This is really starting to irk me; we just renewed a few days ago in spite of all the issues lately. Now when I was attempting to show a client a few galleries, I can't. Not impressed at all, guys.
We have 12 Sorcerers - and none of them are involved with the Operations stuff, separate groups.
We're sorry for the problems of late, our team is working to identify the issue and then stabilize things of course. We don't like it any more than you do, promise!
Sorry Andy, I wasn't trying to imply you guys weren't working your butts off trying to fix things. I just though maybe it might be a good idea to stabilize the system before SM adds any more "bells and whistles".
You know I have been trying not to say anything for awhile now. I don't want to be hyper critical and am understanding maintaining and updating, and the fact that I do believe SmugMug to be great in so many aspects, but this is indeed becoming irritating. Today marks the third time in the last 6 months I have had three separate clients say something to me. Not complaints as such, but certainly put off. I have to start wondering, how many times is there issues and POTENTIAL clients don't stick around. Even maintenance time seems a bit repetitive. A website is 80% of my drive to existing and potential customers. 90% of my 2010 marketing budget will be to get people on my site, all hours of the day... I need 100% all the time. Too much to ask/expect?
Perhaps I just don't understand the complexity of this service. Perhaps this is normal among any server system.
I can't imagine doing photography full time with the ups and downs of my web host.
R. Leonardo www.RobArtPhoto.com Whether he is an artist or not, the photographer is a joyous sensualist, for the simple reason that the eye traffics in feelings, not in thoughts. -Walker Evans
Sorry Andy, I wasn't trying to imply you guys weren't working your butts off trying to fix things. I just though maybe it might be a good idea to stabilize the system before SM adds any more "bells and whistles".
Phil
Why are you sorry? You didn't break it.....did you?
Sorry Andy, I wasn't trying to imply you guys weren't working your butts off trying to fix things. I just though maybe it might be a good idea to stabilize the system before SM adds any more "bells and whistles".
Phil
Dido.
Trying to see the bigger picture, most of us know it is not SM intention to have issues.
Solid agreement on the bells and whistles slow down and more for total stability-- even though there is a high cry for more bells!
R. Leonardo www.RobArtPhoto.com Whether he is an artist or not, the photographer is a joyous sensualist, for the simple reason that the eye traffics in feelings, not in thoughts. -Walker Evans
Why are you sorry? You didn't break it.....did you?
I'm beginning to think I did...every time I have a deadline and rush to get things uploaded the system crashes...maybe if I had smiled while I was uploading my file it wouldn't have happened...ya think?
:fish
Solid agreement on the bells and whistles slow down and more for total stability-- even though there is a high cry for more bells!
If the problem causing the instability is in SmugMug's software, I would agree. I get the feeling, though, that the problem is operational in nature (unstable database server, load balancer issues, network switch flakiness, or something along those lines), and is not something that can be broken or fixed by changes in the SmugMug codebase.
That doesn't excuse the issue, though. It just shifts the blame from Engineering to Ops :-)
If the problem causing the instability is in SmugMug's software, I would agree. I get the feeling, though, that the problem is operational in nature (unstable database server, load balancer issues, network switch flakiness, or something along those lines), and is not something that can be broken or fixed by changes in the SmugMug codebase.
There sure are a bunch of little red x's in the threads tonight...which means there are a bunch of little red x's on the other forum's I frequent...:(:
I am on my 14 day trial... is ti worth buying.... I just tried to send the album to my first client through smugmug and she must think I am insane, b/c it is bugging out on her... how professional I must look!
I have to evaluate how much work it would take to switch out.
:hung
We hope you'll stay - this is a temporary thing and we're confident our Ops team, led by our CEO & Chief Geek Don MacAskill will not just fix what's happening now, but make SmugMug stronger and better for the long run.
on a side note... my site (seppes) is acting up something fierce...i can still see most of the pics...but entire categories are fading in and out on me... a whole category just came up as "empty" a second ago, then it came back. my top image (which is hosted on smugmug) dissapeared too. oh yeah...and i can't upload anything.
letting the public know what happened might quell peoples' anger/distrust/whatever, methinks... unless, of course, one of your sourcerers casted some evil juju spell onto the smugmug servers... i wouldn't post that.
