Forums > MobyGames > Status update
Corn Popper (68587) on 10/18/2013 2:31 PM · Permalink · Report
So I had a phone conference last night with the powers that be.
We'll be having a meeting every couple of weeks to discuss changes that need to be worked on that will hopefully be pushed out within the following couple of weeks to the next meeting. So time permitting with QA and all we'll be getting some updates about every 2 weeks.
The list of fixes is long and the programmer isn't allotted a lot of time to work. So patient is needed here. Many of the bugs that most people want fixed were discussed are on plan to work on. I'm not promising any specific fixes as some may take longer than others so they could get pushed to the right.
About why this launch is so buggy. Well as many of the approvers know we did have a preview launch to test the site and submit bugs. Many of those bugs were fixed as I know as I verified and updated the forums on the work progress. Somewhere between that time and the relaunch that code seems to have turned up missing or something... the contract programmer at the time said that he checked in all work and what not and told Greg that it was good. So somehow it happened that the code in this relaunch appears to not be what the approvers and I tested that was pretty solid for the most part. Either way no one seems to know where that fixed code is so we have to start square one and drive on.
So again, please be patient as the new programmer has to get through the learning curve on the code to fix the issues. Most of the functionality and data are there is just dealing mostly with the UI of the site to make it all work.
Parf (7719) on 10/18/2013 9:56 PM · Permalink · Report
So, let me get this straight... Between testing and release the code just vanished and noone even noticed? AND didn't bother to do a final check before relaunching the site. Or was it pushed through even with the knowledge that the code was missing and people just hoped for the best?
If this was like a hobby project indie browser game by two guys in a college dorm, then I can fully see how this is possible... But under the roof of a professional game rental company it kind of seems a bit mind boggling how this was allowed to happen, given how much hinged on the redesign. I think the community as a whole had been ok with a statement like "the redesign will be slightly delayed because we encountered some problems with the new code". I think what happened here wasn't exactly the best timed or smartest move to do given what you told us. But that's just me.
Jo ST (23985) on 10/19/2013 11:32 AM · Permalink · Report
ROFL
So they are even far more amateurish than we thought after just looking at the "design".
Anyway: I am finally off, and will be checking back in 2017. My offer for a bet: the animated loader pictures will be gone then (or at least the spinning animation will be speeded up :)), but still fixed width layout, everything in ugly grey, still incredible typography and usability (scroll, scroll, scroll). Anyone to match that bet?
Nightson Blaze (797) on 10/19/2013 3:13 PM · Permalink · Report
Come on, there is nothing to fix here. You simply can't fix bad web design like this. Just do a ROLLBACK.
piltdown_man (227928) on 10/19/2013 6:36 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
Thanks for the update.
It's not what I wanted to hear and, although I know that bad stuff can happen, this explanation is not something that I find credible. Personally I don't see it anything here that can be called 'Good News'.
It was obvious that there was a problem very soon after the install yet Gamefly did nothing and said nothing. Later, wasn't it nineteen days later, they stated that a new programmer had been taken on to fix things. Now, more than a month later, we're told this guy still is not up to speed.
Given the stick you've received in these forums I do appreciate you making the effort in posting this update but it should be Gamefly who are talking to us. They should not be hiding behind you.
Their behaviour does not inspire any kind of confidence.
Ƒreddƴ (5817) on 10/19/2013 10:32 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Corn Popper wrote--]Somewhere between that time and the relaunch that code seems to have turned up missing or something... [/Q --end Corn Popper wrote--] Bullshit dude. I've worked at many IT companies over the years, ranging from small 2 man operations to mayor corporates with 6000 employees. ALL of them used some form of revision control software. CVS, SVN, Git or hell even SourceSafe.
On top of that, if you paid for 1000 hours of work from a contract programmer, the programmer has to deliver what you paid for. You can't just go "oops, the dog ate my code".
Corn Popper (68587) on 10/19/2013 11:18 PM · Permalink · Report
I'm just putting it out there what I know.
Ask the approvers that tested the fixes. Why would GF put out buggy code when I know there was code that fixed many of the issues that they had a programmer work on? To make the community mad on purpose to drive away traffic? yeah that makes sense. The point is that there was code that made the site a lot more usable and it was delivered.
As I said something happened that I don't know.
