I used Zenphoto for around 18 months for gallery.meronepalma.com
However, due to the frequent updates on the system and very poorly backward compatible, I have finally declared myself frustrated with the Zenphoto system.
Zenphoto was installed via SimpleScripts on a shared hosting server. And every time I upgrade the system, I had to copy all the images and upgrade. Till the third upgrade of the system, each time I found my data being lost and the site seemed broken in some type.
We hadn't noticed that the site gallery.meronepalma.com was down for around 1 month and there wasn't any complains received either. I can hardly remember the date when I upgraded the system. And its finally decided that I won't go for a system which is too prone to backward incompatibility. :(
Hence, I am thinking of powering the gallery by self.
Sorry to Zenphoto. Its a serious issue. I am passing this open message. My site was redirected to a setup page and it was open to public. Anyone could have done anything during that period. So I am quitting it officially.
Some PROs of ZenPhoto
Its not that Zenphoto wasn't among my first choice. After going through a lots of available opensource galleries, Zenphoto was that, which I found suitable. Some features I liked the most of ZenPhoto
- Obviously, the regular support and feature upgrades (but it should be backward compatible)
- Powerful Admin Backend and a Wonderful UI for administration
- Good Albums and Gallery management
- Themeing
- Plugins and Modules support
- Community powered and Open Source. I could find a bunch of followers for Zenphoto.
Gallery.meronepalma.com will be shutdown till next announcement. Sorry folks.
Sorry for your Frustrations with Zenphoto. But you have hit on a key element--installed via SimpleScripts. That is unfortunately a bummer. We have no control over SimpleScripts and have a long history of its installations causing problems for our users, sepcially when they attempt to upgrade at a later time.
ReplyDeleteThank you Stephen.
ReplyDeleteIf its so, I think you should talk with SimpleScripts at least something and make them clear what your users are facing about.
I can't gurantee anything about the SimpleScripts right now, but will surely update if anything similar occurs with few other scripts I installed with simple scripts.
Thanks and Regards,
@acpmasquerade
In an ideal world everyone would consult with everyone else. Unfortunately, the world is not ideal. It is really not practical for a software provider to deal with anyone and everyone who takes their open source software, modifies it, and then passes it on. (This is what SimpleScripts does.)
ReplyDeleteWe post on our site that SimpleScripts and other similar third party schemes do cause problems. We cannot police them all. Nor can we seek out all users of their products.
These installers seem to work for the first install--presumably they have tested that. They fail down the line when they install versions for which they have not made adaptions.
If the users of these scripts do not make complaints to the providers of them, nothing will happen. It makes no difference to the [for instance] SimpleScripts providers if users later have problems with a Zenphoto installation. That becomes a Zenphoto problem.
So, if anyone wishes this situation to change, he will have to register his problem with SimpleScript or nothing will happen.
SimpleScript provides a good value for inexperienced users who would have troubles with, for instance, installing and configuring their database. Those users also tend to stick with their first install and then have few problems. (Unfortunately, one is that they did not supply the Zenphoto password, so when it is "lost" they are SOL. This is the sole area of problems for users who do not upgrade.)
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteI went through your comment, and decided to take time before replying.
What you raised here, are quite important and serious. I feel that if its the SimpleScripts issue and is pulling out the Zenphoto users everytime, there must be some kind of official responses from the Zenphoto.
I want to quote some of your texts from the comment above.
"takes their open source software, modifies it, and then passes it on." - If they are doing any illegal modification, there must be some kind of official movement against it.
"If the users of these scripts do not make complaints to the providers of them, nothing will happen. It makes no difference to the [for instance] SimpleScripts providers if users later have problems with a Zenphoto installation. That becomes a Zenphoto problem." Yes, its true - as you have said, it becomes a Zenphoto problem. These days most of the hosting providers enable "Simplescripts" and "Fantastico", and end users rely on these installer applications. As you have said, in most of the cases when users use these tools to install the thirdparty applications like Zenphoto, for the reason "Simplescripts" being provided by the Hosting provider, users believe in them more than the third party applications like Zen..
What do I feel is that there must be a section in Zenphoto where it will provide some kind of wonderful documentation or issue reporting regarding its usage with other thirdparty applications/installers. I found this text written somewhere in the forum "Sorry, we do not support SimpleScripts or similar installation help scripts".
There is another blog post regarding some another issue of backward compatibility with Zenphoto again.
Zenphoto Version differences
Cheers to the team for its five years. Wishing all the best.
I think your point is well taken, we can say more as to why we do not support these scripts.
ReplyDeleteOf course, we do despair anyone actually reading these posts. Our experience is that we cannot get anyone to pay any attention to such things. (As evidenced by all the multiple posts on our fourm which is monitored and states so below the posting box.)
As to backwards compatibility in general, there is really only one way to maintain such. That is to make your product stagnant.
This is really true of most software that is actively developed. Forwar compatibility is required, but one cannot live in the past.
With regards to your link above, I suspect this user also used an install script to do his upgrade. Our install script will migrate every thing forward that is needed.
Of course, if you wish to revert you need backups. We also provide for that, but standard IT practices will work as well.
Thank you for well taking my point. I have few agreements and few disagreements on your argument.
ReplyDeleteYes, its true that a provider can keep an eye on every comments and complains. Myself being a provider face the same situations. Apart from it, being an end user, I think I expect some kind of response on the issues raised.
But, taking of Backward Compatibility issue simply like creating a Stagnant system, I feel its not properly judged remark. A good system must have some sort of bridges to keep up a co-ordination between either a Forward System or a Backward system. Its not that Softwares never change their whole core. Stories report cases where softwares move from one core to a completely different core. But there should always be some sort of respect to the earlier versions. It might not be the case with Zenphoto, but might be a case with SimpleScripts, but agreeing upon what you said and accepting that SimpleScripts did everything, an enduser always expects something easier, simpler and safe.
--
And after a long conversation, I have decided to give a try with Zenphoto's own install script.
Will meet you after my experience with this way.
Well, Zenpohoto does provide such a bridge. Probably the only sort of bridge that can be presumed to work. That is the backup/restore facilities. If you wish to revert to a prior version, drop your database, install that version and restore from a backup made on that version.
ReplyDeleteAnticipating any future change requires either precognition or a time machine. The former is generally presumed to be an attribute of some supreme being (should such exist), not us mere mortals. The latter is not precluded by the laws of physics. However the technology and energy requirements are well beyond the current state of our civilization.
SO, for those who wish the possibility of reversion, be sure to be prudent in running your site.
Well, I was thinking of looking back to the system, but haven't been able to. Was refreshing through my posts, and remembered again.
ReplyDeleteWill see it for sure.