I am on my 14 day trial... is ti worth buying.... I just tried to send the album to my first client through smugmug and she must think I am insane, b/c it is bugging out on her... how professional I must look!
Yes, we're having some Ops issues this week - overall our availability and performance has been amazingly high. I'm in your shoes, too, and I promise that we'll get better!
You know I have been trying not to say anything for awhile now. I don't want to be hyper critical and am understanding maintaining and updating, and the fact that I do believe SmugMug to be great in so many aspects, but this is indeed becoming irritating. Today marks the third time in the last 6 months I have had three separate clients say something to me. Not complaints as such, but certainly put off. I have to start wondering, how many times is there issues and POTENTIAL clients don't stick around. Even maintenance time seems a bit repetitive. A website is 80% of my drive to existing and potential customers. 90% of my 2010 marketing budget will be to get people on my site, all hours of the day... I need 100% all the time. Too much to ask/expect?
Perhaps I just don't understand the complexity of this service. Perhaps this is normal among any server system.
I can't imagine doing photography full time with the ups and downs of my web host.
Just so you know, industry standard is that anything under 99.9% guaranteed UPTIME is completely unacceptable. This is KILLING me business wise. I pay and demand what I pay for, no more, no less. If I had sent any of my clients here as a way to create a business presence online I would be getting the part of me that goes over the fence last chewed off right now. As it is I am losing $1000s thanks to this current issue and that absolutely no exaggeration, I WAS hosting images for ebay listings here but will have to stop it completely and go back to my primary server as SmugMug is a service I consider completely unreliable. And to top it off, no mention of compensation for the failures. We are NOT getting what we are paying for...
As of right now, I will NOT be renewing come June/July...not worth it for me, not even close.
Did a shoot for a major Govt. department, and am now sending .zip files around. Sub-optimal.
Same here, needing to upload ~200 photos from this week, but hang in there. I'm just happy / relieved that it's down at night and not mid-day when the staffers are trying to view the pics of their 3-star General's that I took this week (have an event to photograph tomorrow with a 4 star).
Our site soft-opened at the beginning of the year and has had a million photo views so far
And as for the explanations; I can only imagine that posting details would get the SM staff absolutely INUNDATED with suggestions and 'all you have to do is this' fixit plans from us Monday mornin' quarterbacks.
Just so you know, industry standard is that anything under 99.9% guaranteed UPTIME is completely unacceptable. This is KILLING me business wise. I pay and demand what I pay for, no more, no less. If I had sent any of my clients here as a way to create a business presence online I would be getting the part of me that goes over the fence chewed off right now. As it is I am losing $1000s thanks to this current issue and that absolutely no exaggeration, I WAS hosting images for ebay listings here but will have to stop it completely and go back to my primary server as SmugMug is a service I consider completely unreliable. And to top it off, no mention of compensation for the failures. We are NOT getting what we are paying for...
As of right now, I will NOT be renewing come June/July...not worth it for me, not even close.
I hope we can improve things between now and then so we can change your mind - we'd hate to see you go. And if you do decide that, please email me attn Andy at our help desk.
The problems may not have anything to do with the software. It's like blaming Microsoft for your computer crashing when it's really a dying hard drive on your system.
The problems may not have anything to do with the software. It's like blaming Microsoft for your computer crashing when it's really a dying hard drive on your system.
I never blame Microsoft, I blame Bill Gates himself....:D
Great...I gave a Grad class until March 31st to tag their 6 favorites for proofs. Actually insisted on it at the parents meeting. Now I am getting calls that they can't get access. One family is leaving in the morning for the long weekend and will not be back until Tuesday...this is going to set me back a week getting proof packages out. I can't even get the last sittings images up so they can choose, the family rushed all over this afternoon to get their kid in to the studio to make the deadline. I am probably going to need to give some free product as compensation just to make it up to them.
Edit: I am sending them to a Flickr page...that should do it.
We hope you'll stay - this is a temporary thing and we're confident our Ops team, led by our CEO & Chief Geek Don MacAskill will not just fix what's happening now, but make SmugMug stronger and better for the long run.
