Site Support is Responsive
Here is an update to my previous post, if you missed it you can go read it via this link.
Beware, Your Plugins Will Disappear
Only time will tell if these resolutions will come to pass, I still feel that WA's BETA version for PHP 7.2 has to be tested longer before it is ready.
When I soon begin adding more content on my new website I should immediately know.
That said, I must say Site Support has always been quick to respond. I often get annoyed by their short generic responses. However compared to other platforms, Site Support at WA at least cares about servicing us quickly by keeping the customer (us) in mind.
Most Likely False Positive Errors
Regarding the PHP Compatibility Checker’s 41 warnings and 2 Errors, Site Support immediately placed the blame on my Premium Theme developer's plugins coding. They asked me to contact them.
Frankly, I found this to be a bit premature without evidence and didn't see this as likely, because my Theme Developer is highly reputable and updates their plugins regularly. That includes their coding.
Still, I did exactly what Site Support asked me to do.
Here is how Theme developer responded when I asked them the question about why I was getting these errors:
Hello Kaju,
Thank you for contacting us regarding this matter.
Most likely this is a false positive error since our products work fine on PHP 7.X versions.
We are not aware how the HP Compatibility Checker is designed to work also but be rest assure that all our products are compatible with the latest PHP versions.
Let us know if there’s anything else we can help you with.
Best regards,
So as I expected, this was not the Theme developer's fault due to bad coding. As they stated, all of their products work fine with PHP 7.X. They regularly update all of their themes and plugins. And I get these updates often on a weekly basis. This only affirms my belief.
When I reported to Site Support what my Theme developer wrote, they immediately jumped all over this most likely "false positive" notion but without giving any reason or attribution.
Kaju,
As you can see that x support has stated that the reports of this plugin are false positives so there should not be any issue with the current PHP environment.
Site Support
I let them know that frankly their quick blanket answer (which was actually an assumption) to a most likely condition was unsupported, incomplete, and convenient.
They were only making assumptions without justifying or giving solid reasons why they believed these most likely's were false positives.
Fact Checking
Let's examine the facts: The theme developer who makes the plugins has a solid proven track record that the plugins work in all PHP 7.X environment, while Site Support is currently developing a BETA version that is still in the testing phase where they think it will work.
In this case, where do you think the credibility would favor?
And I think these are the issues and frustrations many of us have here with Site Support.
As quick as they are to respond to our problems, they are often incomplete in their responses, and are too quick to attribute a problem to an unknown cause without giving a good reason. They appear presumptive in knowing what is causing the problem when at the time in reality we often can clearly tell they do not.
This is reflected by the many comments I have received from the community. I certainly can see a pattern.
Message Heard Loud and Clear
Well, they must’ve read my message loud and clear.
When I informed them of my true feelings, this is how they responded:
Kaju,
We are forwarding this ticket to our senior admin and he will get back to you on this asap.
Site Support
After about 90 minutes, I was contacted by the “senior admin”.
Here is what he/she had to say:
Hi Kaju,
I've had a review of these errors and warnings that this plugin is showing.
None of the warnings or errors here are critical and I'll explain each as I have reviewed them. There are only 2 cases here and these are repeated by the plugin
---------------------------------------------------------
Case 1:
FILE: wp-content/plugins/visual-editor/inc/compat.php
ERROR | Extension 'fdf' is removed since PHP 5.3; Use pecl/fdf instead
In the php-compatibility/PHPCompatibility/Sniffs/PHP/RemovedExtensionsSniff.php class there is a list of extensions that are tested for.
This 'fdf' is one such extension. However, this extension it not required by the x plugins that are being reported.
What appears to be occurring in this specific case is that the php-compatibility plugin is locating a `fdfootnote convert` function in the x code. This function is not part of the FDF extension, but is likely being matched nonetheless.
This does not hinder your x plugins and can be considered a false-positive.
Case 2:
FILE: wp-content/plugins/visual-editor/inc/views/actions/responsive-video-providers/youtube.php
WARNING | No PHP code was found in this file and short open tags are not allowed by this install of PHP. This file may be using short open tags but PHP does not allow them.
This youtube.php file as well all the other php files being reported under this same 'warning' pretense contains now PHP code. These files appear to contain only HTML.
This is another case where there is no issue. On this new server we have 'short_open_tag' set OFF. This compatibility plugin defaults to these warnings when no PHP code is found AND short_tags is OFF.
This setting of short_open_tag OFF is the recommended/default setting. We will be reviewing this setting, but at the moment these warnings have no known ill effect on your website.
---------------------------------------------------------
Okay fair enough. They say these extensions are not required.
They have taken a stab at why these just might be false positive errors.
