SimpleDesk

Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Gruffen on June 05, 2010, 12:25:05 PM

Title: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on June 05, 2010, 12:25:05 PM
That's something I want to explore a little: I know how I think people interact with SimpleDesk, both as users and staff, but I may be a million miles off the mark, so I'm curious how you guys as site admins find it to work with, how it fits into your site structure, as part of your service delivery and so on.

Feedback from your staff and users about how they find it would be really appreciated too.




We've just started using SimpleDesk on a project site I run, though it's not exactly being used as a helpdesk per se. We've migrated to SD from Project Tools (0.3, for reasons I won't go into, that site was still running 2.0 RC1.2 until about 13 hours ago)

It's a private site, the consequences of which are that for the most part privacy is a non issue. For what we're doing, SD is slightly better looking (at least, it fits with ModernDark32 better out of the box) but the one feature we've moved to SD for in preference to PT is ticket relationships (which is already done in 1.1)

So, yeah, on the one site we're actively using it on, we're not using it as a helpdesk as such. Migration from PT wasn't so hard because we didn't use most of the features, and the ones that we did use (categories, bug/feature status) should be able to be emulated through SD's custom fields when that gets finished.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: royalduke on June 05, 2010, 05:19:40 PM
Arantor, why do I think that your private site has to do with games, is it a game server support forum or something?

Anyways, running this baby in http://smfsupport.info It looks pretty good with the DzinerStudio theme. I was planning on running this on my hosting service but then I realized that most people just Email me for support if needed.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: tfs on June 05, 2010, 06:11:19 PM
I'm holding off on running live because I plan to use it as an actual help desk only site  for the company I work for, and one of our requirements will be email notifications and custom fields.  That won't happen until 1.1 is finished.  My plan is that visitors to the site will not be able to tell it's running under SMF except for the SMF copyright at the bottom.  :)
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on June 05, 2010, 07:05:43 PM
Quote from: royalduke on June 05, 2010, 05:19:40 PM
Arantor, why do I think that your private site has to do with games, is it a game server support forum or something?

Because it is, as it happens. The discussion forum where we're building an RPG (STILL, yes, but fortunately some progress is being made, which is now mostly why I'm on hiatus here). We're using the forum for discussions about how the game works, and using SD as the project tracker.


Quote
Anyways, running this baby in http://smfsupport.info It looks pretty good with the DzinerStudio theme. I was planning on running this on my hosting service but then I realized that most people just Email me for support if needed.

We don't have any screenshots with DS themes, care to share any? (Of course editing out real details ;)) I did a bunch of screenies from free themes, plus Bloc's themes.


@tfs: Email notifications is definitely the next component to be worked on. Custom fields will come after that.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: ~DS~ on June 12, 2010, 09:27:09 PM
To be honest...I have no idea how SD will be used on my site and how it fits in just yet because I am trying to find its purpose and benefits for my users, my forum is a social forum, not business so I am having trouble seeing how it benefit my site. Right now it's only enabled to a Charter group, staffs group and had always since the beginning. I am trying to figure a way to make helpdesk more useful into something.


As for pushing for 1.1, I am debating whether I should open to public and have beta tester to test to speed up on SD report and their feedback on helpdesk on how it should fit my site. 
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: JBlaze on June 12, 2010, 10:55:04 PM
I use SD on my development site (http://www.jblaze.net/) as a priority support helpdesk for subscribed members.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: royalduke on June 13, 2010, 10:00:50 AM
QuoteWe don't have any screenshots with DS themes, care to share any? (Of course editing out real details ;)) I did a bunch of screenies from free themes, plus Bloc's themes.

I hope you still need one from a DS theme, anyways here ya go:

I attached some eye candy :)

EDIT: this is only for the theme Silentwave.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on June 13, 2010, 10:51:14 AM
Awesome, thanks :) I'll take a proper look in a minute, am very curious to see how it turns out; I know just how it looks in Bloc's themes and that it works better in some than others.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: royalduke on June 13, 2010, 11:14:40 AM
Quote from: Arantor on June 13, 2010, 10:51:14 AM
Awesome, thanks :) I'll take a proper look in a minute, am very curious to see how it turns out; I know just how it looks in Bloc's themes and that it works better in some than others.

