DocAndersen
It is often confusing to people when I tell them what I do for a living. I am a solutions architect I tell them. They look at me. “So you make buildings?” I always laugh, not at the person but the misconception, Architects design buildings, engineers build them. In the world of software architecture, we take the initial concept, align with the existing processes and the business goals and available technology, and that creates a solution. In my current job, I am often asked to take a look at the bandwidth a company needs.
I talk about two concepts that most people grasp very quickly. The first is the concept of cost avoidance, and the second is the reality of cost removal. Cost avoidance is the money that the organization never has to spend. Cost removal means that the solution is cheaper this week than it was last week. The two can operate together. Or you can apply them separately to the issue at hand.
Why am I telling you this? Well, it has two distinct parts. The first is that in solving problems with software there are always reasons why you will fail. I will tell you, though, having built software for some of the biggest companies on earth there is one rule, originally coined by Ed Richter.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
If the first two fails, try the 3rd, if the 3rd fails to start over at 1. It seems so easy, but it is often the hardest thing to do.
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Question of
Community matters, right?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
It is imporant to support those who cannot create, right?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
It is ok to be frustrated with the situation, right?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Don’t give up, Virily will survive! Right?
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Yes
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No
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I still don`t understand the problem, what is wrong with Virily? I have NOT had any problems posting, I have had one post to be published later than any other and maybe because it was very short. Do you think that Virily is trying to … hmmm, how to say this? Weed out a few people? Wanting something, someone fresh?
Now I understand what you do! So yeah for me the blonde. You`re a very smart man. I am tech stupid but I can cook a mean pie.
i hope this isn’t intentional by the admin team. I don’t think it is.
almost a 1/3 of the active users cannot create new content. But they can create a new account and create content.
I have encountered similar problems when in 2002 began developing a unique software for Bulgarian Post.
it is always tough when building code!
I needed to be something like a translator of software developers and the postal administration…
yeah I have lived through projects like that! 🙂
Q: Community matters, right?
Yes (9 votes) – 100%
Q: It is imporant to support those who cannot create, right?
Yes (9 votes) – 100%
Q: It is ok to be frustrated with the situation, right?
Yes (9 votes) – 100%
Q: Don’t give up, Virily will survive! Right?
Yes (7 votes) – 88%
No (1 votes) – 13%
I am tired and frustrated. I keep going, but I cannot really say why at this point. It doesn’t seem that anyone wants to help everyone.
you summed it up well.
There are two distinct problems now that are slowly strangling the community.
But, as CarolDM said, there is still hope!
I am losing hope that the problems will be resolved at all. For now, I persist.
at 14 days of a partial outage, I am worried. I’ve been worried and had hoped during my 3 days away from that the site would be fixed.
I love this community we’ve built. I hope it is strong enough to survive.
Both communication and community are both very important, unfortunately, some of us have lost the appetite to maintain them. I can only help through visits to those who cannot post, unfortunately they are getting tired of waiting and pacing here without doing the main thing. However, I really appreciate your wise attitude in clearing the atmosphere and always giving an overview of various situations that occur. Good job, Doc!
Thanks, Albert. The reality is we have lots of issues right now. I suspect the admin team is overloaded.
I suspect the authors that cannot create are overloaded.
…and we do not know whether the efforts and assistance we have made can reduce their burden…
I have come to the conclusion that my responsibility ends with the offer of help. Past that it is no longer my problem.
I can understand it, Doc. There is always a limit to this kind of business, right?
Thanks for clearing up the issues, so it seems that the Virily admin team are overloaded….Yet there needs to be better communication.
Hard I suppose when perhaps they are trying to find out what is happening
Yes, I would say, not to give up give them time to work it out.
One of my all time favorite adages.
When you are up to your neck in Alligators
it’s hard to remember your original job was to drain the swamp.
Well said Doc, it is concerning that some people cant create posts.. doesn’t seem fair.
the new issue is impacting users as well (negative balance).
It’s difficult, to be honest.
I’m glad I’m not as active here because I know if I’m,
I’ll be much more negative than I’m now.
You see my problem is rather unique. I’ve a negative balance in my account and whatever I earned is used to “off-set” that negative. Its rather confusing I started with -$10 from the start of the month and after the payment date, I’ve -$7 because I made $3… Which means I did everything for free …
I don’t know why I have negative in my balance! I even got Carol to help me contact the admins too. (Grateful to her!)
And you know as usual, no respond from Admin.
That is very strange. Sad, they haven’t responded to Carol. It’s as if you’re volunteering.
Right now they are responding to everyone with a fairly generic answer to every question.
They are overloaded.
Howard Faxon (or perhaps another writer and I am confused) had a very similar issue. I think right now that the admin team is helping the rest of the crew fix the issue they are having.
But I am happy to reach out to the admin team as well if you think it might help…
Thanks Doc, but since Carol did and I also just PM the Virily Editor, I think I’m just going to wait for a while instead of bombing them with PMs.
If I do need your help, I’ll let you know 🙂
No answer yet but we will keep hoping for an answer alibb. 🙂
this is impacting Alex L as well now…
I suspect we should put together a more comprehensive email than just you. This is impacting other users now as well.
I am sending the larger email today.
Humm, so I have some mixed emotions. Why am I fighting so hard? It is silly to believe a few of us can make a difference. It seems silly to be singing in the life boat alone. I added some social accounts I had never even heard of before to share those posts where writers are unable to publish right now. I read what some say and ask myself why try.
I guess I really don’t know what to do, but I found a home here and it feels like instead of trying to save it people are kicking down the walls.
I am profoundly sad.
Your efforts are worthy, noble and helping!
We will survive!
I love learning technological subjects. I enjoyed this one and the reason why you introduced the subject.
I have survived with Hubpages for ten years now. I started earning from the site after five years. I don’t earn much but it’s acceptable at the condition I’m in.
That is, I will still be patient because I have an idea starting and maintaining a site isn’t a small thing.
it is not, and at this point views are down. Hopefully this is simply an inflection point.
Virily will survive? I’m not so sure about that. Much must depend on the financial situation of the owners, and none of us can be sure what that is.
The lack of communication from the owners is a worry, and presumably that was the inspiration behind your post.
The plug could be pulled at any time, as it has been on numerous other sites down the years. The idea that this sort of site is a money-spinner is often an illusion, for the reasons that you have advanced in other posts.
agreed and agreed.
the reality is the site is in decline. Hopefully, they will fix the issue, and authors will return. For now, we are declining.