So with everything said and done here, I am still placing my trust in Site Support.
The BETA version with PHP 7.2 is apparently working now. Now that the BETA is working, I was finally able to install my CTC plugin as well as my child theme. My plugins were all able to be reinstalled.
However, the 41 warnings and errors from the PHP Compatibility Checker that are most likely due to false positives still concerns me.
Thankfully my new site is low risk; it’s practically a clean slate without much content.
Despite these 41 PHP Compatibility warnings and errors, let me finish building the new site and see what happens.
I am giving Site Support the full benefit of the doubt.
All I can say is let’s keep our fingers crossed.
And see how this BETA site turns out!
Cheers,
Kaju
Recent Comments
83
I’m sorry to hear of your recent bad experience regarding site support. I have always had really positive experiences with them and find them to be super helpful. My dad used to work in tech support for IBM and he would always rule out the most obvious problems first before looking for more complex problems
Glad to here that. This problems here are not obvious Serenity, and since the checker shows warnings and errors, a false positive cannot be easily assumed.
I have never had a problem with response times from Site Support, but I and many others have had issues in other areas, particularly the quality of responses.
Thanks for commenting:)
Kaju
Thanks so much again Serenity:) I have a new You Tube channel where I'm producing great content.
Check out our great Tokyo story as well as my Efren Reyes match win video play by play:)
Send me your YT link and I will Subscribe. You can Subscribe to my channel here:)
http://bit.ly/2T21P2N
If you don't yet, I will happily return the favor when yours is up.:)
I would be questioning the validity of the PHP Compatibility Checker plugin, Kaju. It hasn't even been tested beyond WordPress version 4.9.10 and I'm sure you've updated to 5.1.1 by now.
Your point is well taken Marion, but just like your 'ol standby plugin WP Clone (which hasn't been tested beyond 4.7.13 or updated for over 2 years), this plugin still works very well, and is highly recommended by WordPress.
Yes, I've updated to 5.1.1. I wish WA had updated to PHP 7.2 without the BETA.
Yes, I'm still using WP Clone and it's still working. BUT just as a backup backup I'm also using Updraft Plus, All In One WP Migration, and FTP. And I have my real sites hosted elsewhere on a VPS. I don't trust anyone else to look after my business as well as I can look after it myself.
Hello Marion, y
our comments are indicative of a trend some of us suspect and some of us are concerned about.
You speak about your real sites being hosted elsewhere on a VPS. I find that very significant. The implication is that there are some not real sites? Do you just use WA to initiate sites then move them away when they are real enough to make money?
Some suspect that some of the higher performers or more knowledgeable individuals, like yourself, have pulled off of having websites hosted at WA for the very reasons that concern Kaju.
Hence, even though WA markets itself as a reliable place to host websites, many smarter people don't find it to be the case because of excessive technical problems and don't trust it. Yet those same people are selling the integrity of WA as a means of income.
This is not the only thread concerned with such matters.
If WA can't perform well enough that people seek to leave it to go to a VPS method, then that's what should be either a) fixed by WA so it is more reliable or b) people should be recommending a VPS or c) a more reliable shared web hosting service not so fraught with issues as seem to be popping up as of late.
Marc
The hosting here is fine for new members with small websites. I keep a few test websites here so I can try out plugins and themes to see what works at WA and what doesn't. I've been working with websites since 2002. And yes, I do recommend more reliable hosting companies on my website. marionblackonline.com/hosting
Yes Marion, I know the way you feel about this subject very well. Although I suppose you have "warmed" up to All In One WP Migration over the past year (I remember you loathe it at one time).
Is Updraft Plus still having compatibility issues with WA?
The thing I loathed about All In One WP Migration was that they trick people into thinking they can restore their website using the free version without modification. I know how to hack it so I can make use of it when I'm moving websites, even BIG ones.
Thank you Marion, I'll be pouring over your website in some detail! I appreciate your insight here.
And yes, I understand your expertise on websites goes way back and precedes WA, so you have valuable knowledge I want to tap into. Marc.
One thing I am curious about is your motivation to tap into WA for utility, for any reason. Not that you need explain at all, of course. Perhaps I'll discover the answer when I review your info! cheers!
Yes I know how to hack it too, I even once wrote a training here on that. And I know the new way how to do it as well.
Marion uses the platform to test her websites, themes, and plugins, Marc. And also as a place to teach.
Yes, Marc. This, exactly.
I have ongoing issues with my my website suddenly going offline, as well as inexplicable periods of extremely slow site loading.
My site isn't particularly large or sophisticated, it shouldn't be difficult to have it online and loading quickly.
