New website (My Opinion)

Why are there so many issues with the new website forum? Honestly, it feels like we’re taking a step backward rather than moving forward.

I’m not trying to be overly critical or come across as the “bad guy” here, but there are quite a few issues that need to be addressed. The template isn’t properly optimized for mobile, we’re already seeing errors on the front end, and there appear to be several usability and functionality issues that should have been caught before launch.

Overall, it feels like the site may have been rushed to completion, and I’m concerned that there wasn’t enough testing or quality control before it went live. In fact, based on the number of issues we’re seeing, it’s difficult to see where adequate quality control took place.

I think we need to take a step back, thoroughly identify and prioritize the issues, and make sure they’re properly addressed before continuing to move forward. The goal should be to deliver a polished, functional experience—not something that feels like a step backward from what we had before.

Take a step back? The site is brand new. New look, new content, new programming and it was all done by a few VOLUNTEERS. Nobody is getting paid for any of this.

Get off your high horse and make specific suggestions or observations without judgement.

Kim:

Take a step back? The site is brand new. New look, new content, new programming and it was all done by a few VOLUNTEERS. Nobody is getting paid for any of this.

Get off your high horse and make specific suggestions or observations without judgement.

Maybe its me :)

chadlly2003:

Kim:

Take a step back? The site is brand new. New look, new content, new programming and it was all done by a few VOLUNTEERS. Nobody is getting paid for any of this.

Get off your high horse and make specific suggestions or observations without judgement.

Maybe its me :)

Not only, I felt something similar about the planning and all the quirks that followed the release.

I think the worst is behind us, although there are still a few details to sort out.

Kim:

Take a step back? The site is brand new. New look, new content, new programming and it was all done by a few VOLUNTEERS. Nobody is getting paid for any of this.

Get off your high horse and make specific suggestions or observations without judgement.

THANK YOU, Kim!

You took the words out of my mouth, but with a big difference - you managed to say it politely. I literally shut my computer off yesterday to stop myself from replying. 😄

I love constructive criticism, but only when a better solution is provided alongside the critique. Anyone can moan, but that never solves the problem. This is an open-source community-driven project run by a few volunteers. It's not a corporate structure with 20 backend and 15 frontend engineers, 5 UX designers and a dedicated quality control team waiting for tickets.

The new site is a freakin huge step forward when compared to the old one! And yes, there are quirks that are still being handled and sorted - for a project of this magnituda, with so many improvements being introduced, I believe the job has been done perfectly and wilt has gone above and beyond to please us all. Can you imagine the countless hours of work invested into doing this, all while getting paid exactly 60 seconds per hour?!

If you have any ideas for improvement, you can start a thread and lay them all out, together with a specific plan of action for each. If there are bugs, feel free to provide a solution, or just report it and wait for it to be fixed. A 2-pixel shift of an icon is not a deal-breaker and it won't scare someone away from Zen Cart. Critical security, data privacy and site functionality have priority, in that order. Minor CSS tweaks are usually last on the list of priorities.

And honestly, chaddly, if your group of "developers" writes off an entire e-commerce platform because the mobile menu on the community forum needs a few styling adjustments on day three - oh boy, do I have news for you...

Cmon now... Can you please "take a step back" and re-evaluate the reality of Zen Cart and try to adjust your expectations, especially since the new site is still very much new? As my friend likes to say, "the ink is barely dry".

From what I heard, there's a lot of VERY nice stuff coming soon and new features are being worked on. A little bit of patience, with actual constructive feedback and suggestions, and the project will be flying sky-high.

I think Chadlly2003 is really somebody who wants to help and just got a little bit frustrated seeing all the CSS stuffs he could fix but was not authorized/ask to.

It is why I already forgot the 'stepb...' word. Let's move on.

balihr:

...

This is an open-source community-driven project run by a few volunteers. It's not a corporate structure with 20 backend and 15 frontend engineers, 5 UX designers and a dedicated quality control team waiting for tickets.

...

wait... what?

Guys, sorry if I came across a little harsh. I’m just used to working in an environment where proper QA and testing are done before something goes live. In my experience, testing and QA are just as important as building the site itself.

chadlly2003:

Guys, sorry if I came across a little harsh. I’m just used to working in an environment where proper QA and testing are done before something goes live. In my experience, testing and QA are just as important as building the site itself.

No problem, we all have those days. Rebuilding an established site is a lot like remodeling a house while still living in it.

pilou2:

I think Chadlly2003 is really somebody who wants to help and just got a little bit frustrated seeing all the CSS stuffs he could fix but was not authorized/ask to.

I don't think chaddly is like that - I know he is. There's never been any doubt.

It is why I already forgot the 'stepb...' word. Let's move on.

Sorry, but I can't forget about the "stepb..." word - it's pretty much on top of the list of my search keywords and favorite categories. Oh wait, you meant "stepback". Oh okay, my bad. 😛

chadlly2003:

Guys, sorry if I came across a little harsh. I’m just used to working in an environment where proper QA and testing are done before something goes live. In my experience, testing and QA are just as important as building the site itself.

Fair enough, and thanks for clarifying.

I have to be honest with you - your reply sounds like a "sorry if I came across harsh, but I'm just used to higher professional standards than you guys". Maybe it's just me and now I'm having one of those days, but comparing an all-volunteer open-source project to a funded corporate environment with dedicated ("proper") QA pipelines completely misses the reality of how this software survives.

Everyone here understands the value of QA and testing. It's not about knowledge or standards - it's payroll. Nobody is on the clock. Every single minute spent rebuilding, testing and debugging this site was personal time literally donated to the project - time that could've been spent working on a paid project for a client, with family, or even just chilling on the couch and binge-watching some stupid series on Netflix. Calling out a "lack of QA" or "rushing to completion" on an overhaul that was literally ten years overdue straight-up disregards the massive effort wilt and the team just put in to make it happen. And this really grinds my gears!

Criticism and bug-spotting are always welcome - actually, that IS the open-source QA process. But keep in mind it works best when it comes in as clear, reproducible reports or actual code fixes, instead of comparisons to corporate workflows that simply do not exist here.

Looking forward to your specific reports - I'm sure wilt won't dismiss any issues and will fix them all in due time (just like he's done so far).

P.S. I truly appreciate your work and contributions, and I hope you keep them coming. Your comment hit a personal nerve, but I really hope we can shift the perspective from corporate criticism to practical, open-source collaboration.