Interferes with Nextgen Pro Lightbox Controls

@tom Harrington

Hi Tom,

I’m currently working on compatibility with the NextGEN Plus paid add-on, and this will be available in the next update due out soon for Optimizer v2.0.1.

Hopefully you’ll give it a try, and reevaluate the plugin more fairly based on its actual functionality.

Just so you know, Optimizer Basic is written specifically for the core NextGEN Gallery plugin, (including the NextGEN 2.0.xx codebase, NextGEN Legacy (v1.6.2 to v1.9.13) and the NextGEN Legacy fork called NextCellent Gallery). I have not stated, nor implied anywhere that the plugin is compatible with any of the nearly one-hundred other NextGEN add-ons available (or all their different versions), and though I’m working on addressing compatibility issues that arise (both now and in the future), the proper etiquette here is to open a support ticket on the forums, so we can resolve issues to everyone’s benefit.

In short…please don’t leave plugin authors bad reviews for minor issues. The support forums are there for a reason, and I’ve personally responded to every single support request I’ve ever received for Optimizer since the beginning almost three years ago (read: literally thousands via both email and forums). I would have been happy to help you out also.

Said authors at the WordPress repository are providing you with a free product, free updates, and in most cases free support, and this kind of unwarranted negativity not only dampens the motivation to do so, but also unfairly deters other people from using plugins which may prove to be immensely helpful.

With respect,
Mark.

Dear Mark

I have nothing but the greatest respect for plugin programmers! They rock! I didn’t intend for my review to be hurtful. I was just being honest and letting people know what I would have liked to have known before I spent time trying to figure out why Nextgen Plus wasn’t working correctly. Maybe if you would put in the comments of the plugin that it isn’t fully compatible yet with Nextgen Plus but an update is on the way?

Thanks for the work you do!
Tom

@tom Harrington

Hi Tom,

Good on you! You sound like a decent guy, and I apologize for being hard on you. It’s just that this sort of thing is becoming something of a trend.

I do appreciate that you wanted to let others know about the issue you experienced, however as I mentioned, this would have been better communicated by opening a new topic on the support forums. It’s the first place people tend to head (and are directed to) if they’re having difficulties, and it’s exactly the place this sort of minor incompatibility should be documented (as many people don’t read the plugin description before downloading). Additionally, for users who do conduct some due diligence before they download a plugin, the support forum is the best indicator of active development, support and outstanding issues.

The problem with writing a review for what is essentially a support ticket is that firstly, most people won’t ever read it (contrary to your intention), and may actually avoid using the plugin altogether thanks to the gradual decline in average star rating. Secondly, they’re not helpful moving forward, as the text is typically void of any reference to a particular version, and unlike a support ticket, can never be marked as resolved, giving the impression the described problem is a permanent issue.

But regardless, I do appreciate your feedback, and I’ll hopefully be wrapping up development of v2.0.1 (including the fix) over the weekend, for a release later next week after thorough testing. I hope you’ll check it out, and as always, just reach out via the support forum if you have any issues.

All the best,
Mark.

Author’s note:

As promised, the big compatibility release of NextGEN Gallery Optimizer v2.1 is now available, and includes full support for the NextGEN Plus (v1.1.3) and NextGEN Pro (v2.1.4) premium add-ons, as well as the recent major update of NextGEN Gallery v2.0.71 (up to the current v2.0.77).

For the full list of improvements and additions, please see…
https://www.nextgengalleryoptimizer.com/blog/nextgen-gallery-optimizer-v2-1-now-available/

All the best,
Mark.