Topic: Feature Requests / FTP Storage - No discussion allowed?

37signals’ response seems reasonable and fair to me.

They grandfathered in people who were using it and don’t offer it anymore moving forward for those who weren’t.

This changing/grandfathering is common for services. Basecamp is a service, it’s not software. Software is something you download on your computer and it never changes until you decide update it. Basecamp is a service that you subscribe to. It changes often. All changes can be seen as good or bad depending on where you stand, but that’s part of the deal when you use a service. If you want ultimate control you may want to set up your own servers and host your own software.

Take a cell phone or cable service for example. Plans change, options change. If you get 1000 minutes for $50/month, and the cell company decides to discontinue that plan, they let you stay on it but no one else can sign up for it. If a cable company packages HBO/Showtime together, but then decides to split them into separate plans in the future, they let you keep your HBO/Showtime package but no one else can sign up for it. You can’t use something that isn’t offered anymore unless you were using it when it was offered.

In this case, 37signals used to offer remote FTP file storage. They then offered both FTP and Basecamp File Storage. Then 1.5 years later they decided they didn’t like the tricky experience offered by integrating with external FTP servers. They phased out FTP and replaced it with Basecamp File Storage. Those who were using FTP can keep using FTP. Those who weren’t, or those signing up today, don’t have the old FTP option anymore.

Seems reasonable and fair and in line with decisions that have to be made from time to time by service providers.

Just my thoughts.

Topic: System Announcements / NEW FEATURE: Milestone calendar date picker (UPDATED)

Well done guys! This is an excellent enhancement. I love the little adjustments you guys have made over the past few weeks. Just subtle changes to make the overall experience much better. Thanks again.

Topic: Feature Requests / Love the new dashboard layout, can we have it in Overview too?

Diggin it! Well done. Thanks for listening.

Topic: Troubleshooting and Bug Reports / New Overview Bug

Good old Tom. He can’t just let 37signals know he spotted an issue without having to toss in a little attitude to prove how on top of things he is. A classic know-it-all.

Things go wrong sometimes when lots of moving parts change. This is a tiny little thing, all things considered. I’m sure 37signals will have it fixed up by tomorrow.

FYI: 37s… I love the changes. Well done. Thanks for listening.

Topic: System Announcements / NEW FEATURE: "List view" for messages

Hey guys, if you don’t like the feature then ignore it. It’s completely optional.

Pretend 37signals never released it because it wasn’t “perfect” yet. If they get around to achieving your perfection then you start using it. But you’ll lose a lot of current value waiting for future value. If we all waited for perfection we’d be sitting around doing nothing most of the time.

Personally I’ll take something that’s 80% killer now (List view is def 80% killer) than something 100% killer 6 months from now. But that’s just me in my “if something gives me some value now I’ll gladly use it” silliness.

Topic: System Announcements / NEW FEATURE: "List view" for messages

I love where this appears to be headed! I can’t wait to try it. I can see this really making things easier for us and our clients.

Regarding those already concerned that people won’t be able to figure out “Blog view” and “Forum view”... Give other people some credit. Some of you guys here act as if only you are smart enough to figure things out.

“Regular” people (re: your clients) aren’t as dumb as you make them out to be. Do your clients know you don’t think they’re smart enough to figure a few links out on their own? People will see something, click it, try it, and get it. And if they don’t they don’t – big deal, then things are the same as they were before. People are smart enough to learn and try new things without you having to constantly look out for them like they are children. They were smart enough to hire you, weren’t they?

Regarding those already asking for more more more! More features already! This feature isn’t even out yet, but some of you already want it to do more!!! More buttons! More views! More options! No wonder 37signals is so careful about adding new stuff. Everyone wants everything which is why most software is a cluttered mess.

Topic: System Announcements / NEW FEATURE: Image thumbnails for messages and comments

Dan, I believe the issue is that ImageMagick has to open the PDF programatically to thumbnail the image. Opening the file can trip the malicious PostScript code (In its rawest form a PostScript program may have full access to the local file system and it is entirely possible to write malicious PostScript applications) which can attack the 37signals servers.

A person with malicious intent against 37signals could write a little PostScript program, embed it in a PDF, upload it to Basecamp knowing that it will be executed so it can be thumbnailed, and do real damage.

It seems prudent for 37signals not to thumbnail PDF files if it’s possible for a malicious Postscript file to be hidden in a PDF and set loose on execution. As someone mentioned above, 37signals used to thumbnail PDFs in Campfire so I don’t think it’s a matter of tech, it’s just a matter of security.

Some Google searches will turn up some interesting security vulnerabilities regarding PostScript and PDF. Anyone with some time and curiosity should check it out.

Topic: Feature Requests / Open images in new window

Jallan, chill out man. Sheesh. The only one arguing here is you.

