POST ALL SITE ISSUES HERE

[slosurfer]

I'm trying to get a list of things that are messed up on this site. Use this thread to post any problems/bugs/etc... that you run into. Can't promise I can do anything about them, but at least I will know about them.

Right now two that I know of are:

1. Can't log in and use the photo gallery (not a huge deal, since I mainly use photobucket, but still annoying)

2. Inbox problems with the number of messages/% of space used does not match up with what is really in there.

3. I can't ban spammers only delete their posts....

Post up any problems you all are having...

Thanks,
Chris

[timsrv]

First thing I want to say here is I think it's important to note that we can thank admin for keeping this site on-line and paying all associated costs out of pocket. Yes, some of you have donated $$$ to them to help, but it's them that keep it here and pay the bills. IMO admin are good guys, they just have busy lives and don't get into the van thing anymore. IMO, most of the problems here are just due to other priorities in their lives. That being said, yes there are several issues with the site, but they basically all boil down to the core problem of absentee admin.

I noticed the problems with my PM box when admin changed from the domain from http://www.Toyotavans.net to http://www.Toyotavanpeople.com in May of 09. This problem is annoying to me because my box always says it's 100% full even though it's empty. In addition, every PM I write just disappears within a few days. As somebody explained to me, this is because my PM box's were maxed out at the time of the switch. Ever since then the forum thinks these box's are full even though I have no access to the information that may or may not be stored in them. All that's needed is a simple reset of the site and that problem should be taken care of. I asked admin to take care of this back in May of 09, but nothing has happened to date...........so now you all know why I'm not answering your PM's.

As for the photo gallery I've never used it (I use http://www.photobucket.com to post pics). I've only tried to log in to our gallery in an attempt to remove spam. I wasn't able to log in so I asked admin for access. That was back in July of 08. At the time I had received some complaints about spammers leaving comments on members photos......stuff like buy Viagra or WOW gold. Admin never did answer my request nor did they remove the spam. I was just over there again and I see the spam is still there from 1 1/2 years ago . Another problem there is many of the pictures don't match the thumbnails. If you click on a picture to see a larger version, a completely different picture will often be displayed .

Okay, big rant here:
Have you ever clicked on a link that directed you to a green page saying "SULTANHOST ACCOUNT SUSPENDED"? This is also due to the domain switch and the main reason I got so pissed off and left the site. I have hundreds of links I put on this site to help make it user friendly to all. These links were inadvertently rendered useless by admin with the domain change. As some of you know, I have only recently come back because slosurfer has been working hard to repair these links and several of you have asked me to come back.

Another problem I have encountered since the domain change is writing / editing the larger posts. Editing or adding to the TIT is particularly annoying. Anytime a post is big enough to require scrolling inside the text box, the up / down scroll automatically returns to the top when I try to type or highlight anything. I've found ways around this but it's extremely annoying and time consuming. I would write more, but due to the length of this post and the fact this problem is occurring right now and I'm getting annoyed. I'm sorry but I have decided to no longer contact admin with site problems as it really bothers me to get "blown off". I no longer wish to put myself in that position. Okay, Rant complete. Tim

[Simon]

Hello Old Friends,

I agree this is a good idea to compile a list of known issues. I will do my best to find some time to do some additional debugging.

I work full time, and in addition my wife has been quite ill for the last 2 years, and is currently on chemotherapy to hopefully keep her from going blind. And, on top of that I am a part time student, and try to find time to study so that I can hopefully make more money. I do know that I am not the only one who has things in life other than this site, and I realize that I chose to take on some responsibility when I created this site. I will do my best as always to do some upkeep on the site, and fix these issues. Hopefully I don’t create any more new problems while trying to help.

I would like to say thanks to TimsRV for all his time spent monitoring the forum, and also a big thanks to Slosurfer for volunteering his time as well when we needed some additional help.