I could get you more if you want... With probably all the DS themes.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on June 13, 2010, 11:18:30 AM
If you have access to the full set, I'd really appreciate a full set of screenshots, if only to ensure that it works as intended on those themes, and so that I can tweak it as necessary.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: royalduke on June 13, 2010, 11:26:54 AM
Quote from: Arantor on June 13, 2010, 11:18:30 AM
If you have access to the full set, I'd really appreciate a full set of screenshots, if only to ensure that it works as intended on those themes, and so that I can tweak it as necessary.

No problem, I will get multiple screenshots of each :)
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: royalduke on June 13, 2010, 12:14:27 PM
Here you go: Attached and I also organized the names and stuff. Let me know what you think so I can delete the .zip from here. Anyways, there is no 'help' and 'search' becuase my friend removed them from his site. I noticed that 'Helpdesk' menu button doesn't show in themes that have custom menus but that's understandable :)
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on June 13, 2010, 01:45:10 PM
You can delete the zip if you really want to, but there's no problem with leaving it as is to be honest (at least, none that I'm aware of)

Thanks again :) Time to go browsing properly to see how it works out.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: royalduke on June 13, 2010, 01:49:00 PM
No problem, as long as you got the images ;) I took three screenies with each of the themes and three different actions such as "Creating ticket", "Admin Area of SD" and "Helpdesk page".

Knock yourself out :P
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on June 13, 2010, 01:56:29 PM
Generally it holds up pretty well in the various themes, but to be fair that was mostly what I expected, much as I encountered with Bloc's themes.

And yeah, if there's a totally custom menu, isn't much we can do about that without coding in theme specific support (which I really don't think we should do if we can help it)
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: royalduke on June 13, 2010, 02:13:15 PM
Quote from: Arantor on June 13, 2010, 01:56:29 PM
Generally it holds up pretty well in the various themes, but to be fair that was mostly what I expected, much as I encountered with Bloc's themes.

And yeah, if there's a totally custom menu, isn't much we can do about that without coding in theme specific support (which I really don't think we should do if we can help it)

I think adding custom theme support ill be too messy and will probably make the modification file large, which really isn't needed it if you ask me.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on June 13, 2010, 02:58:18 PM
Messy, yes. Making it large... well, it's already large. I recently did some trimming and brought it down to only 41 things to do on install...
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: royalduke on June 13, 2010, 03:00:22 PM
Quote from: Arantor on June 13, 2010, 02:58:18 PM
Messy, yes. Making it large... well, it's already large. I recently did some trimming and brought it down to only 41 things to do on install...

Still not worth it but you could talk to theme authors and ask them to add a menu item for SD just in case :P or you can maybe write something that allows people to import menu buttons depending on theme for SimpleDesk.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on June 13, 2010, 03:15:10 PM
Or theme authors could come up with something that doesn't rely on stupidly enforcing manual edits to the theme, but that's just my cynical nature.

That said, I added something very clever to SD 1.1 to remove the unread/unreadreplies links and the search box if it's not applicable, in standalone mode, that is in almost every case safely done without being a theme edit.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: royalduke on June 13, 2010, 05:03:25 PM
Quote from: Arantor on June 13, 2010, 03:15:10 PM
Or theme authors could come up with something that doesn't rely on stupidly enforcing manual edits to the theme, but that's just my cynical nature.

That said, I added something very clever to SD 1.1 to remove the unread/unreadreplies links and the search box if it's not applicable, in standalone mode, that is in almost every case safely done without being a theme edit.

