When I first started writing plugins for b2 and later WordPress, I looked forward to each release – seeing people happy using my code. These days, I sort of dread releasing new versions of the plugins1 because 90% of what comes back to me are support requests that I have no bandwidth for.
The growing popularity of blogging and of WordPress is largely to 
blame 
I’m not sure what to do about this, but I thought I’d throw it out there. Any other plugin developers ever run into this sort of thing? 🙂
- And drag my feet doing so – for example, I’ve got a 1.5 compatible version of WP Photos that is only a little final trim work away from being ready for distribution and I’ve put it off for months now. [back]
alex, you have to throw sucess with other endevors. it is also understandable to frustrated with the lack of fortitude to realize that you help get the plug-in started and others are to HELP perfect it. I yet to even truly understand how to customize my look. I do appreciate what you and others do to help me look good until then!
My approach would be to only look at the support requests once a week or so. Bundle them all up, fix all the problems you can without going back to the users for more information, and release a new version. I bet this will fix almost all of the problems. If you have time you could then look at those tricky individual problems. And if you don’t have time then you have at least spent you efforts on satisfying the majority of users.
You could also encourage other people to look into the code and provide fixes — I always tend to hack around with other people’s plugins and I would gladly share what I’ve done if asked. (I haven’t messed with any of your plugins yet!)
As a plugin author myself, this isn’t a problem for me yet — my total userbase could probably fit in a car. In fact they could probably just about fit on a bicycle. When I have as many users as you, maybe I will have more refined views.
I found out the hard way, during the height of Kubrick, that I simply don’t have the time (nor the inclination) to deal with support questions. So I disowned support and set up a forum where people can help each other.
Perhaps a small plugin community, where people can help each other?
I think you’ve done your share for the WP community, especially with the competitions, above and beyond the call of duty. If you want to concentrate on your own software that’s quite understandable. As to WP-Photos, it’s a great tool, so a german blogger (Northern Web Coders) made a modification to the old version which lets it run under WordPress 1.5.
I’m using it for my school newspaper, I might use it for my own site, since most of the photo galleries are just too hard to set up and administrate, even though the layout isn’t integrated into this old version so well.
I had hopes for the plugin competition recently but the one interesting photo gallery plugin there doesn’t seem to have made it. Anyway, see your wp-photos in action here:http://www.zeitung-h[...]05/06/28/47/
Bennett, I would agree with you if there were bugs I needed to fix in the plugins, however that isn’t what the support requests are. They are “I downloaded, what do I do now?” or “This doesn’t work when I use these other 8 plugins”.
Michael, I point people to the WP forums (check out my contact page) – but I still get daily WP and plugin support e-mails.
Estara, my 1.5 version of WP Photos doesn’t require any code changes to install/remove – it’s a lot better than that one.
Do what I do for themes and plugins…if it’s an actual bug, fix it. If not, tell them:
1) Instructions for use are on the page (or in the readme file), plain as day. If you can’t follow the instuctions, find another theme/plugin with simpler instructions.
2) The requirements for the theme/plugin are listed on the page. If your host doesn’t have these itmes installed on the server, ask them to install it. If they don’t want to install these, find another host, or find another theme/plugin.
3) Visit this site: [insert wp support forums link]
I started using the “use another theme” when I released my GD image title themes. Too many support requests coming in because the version of php didn’t support things, or gd wasn’t installed, or people running their own servers who didn’t know how to install these things.
Granted, I did have bugs because at first I tested them only on a bsd box (mistake), but once I got that fixed, everything else that came in was strictly server related, and the answer was the same. I’ve had less requests since I put the disclaimer on those download pages.
While I’ve not found the time to do it myself yet (and so want to…), I’ve seen how effective forums can be for tech support. Not only do you build up a knowledge base people can search to find answers to the common questions/issues, but if a good sized community forms within the forums, other users end up answering a percentage of the questions, saving you from having to worry about it.
I’m sure it can be demotivating though, once the thrill of being popular wears off, to have to spend all that time supporting people when there’s no direct remuneration involved…
-wayne
Alex, I do all my plugin and script support via the blog entry that includes the directions, the plugin download link and all the Q&A that’s gone before. I get fewer repeat questions this way.
You do what you can do, and forget the rest. You are only one person. If people can’t READ the instructions, then they have no business trying to install the plugin.
Sit down and decide what your rules are for support… and stick to them. Those of us out there that have even 1 working brain cell will be able to read the instructions. If there is an actual problem, I’m sure you’d deal with it. Anything that isn’t directly related to a problem goes in the bit-bucket.
I too like the idea of a forum where folks can help themselves. If they can’t take at least one grain responsibility for at least TRYING to help themselves, well, it’s NOT your job to save them.
Peaceful Journey…
That’s basically what I do now – using the WP forums.
The fine art of asking for help
Alex King, one of the premier plug-in developers for WordPress (the blogging software that runs this here corner of the Web), is getting pretty frustrated.
Every time he releases a piece of software, all of it free of charge, he’s deluged by s…
I’ve only really developed one plugin and I find it hard to keep up with the support requests. There’s not too many and I’ve gotten to the point where I can usually identify what’s wrong pretty quick. Internally, the plugin is a bit of a mess and I’ve been meaning to rewrite it for a long time. Similar kind of feeling in that I imagine the rewrite’ll be a bit buggy and not sure if I’ll have the time to support it properly. That’s what other people are for though, the WordPress forums sound like a good idea. Keep up the good work, and do what makes you happy.
One thing that has driven me nuts if a lack of good FAQ’s for wordpress plugins. Plenty of dumb questions could be avoided with the setup of a simple FAQ page (and a forum or comments on a blog doesn’t count =) ).
Alex, you have done so very, very much for the WordPress Community. Such fame demands attention, and such attention is just plain WORK. 😉
To you and everyone, I recommend that you beta test your readme and plugin web page instructions with as much effort as you do the plugin itself. Run it by mom, dad, sister, friends, neighbors, and a few others who might know a thing or two about how this works. Test it on total non-PHP/non-HTML folks. If THEY can understand it, then any one should be able to get past instruction 5 without rushing to you for guidance.
A lot of Plugin readme files say almost nothing except “I thought this would be cool to do. Hope you enjoy it.” Well, that doesn’t tell me what it does and how it works. Not saying you do, but I think my point is made.
Lower support response comes from high quality, easy to read and understand instructions available via web page and readme file; educating support volunteers on how it works by getting their help during the testing phase helps others answer questions about it on the forum; and being clear that users should help themselves in either a separate “mini forum” or on your comments. Then you can jump in when necessary, and supply updates when necessary.
Be really clear about what you will offer and what you won’t, and then let it all take care of itself. It will in the end. If people want the plugin bad enough, they often figure out how to fix whatever is wrong by themselves. What you need to do is encourage them to post the solution for others.
And thanks again for everything you do.