Cavalary (11411) on 10/19/2013 11:29 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Corn Popper wrote--]Why would GF put out buggy code when I know there was code that fixed many of the issues that they had a programmer work on? To make the community mad on purpose to drive away traffic? yeah that makes sense.[/Q --end Corn Popper wrote--]
To get rid of the people who insist on some standards of neutrality and credibility, and who focus on games GF has no interest whatsoever in, and allow them to easily take over, just submit what they're selling/renting with marketing crap as descriptions and only the top scoring reviews as ranks and call it a day.
It's an increasingly reasonable working hypothesis on the Troll Pub...
Corn Popper (68587) on 10/20/2013 12:07 AM · Permalink · Report
I can tell you that's not the case.
If that were remotely true you would have seen a whole lot more influx of current games into the site whether it was through the current submission process or the easier route of just copying their own data and injecting it over to moby. Now wouldn't the latter be an easier way to get to your so-called end result? That would make the community mad as well and drive people away also right? So what would they really gain by not copying the data over and just making the community mad with buggy code?
Cavalary (11411) on 10/20/2013 6:32 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Corn Popper wrote--]I can tell you that's not the case.
If that were remotely true you would have seen a whole lot more influx of current games into the site whether it was through the current submission process or the easier route of just copying their own data and injecting it over to moby. Now wouldn't the latter be an easier way to get to your so-called end result? That would make the community mad as well and drive people away also right? So what would they really gain by not copying the data over and just making the community mad with buggy code? [/Q --end Corn Popper wrote--]
The current going rate for your assurances is far from high. And couldn't such submissions, even direct ones, be rejected/WIPed after the fact by the existing admins if they'd still be around?
And, as Игги Друге said, if it was just plain old stupidity, why not revert to the old functional code at least until those fixes were implemented again into the new (not that that'd help that much, the whole concept being flawed from the core, but just as a start)?
Corn Popper (68587) on 10/20/2013 7:10 AM · Permalink · Report
I've never lied, just because you guys don't like information I put out doesn't make it not creditable.If you want to assume I am being untruthful - which I take very personal, then I won't reply to you in the future.
Technically yes admins could do that, but wouldn't they remove all the admins that might do that first? I would say yes.. but none of that has happened either.
Why not revert back? I don't know and I have asked and it was just not an option.
Игги Друге (46151) on 10/20/2013 12:01 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Corn Popper wrote--]Ask the approvers that tested the fixes. Why would GF put out buggy code when I know there was code that fixed many of the issues that they had a programmer work on? To make the community mad on purpose to drive away traffic? yeah that makes sense. The point is that there was code that made the site a lot more usable and it was delivered. [/Q --end Corn Popper wrote--]
Why would they not fix buggy code, even given an entire week? Why wouldn't they fix buggy code one month after the fact? Why would they launch buggy code without testing? Why wouldn't they do a restore to working code while the bugs were fixed?
Because they're so incompetent it takes them an hour to tice their shoelaces? Or because they just don't care?
Nélio (1983) on 10/20/2013 2:01 AM · Permalink · Report
My god, everyone here has always worked in such professional environments where no one ever *ucks up! :-)
I thought it had already been established by this time that GameFly is far from being an organized company, so I don't get it why you're all so surprised that some update got lost. Particularly if the previous programmer was sacked or knew he was about to leave, and no one cared that much for his work.
Let's not start with conspiracy theories on top of everything else. This is plain bad management and organization, and lack of professionalism.
Pseudo_Intellectual (65481) on 10/20/2013 1:01 AM · Permalink · Report
It's nice to see an argument being made for Hanlon's razor ("Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity") but now we have equal cause to worry, just for entirely different reasons.
Parf (7719) on 10/20/2013 4:41 AM · Permalink · Report
Makes you feel good about giving your credit card information when/if you sign up for Gamefly's service.
"Your credit card information has somehow turned up missing. We have no idea where it is and we can't get it back. I guess all you can do is to submit it again and hope we won't make the same mistake again."
Corn Popper (68587) on 10/20/2013 7:04 AM · Permalink · Report
So you're assuming the whole company is screwed up because of one aspect was messed up? They are for sure different departments run by different people and software.
It's like saying the PR department is jacked up because you made a mistake in doing something in the customer service department.