That's good to hear :)
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: NIBOGO on June 14, 2010, 06:36:23 PM
I'm using it for my SMF Customization Website SMFPacks.com and works like a charm it's a lot easier to give support using SD instead of Regular Forums
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Senkusha on June 14, 2010, 09:25:04 PM
On my anime site we're using the Simple Desk for the following:

Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: ~DS~ on June 14, 2010, 10:17:18 PM
Quote from: Senkusha on June 14, 2010, 09:25:04 PM
On my anime site we're using the Simple Desk for the following:

  • For requests to add content. [Request]
  • To track site bugs [Bug]
  • For site enhancement requests. [Feature]
Interesting, to track site bugs? I might replace PT for SD when the custom field is complete in 1.1.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on June 14, 2010, 10:21:42 PM
That's exactly what we're going to do here as we've already said before.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: chilly on July 15, 2010, 07:15:07 AM
Im using SD on two SMF Installations:

1: It's a forum quite inacitve at the moment due to me spending my time with other projects than this. Its goal is to produce is nice little browsergame. It actually looks like I have to do everything on my own so I have to find people that would like to give commetns and feedback on the stuff Im going to code.
I want to use SimpleDesk there for different Reports and with SD 1.0 I'm just fine there. Could not test much as there are no people that could Report stuff. And if I find something that has to be fixed... I fix it rather than report and fix after.

2: It's a multigaming forum. We want to use SD for Bug / Player Reports and everything that only Staff should see. Something like Categories would be great and is I understood its planned for 1.2. The new Permissions planned for 1.1 is great for our plans. Because for every Game hosted there is a different team and it would be easier to assign groupgs and everything.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on July 15, 2010, 10:12:14 AM
Well, the permissions stuff isn't "planned" for 1.1, it's already implemented.

Categories... well, you might want to read our last blog post on that score.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: chilly on July 15, 2010, 10:35:16 AM
talking about permission: i meant that role thing I read about. But im not sure where that was Oo
And, sorry, I'm not up to date whats done and whats still planned.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on July 15, 2010, 10:39:49 AM
That's why I said you should read our last blog post.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: chilly on July 15, 2010, 10:43:50 AM
Thanks.
If I got it right, all the stuff I mentioned or am waiting for is included in 1.1 as Blog-Post says.
http://www.simpledesk.net/community/news-and-announcements/whats-simpledesk-1.1-559.0.html

Only your last post confuses me a bit.
http://www.simpledesk.net/community/simpledesk-team-blog/1.1-and-change-plan-776.0.html

Thats mainly the reason why I'm not sure what will be and what won't.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on July 15, 2010, 10:46:21 AM
That's precisely why I wanted you to read it. We're not sure either.

I can't speak for Nas or JBlaze but I don't have much motivation left to work on SD itself. So I hoped by removing the limitation on what gets implemented to simply whatever looks interesting that it would jumpstart things, but so far other than a brief surge, that hasn't happened either.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: chilly on July 16, 2010, 10:49:32 AM
i know your motivations gone. but just got something to my mind i'd like to share.

what about delegating a ticket to others. means you are assigned for the ticket and resposible that it gets solved but maybe you lack some knowledge and need someone to help you with the task. so you delegate it to someone else how has to respond to you about that ticket.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on July 16, 2010, 10:53:29 AM
That's what ticket assignment is for.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: chilly on July 16, 2010, 11:00:22 AM
Quote from: Arantor on July 16, 2010, 10:53:29 AM
That's what ticket assignment is for.

you can assign to multiple people? on lack of enough people.... i  couldn't test yet :(
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on July 16, 2010, 11:47:32 AM
No, you can't assign to multiple people. The idea is that you'd reassign it.

I cannot seriously see us rearchitecting the core to handle that, either. It's a major overhaul, and one that there really isn't the demand for.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: chilly on July 16, 2010, 11:51:42 AM
was just a thought. I'm sure that simpledesk does great without it.

but it's about feedback here and the integration we use at the company I work uses this. So i thought it might be good to mention
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: Gruffen on July 16, 2010, 11:52:33 AM
Sure, and under other circumstances I'd be looking to when we could think about implementation, but sadly I don't think it's to be.
Title: Re: So, how are you using SimpleDesk? How does it fit into your site?
Post by: kelly1111 on November 15, 2011, 12:28:22 AM
Nice info, Excelent!!

Thank you so much,

8) :-*