Jason presented a calm, simple point-of-view perspective without any attacks. He didn’t call you wrong, you called him “wrong”. He didn’t say “I can’t understand why you are so adamant about this,” you did. He didn’t toss out the passive aggressive jab: “If you don’t want to make this system as user friendly as you can, then by all means stick to your guns,” you did.

You seem to be the one arguing. And what’s with this: “but don’t argue with me about it, it’s insulting.” If you are insulted by someone else’s calm opinion then you should take a vacation. You’re too wound up.

Lighten up man.

Topic: Troubleshooting and Bug Reports / To-Do's Category problem

Lighten up, jcole. Jason was just trying to help. Don’t hold people up to the 100% right 100% of the time standard. That’s just not fair. And don’t call people arrogant for being wrong – that’s just not a pleasant thing to do. I’m sure you’re a better person than that.

Now that you’ve given him additional information I’m sure he’ll be able to help you better on Monday. It is a weekend, after all.

Topic: System Announcements / Some adjustments to the Overview screen

etchalon, who’s complaining about feedback? I’m merely talking about the drama. Feedback = good, “I’m never going to visit that page again!” = bad.

Spot on regarding the drama. “Never again!” isn’t helpful. Threats aren’t helpful.

If people want to be heard and reasonably considered they should scale back the drama and sensationalism. Extreme positions and language just force people to stick their feet in the mud and save face. You don’t change someone’s mind by telling them their ideas are “horrible” and “terrible” and “hideous.” The Basecamp UI is 37signals’ ideas put out there in pixels.

Reasoned, calm opinions are the ones that actually lead to change. How can you take someone seriously when they are screaming “Never” and “Horrible” and “Terrible” and “Hideous”! It’s just some text in colored boxes on a web page. Relax folks.

“Impossible to read”? Come on. It’s not impossible to read.

“Distracting me to no end”? To no end!? Are you still distracted right this moment? No? What ended it?

“We’re telling our clients to avoid the Overview page” Avoid the page! It’s poisonous! If you use the page you will die!

“I hate to be negative…” Oooh, passive aggressive!

“Does the BRIGHT YELLOW today bug anyone else… I mean I know it’s supposed to jump out… but ouch” Ouch? It’s like tiny. It couldn’t hurt a fly.

This is fun.

My bottom-line point. It’s OK folks. Everything is going to be OK. 37s is making some adjustments based on feedback. To those who say 37s “doesn’t listen” it sounds like you aren’t listening. Let’s calm down a little. A collective deep breath. There’s a lot of knee jerk going on here and that rarely leads to prudent decisions.

Thanks for listening.

Topic: System Announcements / Some adjustments to the Overview screen

Nice change guys. I agree this helps. Thanks for listening.

For everyone saying they are all “confused” and things are “horrible” and “hideous” and “I will never look at this screen again” etc… Take a deep breath. Disease is hideous. War is hideous. The design of a web page is not. Well, unless it’s a MySpace page ;)

You are “confused” by some colored boxes with text on the screen? Do simple things like that really throw you off that quickly? Are you really unable to adapt to something new? Are you a machine that crashes if everything isn’t in perfect order all the time? Maybe it doesn’t taste good to you on first bite, but try it a few times over a few days and you may find out you actually like it. Immediate rejection isn’t fair or constructive.

Can you give 37signals the benefit of the doubt instead of instantly rejecting something? It’s been less than 24 hours since the redesign launched. They’ve already made some changes. They asked for your patience. They’ve asked you to try it on for size for a while. They’ve asked you to get used to it and then comment instead of basing everything on your initial reaction. Change amplifies emotions, I understand, but slow down a little and give it some time.

Thanks for listening.

Topic: System Announcements / NEW FEATURE: Interface design refresh

Interesting on two levels:

1. People always point out the things they don’t like. I don’t hear a single “Well done guys. I love this that and the other. I do have one suggestion though. Maybe you want to consider…” Instead it’s the serious concerns posts. Tom: Both Jason and David said the red flag issue was a mistake and a fix was coming. Breathe!

2. I totally get the new Overview screen. Once you get over the shock of something new after looking at something else for 2 years you start to see the reason behind it. People are emphasized and lines read as a sentence. “This person did this” with the “did this” called out in living color so you can scan the whole page without having to read anything. The old version did not have this advantage. It had a grid, but the grid sort of “numbed” the data (as grids can do). You couldn’t scan the old Overview and really get a sense of who’s doing what. The new design is all about who’s doing what.

Oh and did anyone notice that the Overview is now broken into nice dates? It’s not just Today, Yesterday, and the old weird “before yesterday.” Now it’s dates. That’s helpful, thanks.

I like it. I can see how some people don’t, but like 37s says, give it a little time. Don’t look and react immediately (change can feel like a smack in the face when it’s really just a pat on the back), use for a while and consider.