SMF Customization Team - my feedback

[IchBin™]

I'm just asking why don't these guys feel honored for being in such position as SMF Customization Team. I know guys who would give 3 hours a day for SMF, and they in fact have the quality. It's people's dreams to be in your position for a few weeks.

I think you guys are great for doing all those things for free, but SMF would be much better if you could do them just a bit more responsibly. 

Actually being on the team isn't the honor for me, helping people is.

If you can find someone that can spend every waking moment here to do the job and not get burned out, please let me know. They also have to be knowledgeable in SMF and coding. Oh, and they can't be a drama queen either. Not to mention being a team player... see how difficult in cat get?

I know a couple of them, actually.

Get them posting here and creating mods and themes then. We are always looking. While we have a few people who are good enough to approve themes, we need more people that are developers.

Is it really that big of a deal that you were asked to fix your thumbnail? Sure we have a few things that aren't written in the rules. That's because we consider them common sense....  Would we reject your theme if you couldn't fix the thumbnail? Probably not if you were nice in your reply with a decent excuse for the reason. But it doesn't hurt for us when we notice these things to ask the user to fix them. And it doesn't hurt for you to fix them either does it?

It actually does hurts me after I spend hours on it, waited three days, and found out that because of one 150x150 gif have to wait 3 days more. It just eats me inside out.

It hurts you to wait 3 days? And then another 3 days for volunteers to get back to it? Wow... I'm sorry your feelings are hurt so easily. A week turn around time is outstanding IMO. I'm sorry you don't see it that way.

I find it amazing that you assume we should spend at a minimum of 20 minutes of our day here to approve just themes. What about the code support topics? What about mod approvals? They certainly take longer than theme approvals. What about the PM's I get each day that ask me to transfer mods, or ask me about coding, or ask me about theme or mod approvals? What about mod reports that I have to respond to? (which nobody reports for the right reasons)....

And you never thought that you and another guy could do theme approvals, another two guys mod approvals, some of you just to answer the questions? Or something like that.. it's nine of you.

Actually it's only 7 of us as two people on the list are leaving. Not to mention the ones that are on hiatus. So that leaves us with 7 people. Of those people, only 2-3  people are theme approvers. You cannot force a volunteer to do something they don't want to do. If the others don't want to do themes but are doing mods, I'm not going to complain. Not to mention there always times when people have things come up and aren't able to help for a week or two while they take care of things. Real life comes first.

Either way, I've said my peace. I'll gladly bow out before it gets any worse around here.

[Urban Themes]

Well, before they were doing it quicker. I submitted a theme, after just a day received a reply about a problem, fixed it, the same day it was approved. 4 themes in a row like that!!!

That's why I'm wondering now. What happened since March??

it isn't going to make the staff inclined to rush to approve your theme, if anything you are more than likely going to get your theme pushed to the bottom, hell i would if you were ******ing at me.

Of course they will, I expect that.

Think you have to remember it was YOU that used the wrong image

Not quite, i had no idea I have to change that image. I don't even pay attention to it. As I said, find me the doc where it says "you need to change thumbnail.gif"

Get them posting here and creating mods and themes then. We are always looking. While we have a few people who are good enough to approve themes, we need more people that are developers.

They are posting and creating mods.

It hurts you to wait 3 days? And then another 3 days for volunteers to get back to it? Wow... I'm sorry your feelings are hurt so easily. A week turn around time is outstanding IMO. I'm sorry you don't see it that way.

Not the first three days, the second three days do.

I'm just asking why don't these guys feel honored for being in such position as SMF Customization Team. I know guys who would give 3 hours a day for SMF, and they in fact have the quality. It's people's dreams to be in your position for a few weeks.

I think you guys are great for doing all those things for free, but SMF would be much better if you could do them just a bit more responsibly. 

Actually being on the team isn't the honor for me, helping people is.

It should be the same thing.

Either way, I've said my peace. I'll gladly bow out before it gets any worse around here.

This wasn't supposed to be like this at all. I expected an answer from a customizer, who would explain it the regular way.

[IchBin™]

Well the funny thing is you've heard how many replies from people on the team and the community about how your complaint isn't logical.  So one would normally come to the conclusion that they were wrong in the way they thought about things. I guess you missed that part though.

Like I said, volunteering here comes and goes. Some people are very active for weeks at a time. Then they go on vacations, take college exams, have a death the in family, other responsibilities etc. etc. The fact that you got many themes done fast is great. But that does not always happen. And now you know.

