Expressing my frustration!

I have been using Dolphin software for roughly 6 months.  Though I was happy with the most part for the out-of-the box functioning, I wanted to personalize the software.  I found that the add-ons are expensive, but  I paid the creators to make sure that things were installed properly.  Almost nothing that I paid for was every installed properly, but the real kicker is that nearly every time something new was installed, something that was supposed to function stopped working!  Currently, it is the Admin Articles that I can no longer access.

I have never had this problem with other software that I have used.

Though I recognize that Dolphin isn't responsible for 3rd party add-ons, they need to stop allowing advertising for them or become more stringent about it.

I am so frustrated because I don't even know how to begin to fix things.

Kri

A part of my own frustration is the fact that every minute modification has a huge price tag on it. Now, I understand that the developers of the modifications would like to be compensated for their work, but many of the price tags are a little outrageous.

Don't get me wrong, the Dolphin programming and the add-ons work very well, but small and easy coding, nor should removing a small advertisement should be worth $20 to $40 a piece.

For example, I also run a pretty huge web forum that is a FREE and completely open source script. It has the majority of the features of all of the forums that you would pay for, but is absolutely free. Also, the mods, add-ons, and even all of the templates are free. I would figure that the authors of the modified script for those modifications just do it for the pride and recognition even when they end up creating mods that require multiple changes in code and installation.

Honestly, I don't mind paying for mods....if they work!  I switched from Joomla, and there were a lot of free mods there (that worked perfectly, btw) and some paid mods.  I used both.  They were easy, easy to install and if they didn't work, they were also easy to uninstall.

I switched to Dolphin and saw that a lot of extensions were paid but made the choice anyway.  My problem is that the users installing many of the paid mods do slow work (as in...you pay for it and it gets installed a month later after you have emailed them countless times!) and many don't work or screw up what you already have...and then...they completely disappear.  I have a lost a couple of hundred dollars of money I really don't have.  I feel very disappointed about that.

I understand that Dolphin is an open source product...and I really like it.  I am just incredibly frustrated now with how to move forward.  For me, my website is a passion....it is not a source of income.  Every modification that I make comes out of my own pocket and isn't compensated.....I just want things to work properly and I feel so upset.

Kri

My experience with Dolphin is word-by-word same as PrincessFiona....

Starting from the migration from Joomla to Dolphin, paying and waiting for months and sending numerous emails for getting mods fixed and then mods not working....to making websites as passion with spending money from my own pocket...

It's so disappointing...and I wonder what the solution is.  Honestly, if I didn't have my phpBB3 already integrated, I think I would just switch to something else.  I really like Dolphin, but I have spent so much money on mods that don't work that I could have paid for one of the social networking software products that isn't free AND had them integrate my phpBB3 for me.

I don't know what to do.  I tried reinstalling Dolphin, but I'll never get the transfer of databases to work properly.

I consider myself to be pretty web literate too.  I can and have installed and used multiple software programs for differing uses.  This just boggles my mind.  Also, one of the reasons that I paid extra to have the mod authors install things was to have it done properly.  I have 5 children and am having a very busy year.  If I had taken the time to do it myself and NOT paid someone, at least if things didn't work I would 1. know how to fix them and 2. have only myself to blame.

Kri