Best Regards,

Simon

[timsrv]

Thanks Simon. I think I can speak for everybody when I say we appreciate everything you have done and whatever you are able to do in the future. I didn't know that about your wife, and I can certainly understand her being your 1st priority. I would also like to apologize for being impatient and / or demanding in the past. I would like to help with admin duties, just let me know and and I'll do whatever I can. Tim

[84vanowner]

GETTING AUTHORIZED!!! Whew! I registered on the 16th of August. Got the email that said I was registered but inactive until the admin would activate me. NOTHING. So, I tried again under a second email. Again, got the email that said I was registered but inactive......and NOTHING. Finally, after waiting week after week, I tried a 3rd time with a 3rd email. And FINALLY got activated. Now, the first 2 emails I used were gmail but the final one was my provider cox email. Does that make a difference?

The number ONE frustration is that I couldn't click on an admin on the site and email them directly because I had to be logged in. I think a link needs to be on the site for problems which gives you a place to email the admin directly. Otherwise, people can register, yet never be authorized to get on here and meanwhile they can't get to anyone on the site and let them know. It's very frustrating.

[timsrv]

Even more frustrating when you've got the email addresses and still no answer. Llamavan (a major contributor here) got locked out of the site on March 24 of this year (over 5 months ago). She was locked out due to changing her email address for notifications. The site said it required an admin action before she could log back in again. She has sent multiple emails to admin with no response whatsoever.........so the site suffers.

Due to my user-name and it's association with my business website, I get several emails from wannabee TVP members. Most of them tell the same story you do but most never do get admin authorization. I'm sorry but this is no way to run a site. It's certainly understandable to have other priorities, but there are some of us that have offered to take up the slack. Well, why can't we help out in a time of need? No matter, enough is enough. I'm withdrawing my offer and I'm leaving. Some of us have got together and started another site. The new site is launching 9/01/10 at midnight (that's only 24 hrs away)! It will be run by Llamavan, Slosurfer, Mattflash, and myself (timsrv). We may not be perfect, but at least we'll be there and we'll listen to our users. Come check us out! Tim

PS: No hard feelings or malice toward TVP or it's absentee admin. We simply need a site we can count on. Until this site gets someone to perform admin duties I think it's a lost cause. Best of luck to TVP and all it's members. All of you are welcome to come & join! We'll see you there.

[84vanowner]

Thanks! Look forward to getting on the new site!!!

And yes, I had emailed the admin several times as well with my first 2 attempts never getting responses either!!! I am thankful I finally got authorized, but I know of other people having the same problem.

[llamavan]

And it seems I've magically be re-activated. Finally. After 5 MONTHS. Sure takes a lot to get some peoples' attention, eh?

Warning to others: Barring some concrete proof that the relevant automated forum function has been changed, do not update your email address on this site ... unless you are prepared for the consequences.

[NEC]

good to see you back, llamavan. Hope you will still be dropping in here (now that you can) once in a while..

[timsrv]

Yes, good to see you finally got reinstated. I'm happy to be able to post here as well......thanks Simon for not banning me. I would still be willing to moderate, but since we now have a competing site, I can certainly understand the removal of my mod powers. I'm not exactly sure why I lost my "The Toyota Van Guru" title, but it's all good and I can live with it. I'm sorry it came to this, but we put a lot of work into this site and due to poor communication and poor admin support we felt very insecure (we needed a safe place to invest our time and "van data"). As long as it's allowed I plan on visiting here often, but most of my posting will be on "the other" site. It's been real fun and I've really enjoyed everybody here (well, almost everybody ). Okay, Okay....it's just a joke . FWIW I don't plan on (nor have I ever planned on) deleting or sabotaging anything here as I want my posts and data to continue helping others. I'll say it again, I have absolutely no malice or hatred of anybody here, I simply want a reliable site that everybody is welcome to join and participate in. Tim

PS: Is it okay for us to post links on our site that will direct users to this site?

[slosurfer]

I've got a site issue and wondered who else this is effecting. My PM's that I have saved since I have been here have disappeared and I am no longer able to even send or receive PM's. I understand that Simon is probably just shutting mine off because he doesn't want us to "spam" other members via PM (which I would never do), but to take away PM's that I've saved over my time being here is just rediculous and petty.