[Urban Themes]

That's the problem with communities, if 10 people think this and 1 thinks that, these 10 people are considered right.


Ok then. Thanks for replies.

[Johnny54]

That's called democracy!

[mashby]

Actually, you're going about this topic the wrong way. In fact, I'd suggest you are being a bit selfish. And that is in conflict with the operating principles of this volunteer-based site. And thus the responses you are getting are in conflict with your selfish opinions. It's about as clear cut as that.

Have some level of patience please. Yes, you are also part of the volunteer community by making and submitting themes. That's a great thing. Also, keep in mind that here in the United States, it's a long holiday weekend. Which reminds me, I need to find my long lighter and get some beer on ice.

[MrGrumpy]

Think you have to remember it was YOU that used the wrong image

Not quite, i had no idea I have to change that image. I don't even pay attention to it. As I said, find me the doc where it says "you need to change thumbnail.gif"

I actually think that commonsense dictates that the thumbnail of the default theme shows people a preview of the default theme in a sites list of installed themes and that the preview thumbnail of the default theme isn't a preview of your theme and therefore you should include a thumbnail of your theme as a preview image so as to not mislead or confuse people.

You made a mistake, learn from it and show some patience with theme approval times and just crack on making some more themes.

In regards to documentation;

http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Creating_and_Understanding_Themes#Quickstart

I'm done with templates... What else
To give your Theme a unique look, you may need to modify/add your own graphics to it. The easiest way to add/modify your own graphics is by copying the images folder from the Default theme to your new theme. Once done you can modify or add graphics to (in order of folders):
bbc - bulletin boards buttons which are used mainly in Post screens.
english - buttons used in forum's menu, Board index , message ..etc.
icons - icons used in various part of the forum.
post - icons used for posts.
topic - topics indication images.
Also the main folder (images) contains various images used in many places in your forum, such as your Theme thumbnail, messenger indicators, stars, etc.

The operative word being "your" - it says your theme thumbnail not "our" default theme thumbnail so actually yes it does mention the thumbnail in the themes documentation on images.

[Matthew K.]

There was quite a while when I would clear the whole queue in under a week, or at least do my best, but life has been picking up due to summer activities and events I have to take care of. As Ich said, we are all volunteers and Real Life definitely has to come first. I've not had a chance to review a theme in quite a while unfortunately.

But topics like these where people are extremely impatient and only thinking about themselves actually makes me want to take a longer break from doing theme reviewals.

[Burridge]

People expect too much from 'free' sometimes. :/

[Fussilet]

"through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone"
(Proverbs 25:14-16, NIV)

[twig/al]

I personally think the Customization Team do a great job... I know I can't do what they do and they make me look like I know what I am doing with my forum... From one who thinks you guys and gals are GREAT!!! I know a lot of the Mod people have been waiting for the 2.0 Final release to update them, so I don't mind waiting...

[Douglas]

Guess I'll have to chime in as the Denizen Derriere Vacuity of SMF...

If you don't like the process, how about you actually DO something productive... like join the Customization team?

Is the overall process perfect?  No, but as Gary and others have so eloquently stated... it's being improved on, while not sacrificing quality.

It's not just the theme submitter's ass on the line... it's also SMF's. If someone's theme does something untoward... guess who people are gonna come screaming at first. Here's a clue:  It ain't the themer, it's SMF.

The Customization team is simply CYOA mode with this stuff.

Now, step up and volunteer for the Customization team or shut it and be patient while the themes go through the review process.

Thanks.

[Antechinus]

I'm just asking why don't these guys feel honored for being in such position as SMF Customization Team. I know guys who would give 3 hours a day for SMF, and they in fact have the quality. It's people's dreams to be in your position for a few weeks.

In general we do not want people who are in it for the badge. We avoid them if at all possible.

I think you guys are great for doing all those things for free, but SMF would be much better if you could do them just a bit more responsibly.

You really have no idea what else the Customize team members have to deal with, on this site and in real life, apart from your themes. Who are you to accuse them of irresponsiblity?

[Fustrate]

If they haven't got 20 mins a day, they should just quit SMF. And be real.

I lulzed hard at this part. Having volunteers quit because they have a life will SURELY get your theme approved faster! The less people the better!

[LogoOff Team]

In fact Cust. team has helped a lot to me, and they a doing a good job.