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." SR Covey
rant off
Dude, everyone knows that when you want quality, you outsource to India!