Rola (8131) on 10/20/2013 9:30 AM · Permalink · Report
How big is GameFly actually? In terms of full time employees?
Because they sound like some two-bit company. You say: don't judge them by a failure of a single man. Even though I'm not a businessman I know such terms as "damage control": in case of such flop act immediately to cover it up. Not just one guy is to be blamed here.
Corn Popper (68587) on 10/20/2013 4:29 PM · Permalink · Report
I'm not sure what the current numbers, somewhere below 500 I am guessing.
The rental side of the house which is the bulk of the company has been around just over 10 years.
Rola (8131) on 10/28/2013 10:32 PM · Permalink · Report
Judging by the layoffs done few months ago, I'd guess somewhere around 200?
Corn Popper (68587) on 10/30/2013 7:54 PM · Permalink · Report
No, there is a lot more than you think. They are in at least two countries now. In there US there is 5 or 6 distro centers and a couple offices in LA and people in remote areas as well.
Игги Друге (46151) on 10/30/2013 11:18 PM · Permalink · Report
And absolutely no-one working on MG. Keep up the good "work".
Parf (7719) on 10/20/2013 9:58 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Corn Popper wrote--]So you're assuming the whole company is screwed up because of one aspect was messed up? They are for sure different departments run by different people and software.
It's like saying the PR department is jacked up because you made a mistake in doing something in the customer service department. [/Q --end Corn Popper wrote--]
No, but I am saying this catastrophe kind of reflects poorly on the company as a whole because it's their name on the "product". So by default at least I will connect the dots that way as a "customer".
Corn Popper (68587) on 10/20/2013 4:26 PM · Permalink · Report
If you want, but the rental side of the business has been going for more than 10 years and that's pretty well polished.
András Gregorik (59) on 10/20/2013 2:38 PM · Permalink · Report
I'm including this farcical little mess-up in the appropriate section of the Wikipedia article (which is the "mass exodus of 2013" section).
CornPopper, as an employee you can provide me a wording of it to your liking. Do your formal best.
Corn Popper (68587) on 10/20/2013 4:24 PM · Permalink · Report
I'm not a GF employee. I really would not mention any of the details I posted here in the article.
GTramp (81867) on 10/20/2013 8:38 AM · edited · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Parf wrote--]Makes you feel good about giving your credit card information when/if you sign up for Gamefly's service.
"Your credit card information has somehow turned up missing. We have no idea where it is and we can't get it back. I guess all you can do is to submit it again and hope we won't make the same mistake again." [/Q --end Parf wrote--]
Amen
Karsa Orlong (151824) on 11/28/2013 7:20 AM · edited · Permalink · Report
6 weeks after...I assume that's a couple of weeks. How the meeting went? Is there anything fixed at all? An update is coming? Is MG going to stay like it is forever? Or maybe there was no meeting at all?
[Q --start Corn Popper wrote--]We'll be having a meeting every couple of weeks to discuss changes that need to be worked on that will hopefully be pushed out within the following couple of weeks to the next meeting. So time permitting with QA and all we'll be getting some updates about every 2 weeks.[/Q --end Corn Popper wrote--]
Corn Popper (68587) on 11/29/2013 11:28 PM · Permalink · Report
There was a meeting and I right now things seem to be at a stand still. Hopefully I'll get updated soon.
Pseudo_Intellectual (65481) on 11/30/2013 9:43 AM · Permalink · Report
Agenda for today's meeting:
table a motion to postpone the meeting for six months.
yes, an objection from the back? six months isn't long enough?
lilalurl (732) on 11/30/2013 12:58 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Pseudo_Intellectual wrote--]Agenda for today's meeting:
table a motion to postpone the meeting for six months.
yes, an objection from the back? six months isn't long enough? [/Q --end Pseudo_Intellectual wrote--]
Lol. Soon we will consider that some progress has been made for MG when they manage to plan a meeting.
While at it, have you played Lords of Discord recently?
Karsa Orlong (151824) on 12/1/2013 1:49 AM · Permalink · Report
"stand still" as nothing is currently being executed at all or the redesign bug is too hard to fix for GF programmer?
Anyway, who's responsible for this mess at the moment on GF's side? In person, eventually by e-mail. Or there is none and MG is just drifting without the man in charge?