41 replies to this topic

[Gran'piano]

By the look of it, this problem may have arisen on 24th March 2017!!!

So poor TomABRSM, who is working at it 'backwards' in batches, has a whole load of work ahead. It's a massive task and he honestly has my sympathy.

People make mistakes but to really foul things up you need a computer.

 

Funny really. No-one seems to have noticed something basically amiss, or maybe it just didn't bother other folk enough to make them want to dig around, then along comes a little old lady stirring things up.

[Dr. Rogers]

I'm glad this issue is getting sorted.  However, I hope we still maintain the collegial atmosphere here on these forums.  That's one of the main reasons I wanted to participate here - the tone of discourse is generally very polite here.  Some other forums tend to be more rowdy - I prefer politeness.

[Banjogirl]

Hi. I joined the forum on 15 July. Have only just been 'validated' - and only after chasing. It's been frustrating to say the least!

Welcome!

[Gran'piano]

I'm glad this issue is getting sorted. However, I hope we still maintain the collegial atmosphere here on these forums. That's one of the main reasons I wanted to participate here - the tone of discourse is generally very polite here. Some other forums tend to be more rowdy - I prefer politeness.

What do you think might change? There will be more new members taking an active part in the forum but that can be very positive.
I, too, am glad that Tom is sorting this issue. (I prefer the active form to the passive). Had he just kept his head down and left it as it was instead of posting on this thread and saying he was clearing the mess up, probably no-one would have been any the wiser. (Except me of course, but that doesn‘t count).
As I said before, it‘s a lot of work and I‘m glad it is not me doing it. I am not that collegial.

P.S. And if new members complain about the long wait to have their membership validated I can well understand their feeling.

[TomABRSM]

Hi.  I joined the forum on 15 July.  Have only just been 'validated' - and only after chasing.  It's been frustrating to say the least!

Hi Jan, yep apologies for that! The various technical issues with new member validation have been fixed now so you will be joined by many more new faces in the coming weeks.

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

[Tenor Viol]

So, someone implemented an automated new member validation system to filter out bots and it basically had some sort of major bug which stopped it validating? A lack of even basic overview by the mods/admin means that this goes unnoticed for it would seem 2 years?

 

It has been apparent for some time that the number of active users has been dwindling, but if we have had two years' worth of new members mostly prevented from joining, then it is hardly surprising.

 

Given my recent experience with dealing with AB (bear in mind I'm an adult learner not a teacher) it is hardly surprising. I am due to ring them up probably on Monday and I am anticipating a major row due to an appalling lack of customer service. 

[Gran'piano]

 Given my recent experience with dealing with AB (bear in mind I'm an adult learner not a teacher) it is hardly surprising. I am due to ring them up probably on Monday and I am anticipating a major row due to an appalling lack of customer service.

Last things first as usual. I hope this goes well and that you find some satisfaction afterwards. I hate lousy customer service too. Good luck with it.

So, someone implemented an automated new member validation system to filter out bots and it basically had some sort of major bug which stopped it validating? A lack of even basic overview by the mods/admin means that this goes unnoticed for it would seem 2 years?
 
It has been apparent for some time that the number of active users has been dwindling, but if we have had two years' worth of new members mostly prevented from joining, then it is hardly surprising.
 

I agree that any changes to anything on computer programmes should be checked after implementing and again a couple of weeks later, but seeing how many updates screw things up and need several more attempts before things run smoothly, I just accept that computers screw things up. Period. They are sneaky and wait until we are not looking before they do it.
I was never too keen on looking for culprits and seeking someone to blame when things go wrong. Let‘s be aware (as members!) that things will go wrong on here sometime, somewhere, somehow, and maybe the people who should notice it, don‘t. We can tell the right people, clearly, what we have seen, and ask them to take a look.
Probably a great many members saw vaguely that no new members were posting, but took no action as far as I can tell.
Of course, it isn‘t their job. It wasn‘t mine either, but if we care about the forum then it is in our own interests to keep things running smoothly. In the forum itself we perhaps have more to lose than Admin or Moderators. I‘ve seen two forums die through lack of active interest of members. I‘d hate to see this happen here.

[Tenor Viol]

 

 Given my recent experience with dealing with AB (bear in mind I'm an adult learner not a teacher) it is hardly surprising. I am due to ring them up probably on Monday and I am anticipating a major row due to an appalling lack of customer service.

Last things first as usual. I hope this goes well and that you find some satisfaction afterwards. I hate lousy customer service too. Good luck with it.

So, someone implemented an automated new member validation system to filter out bots and it basically had some sort of major bug which stopped it validating? A lack of even basic overview by the mods/admin means that this goes unnoticed for it would seem 2 years?
 
It has been apparent for some time that the number of active users has been dwindling, but if we have had two years' worth of new members mostly prevented from joining, then it is hardly surprising.
 

I agree that any changes to anything on computer programmes should be checked after implementing and again a couple of weeks later, but seeing how many updates screw things up and need several more attempts before things run smoothly, I just accept that computers screw things up. Period. They are sneaky and wait until we are not looking before they do it.
I was never too keen on looking for culprits and seeking someone to blame when things go wrong. Let‘s be aware (as members!) that things will go wrong on here sometime, somewhere, somehow, and maybe the people who should notice it, don‘t. We can tell the right people, clearly, what we have seen, and ask them to take a look.
Probably a great many members saw vaguely that no new members were posting, but took no action as far as I can tell.
Of course, it isn‘t their job. It wasn‘t mine either, but if we care about the forum then it is in our own interests to keep things running smoothly. In the forum itself we perhaps have more to lose than Admin or Moderators. I‘ve seen two forums die through lack of active interest of members. I‘d hate to see this happen here.

 

I design computer systems for a living - big ones. Computers don't screw things up, humans do. Computers work on a very simple basis: "GIGO" - garbage in, garbage out.

 

All computer systems and implementations have to be tested and this clearly wasn't, or if it was, it was rather ineffective.

[hummingbird]

Of course, it isn‘t their job. It wasn‘t mine either, but if we care about the forum then it is in our own interests to keep things running smoothly. In the forum itself we perhaps have more to lose than Admin or Moderators.

 

I certainly think we have more to lose than the ABRSM if they ever decided that the forum was no longer something they wanted to support.

[Gran'piano]

I design computer systems for a living - big ones. Computers don't screw things up, humans do. Computers work on a very simple basis: "GIGO" - garbage in, garbage out.

 

All computer systems and implementations have to be tested and this clearly wasn't, or if it was, it was rather ineffective.

 

Obviously you are right. However, although we cannot do much to avoid other folk putting garbage in, we can make the best of the garbage that comes out.

Most of us, children and adults alike, hate having our past mistakes thrown at us repeatedly. I often found a pat on the back more 'constructive' when someone was doing their best  to put things right.

[barry-clari]

Just in case anyone doesn't know where to find them, there is a list of Moderators here, which shows when each was last 'active' on this board. I don't know exactly what 'active' means though - maybe just when they last posted. I know that when I was Moderating on another forum, Moderators could snoop around without being seen by members. Maybe we would then have been seen as 'private' on the 'last active' list.
According to the list EdGj, bless his cotton socks, is 'busy upgrading the forum' but as we never know how long that message has been there, I am not holding my breath.

In my last missive to the Mods, which seems to have had some effect, I said something along the lines of 'I am getting old and if something doesn't happen soon, I might be dead before it does'.

I believe EdGJ has now moved on : but I can vouch for him making a very fine cup of tea while he was at ABRSM

[mel2]

I put lots of garbage in because I find the wretched things so counter-intuitive, (and the Help buttons are usually useless - they never list the questions I need answering!).