I understand what you are saying, but as an ebay seller, a few hours down time at the wrong time is death.
I totally agree with 4corners. The majority of the bids usually come within the last couple hours of an auction end. If people can't see the product, then no more bids. An item that would generally sell for $150 that ends up selling for $25 really hurts the bottom line. Multiply that by 50 listings...........ouch.
Comments
Also I was having trouble with my youtube and ezs3 accounts this past week. Something related?? Anyone else use these and getting issues too?
Sorry Andy, I wasn't trying to imply you guys weren't working your butts off trying to fix things. I just though maybe it might be a good idea to stabilize the system before SM adds any more "bells and whistles".
Phil
www.sunglophoto.com
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Perhaps I just don't understand the complexity of this service. Perhaps this is normal among any server system.
I can't imagine doing photography full time with the ups and downs of my web host.
www.RobArtPhoto.com
Whether he is an artist or not, the photographer is a joyous sensualist, for the simple reason that the eye traffics in feelings, not in thoughts. -Walker Evans
Why are you sorry? You didn't break it.....did you?
Dido.
Trying to see the bigger picture, most of us know it is not SM intention to have issues.
Solid agreement on the bells and whistles slow down and more for total stability-- even though there is a high cry for more bells!
www.RobArtPhoto.com
Whether he is an artist or not, the photographer is a joyous sensualist, for the simple reason that the eye traffics in feelings, not in thoughts. -Walker Evans
I'm beginning to think I did...every time I have a deadline and rush to get things uploaded the system crashes...maybe if I had smiled while I was uploading my file it wouldn't have happened...ya think?
:fish
www.sunglophoto.com
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Well it couldn't hurt....try it next time.
If the problem causing the instability is in SmugMug's software, I would agree. I get the feeling, though, that the problem is operational in nature (unstable database server, load balancer issues, network switch flakiness, or something along those lines), and is not something that can be broken or fixed by changes in the SmugMug codebase.
That doesn't excuse the issue, though. It just shifts the blame from Engineering to Ops :-)
What did you say....
GreyLeaf PhotoGraphy
This is starting to kill my sales.
I have to evaluate how much work it would take to switch out.
:hung
yyyeaaaaah!!! cept i don't have a street legal bike anymore... mine is track only.
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
letting the public know what happened might quell peoples' anger/distrust/whatever, methinks... unless, of course, one of your sourcerers casted some evil juju spell onto the smugmug servers... i wouldn't post that.
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
Just so you know, industry standard is that anything under 99.9% guaranteed UPTIME is completely unacceptable. This is KILLING me business wise. I pay and demand what I pay for, no more, no less. If I had sent any of my clients here as a way to create a business presence online I would be getting the part of me that goes over the fence last chewed off right now. As it is I am losing $1000s thanks to this current issue and that absolutely no exaggeration, I WAS hosting images for ebay listings here but will have to stop it completely and go back to my primary server as SmugMug is a service I consider completely unreliable. And to top it off, no mention of compensation for the failures. We are NOT getting what we are paying for...
As of right now, I will NOT be renewing come June/July...not worth it for me, not even close.
Same here, needing to upload ~200 photos from this week, but hang in there. I'm just happy / relieved that it's down at night and not mid-day when the staffers are trying to view the pics of their 3-star General's that I took this week (have an event to photograph tomorrow with a 4 star).
Our site soft-opened at the beginning of the year and has had a million photo views so far
And as for the explanations; I can only imagine that posting details would get the SM staff absolutely INUNDATED with suggestions and 'all you have to do is this' fixit plans from us Monday mornin' quarterbacks.
Nikon | Private Photojournalist
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
GreyLeaf PhotoGraphy
Andy Obama speaks the truth.....
The problems may not have anything to do with the software. It's like blaming Microsoft for your computer crashing when it's really a dying hard drive on your system.
I never blame Microsoft, I blame Bill Gates himself....:D
Edit: I am sending them to a Flickr page...that should do it.
Monte
I understand what you are saying, but as an ebay seller, a few hours down time at the wrong time is death.