Why shouldn't we expect at least the bare minimum of less than 1% downtime, as other well known managed hosting services provide?
When I look at my 3 year history of Site Support tickets, a huge number of them are titled "Site Is Offline Again" and "Site Is Suddenly Extremely Slow".
For all the value I enjoy from WA, these hosting issues are not really acceptable.
How large is your site Laurie, and how many images do you have on it? Are all of your images fully optimized?
Have you ever followed my training here on decreasing your load times? Many people here have valued it. Turbo Charge Your Site Speed! I would say it would be wise to take these additional steps first (in case you haven't before), then if those issues still continue to exist move on to the hosting service.
Kaju
Hi Kaju,
I have a subscription image optimizer and my website normally runs fast.
I'm referring strictly to inexplicable periods of extreme slowness/offline time, not due to any changes on my website.
A Site Support ticket gets it running normally again, (with no explanation), which indicates a server issue.
Okay, Kaju, and if so (no reason to contend your statement about Marion's motivations), it seems that this testing has led to her conclusions that WA is strictly for amateurs with small sites!
That's certainly not what I was led to believe when I ponied up for a year's worth back in December.
Hi Laurie, your logic and deductions are impeccable. I also have to agree that the downtime performance is just not of adequate quality and I find your experiences alarming! I'm checking out Marion's recommendations alternative hosting, not that I'm pulling any triggers yet. Thanks for filling us in with some details on this!
That may or may not be Marion's opinion Marc, let's not jump to conclusions here either.
Everyone is in a different place in their online journeys, so what might work well for one person, will not work for another.
I recently finished building an MMO site using a Premium theme; I have it hosted here at WA. It's not a small site, and I am not an amateur. On that site, so far so GOOD. It's fully optimized, running fast on Desktop, Mobile, and Tablet, and all Pages and posts are in the 90's.
Granted the situation I just encountered (and am currently still engaged with) with WA's outdated PHP (where they asked me to go on the BETA PHP 7,2) for my new site is definitely concerning.
So I have an MMO site (that is fairly new) and 3 others that are experiencing zero issues - but a NEW site experiencing some frustrating limitations (as explained in my prior post) lifting it off the ground.
Definitely concerning issues nonetheless.
Ultimately its personal. I would first try a few test sites here and see how they perform; if you aren't having a good experience, you can seek other options.
Kaju
It is. However, these issues began before that particular plugin was installed.
Let me just stress that Site Support always "fixes" this when I submit a ticket, so it's obviously something in their control.
Kaju, I'm not putting words in her mouth by any stretch. If she wants to elaborate about 'WA being fine for new members with small sites,' she should, and answer your question, too. In the meantime, my interpretation is not jumping too far off the beanstalk :)
For myself, I'd rather not find my hours of toil disrupted by poor hosting performance down the road, if this is a real issue. I'm glad one of your sites is fine but no so glad one of yours and Laurie's is not.
Yes Laurie, I understand that.
Keep in mind also. an image optimizer program (offering something like "lossy compression" for auto-uploads) simply isn't enough optimization. Ideally, you need to pre-optimize those images before they go through the optimizer plugin.
For instance, I have a subscription-based optimizier program I am using, However, before I ever upload any images through the plugin, I run them through a program like Kraken or Tiny PNG.
That said, if your site was already running fast (without adding new images to it), then slowed down sporadically, I agree it would likely be server-related.
I didn't say you were Marc, by any means. And I apologize if it came off that way.
Believe me, if problems continue with my latest site, despite good fortune with the others, I will be the first one to move it out.
Kaju
Kaju no worries it didn't! But as to your remarks regarding Laurie's ongoing repetitive downtimes, if the problem really is with imaging, why does a) site support keep fixing it and b) why are they not explaining this to her so the fix is not their problem, but hers? The evidence points to a server problem.
These are very good questions Marc, and I would like to know myself. As I say in this post, the problem with Site Support is the QUALITY of their responses, and this seems to be highly prevalent lately.
They range from generic responses ("...try it now.'.) to none at all when there is an issue out of the ordinary.
You did the impossible, you got them to get it working 5 stars to you. As long as your request action, you did well. Computers and any app,plug-ins or softwares are touchy in their new state, with bugs sometimes. Just think about Windows 10 how bugs it had and are still having. I miss my Windows 7, it was rock solid. Glad you got your issues fixed or should I say bugs. Please like my comments I am just a few points away from the 200 mark in WA rankings, thanks Sruffey.
If you had made a reply I would have liked it back lol. You need to learn how WA works. Thanks for the like, thanks Sruffey.
Thanks Sruffrey. I am one of the few ones here who reply back to almost every comment, but I am very busy, so I usually do that the following day.
