Squidoo Tip #56: Submit Bug Reports
Every once in a while, a nasty little bug will pop up when you’re editing a lens. Sometimes a module will go screwy and regurgitate all your input, and sometimes lenses get wiped out completely. (Had that happen at least twice.)
When anything weird like that happens, it’s best to send in a bug report.
Sounds obvious, right? Except some lensmasters hesitate or don’t do it at all. We’ll cluster around SquidU, checking to see if anyone is having the same problem and find out if somebody sent a bug report. Some lensmasters are also afraid of pestering the Squidoo team and making their lives harder.
However, we’re encouraged to send specific and detailed bug reports, EVEN if someone else already has. It helps the Squidoo team figure out whether they’re dealing with an isolated case or a site-wide problem. The more people that report a certain problem, the higher its priority.
Because Squidoo is run by a very small team, you don’t always get a response. But in the end, it helps them help us.
3 Comments »
poddys said :
August 14, 2008 at 8:38 am
I’m always cautious about sending in bug reports, since I feel bad if they get 100 reports of the same thing. I admit I usually check on the lounge to see if anyone else has had the same problem first, and then submit a bug report, so as not to over report the problem. I make sure they know that it’s not just me alone when I do report it though, and link to the thread in the lounge.
Having spent years in a customer service role in IT, I appreciate only too well how important it is to provide people with detailed information about your problem. So often someone has left me a message saying that their program doesn’t work, but they omit to say which program, or what the problem is. I then can’t do any preliminary investigation, which half the time would have given me the answer, instead I have to call them back, and invariably leave a message for them. What takes a day or more to resolve could have taken 15 minutes if they only gave me the right information in the first place. So if you leave a bug report, please try to be as accurate and detailed as you can as yo what you did and what happened. It really helps…
Susan Villas Lewis said :
August 14, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I don’t like to bug them either, but I do.
I’m sure there’s a special filter for “yet another spam/bug/question from Susan” emails they get. For me, it falls into the camp of tell your gripe to someone who can do something about it. While we can (try to) be helpful over at SquidU, we really are powerless to help you in many cases. Only Gil has the power. (That’s why he’s giltotherescue.)
victorianeely said :
August 14, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Poddys - I check the forums sometimes too, because I’m usually curious to know if this is a Squidoo thing or if it’s just me. Sending them a link to a bug discussion in the forum sounds like a good idea, though.
I haven’t been an IT support person before, but I think I know what you’re talking about. Occasionally I’ve tried to help people resolve computer problems, and they’re amazingly vague. “It doesn’t work. “WHAT doesn’t work?” “I dunno, it just doesn’t work!”
Susan - I don’t envy the Squidoo team when they have to put out fires, that’s for sure. I don’t enjoy sending bug reports for two reasons: One, I don’t especially want to bother them, and two, doing it is a bit of pain in itself. But, I figure it’s gotta be done… especially since they’ve told us so every now and then at SquidU.
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