But since you brought this up, I am replying.
You don't need to tell me how WA works, you are preaching to the choir:) Lol!
Thanks Sruffey, yes I suppose I did. We need to exercise due diligence when we need something to be accomplished.
I hope you hit 200 soon:)
Kaju
Hi Sruffey, I am one of the few members here who make comment back to everyone, but I am very bust so I usually wait until the next day to do that. But i always get to it within 24-48 hours.
However, since you brought it up, I am replying back to you now. BTW, as far as knowing how WA works, you are preaching to the choir, lol!
Thanks so much again Sruffey:) I have a new You Tube channel where I'm producing great content.
Check out our great Tokyo story as well as my Efren Reyes match win video play by play:)
Send me your YT link and I will Subscribe. You can Subscribe to my channel here:)
http://bit.ly/2T21P2N
If you don't yet, I will happily return the favor when yours is up.:)
Wow -- I guess you have issues, as we all do from time to time. Glad you are getting things straightened out. Hope the Beta site continues working.
Yep -- spent yesterday dealing with not one, but two issues. Fortunately, got them resolved, as they were inhibiting my progress. Out of my way! I'm headed up! Dratted problems, thinking they can stop me...
Hello Kaju,
I am glad to hear. Site support has always been very helpful to me. I am very happy that a resolution is in the works. Technology is wonderful, but of course there are times when is a nightmare. :(
There is always a solution and I am happy is coming for your site.
And hopefully the PHP is updated.
All the best,
Ana
You are right Ana, there is always a solution. I mentioned that at the end of my last post too. I am sure we will come to a solution in the end:)
best,
Kaju
Thanks so much again Ana:) I have a new You Tube channel where I'm producing great content.
Check out our great Tokyo story as well as my Efren Reyes match win video play by play:)
Send me your YT link and I will Subscribe. You can Subscribe to my channel here:)
http://bit.ly/2T21P2N
If you don't yet, I will happily return the favor when yours is up.:)
Good post, with good information. It is an interesting comment on Site Content and very valid.
As you say fingers crossed and good luck.
Thanks. I have not yet seen the interesting comment on Site Comments D, but now you have me very interested:)
Kaju
Hello Kaju, thanks for these important details. Of late, I've been tracking commentary regarding what appear to be a rising number of incidents related to website support and stability. Complaints are resolved with only generic comments from site support.
It's good to know that when push comes to shove more details are provided.
I'm interested in hearing about the matter of the php updating. Thanks for sharing! Marc
Hi Marc,
Great to see you!
Please read the background information from my previous blog Beware, Your Plugins Will Disappear! ...and you will appreciate this one even more:)
Kaju
Yes, I read them all in fact as I discovered your links; Very important info!
Haven't been gone just not very active on the WA blog scene for the last month, but I appreciate the recognition, thanks!
See more comments
Hi Kaju - what a nightmare!
If everything works ok, I wouldnt be too worried about false positives. I get them regularly with virus software being too keen! :-)
Hopefully your site will be just fine.
I also have to agree with your comments about Site Support. They';re great with 'normal' problems but fob you off with anything out of the ordinary, often saying they are 'looking into it'. They've been 'looking into' a bug in the WA SiteSpeed cache for a month!
Hope all goes smoothly for you from now on.
Ian
Thanks much Ian for your thoughtful comment.
Site support is always quick to respond, I've never had a problem with that. Normal issues are fine. It's the quality of response you get when something is slightly out of the ordinary.
I believe it demonstrates they clearly do not understand the problem. Now that's okay. What's not okay, is having a problem linger for months and giving the same generic responses.
There is a saying "Squeaky wheel gets the oil." Hate to say it, but unless you are a squeaky wheel, you might not get the attention you need. That's what happened in my case.
But this type of detailed follow up by a senior admin should occur more frequently (without needing to be the "squeaky wheel") when the situation warrants it.
Kaju
Absolutely right, Kaju.
I will follow up 'more insistnatly' with the problem and see what happens.
Hope your problem is now fixed.
Ian
Thanks Ian, you will be right to do so. Unfortunately that is needed at times:)
Kaju
I've had another 'blanket' response so have, again, insisted...
Don't give up, keep at it. Remember, "Squeaky wheel gets the oil"!
Ha! Ha!
I got another reply, quite detailed but essentially restating what I already knew. I've gone back in again... :-)
Ian
:):)
But, at last - RESULT!!!
2 very sensible and explanatory messages from someonw who obviously knows what they're talking about!
They clearly explained why the problem was occurring and kindly offered a customised fix.
Why couldn't they do that in the first place?
Ian
As I said Yan, "Squeaky wheel gets the Oil!"
Congratulations!