Expercraft site down? - Page 4

Maxrate · #31 10-29-2015, 08:21 AM

Thank God I printed out photos before this happened. Maybe he has something going on in his personal life. Anyone with kitlog pro care to weigh in on their product. I would have to purchase a cheap laptop running Windows. Does it run on Windows 8 ? I believe that's the latest version.

goatflieg · #32 10-29-2015, 01:20 PM

I'm running KitLog Pro on Windows 8, and I've always had at least some problems. It's kind of a wonky program; not very intuitive; clumsy; the help function doesn't work with Windows 8; it keeps thinking I'm offline when I'm online; it keeps offering revisions at startup, but won't actually upload them. At first Matt Dralle was good about getting back to me with fix routines... but they didn't work completely... and recently I've had more problems and haven't gotten a response yet. I wish I could do a complete reinstall off of a CD-ROM... but that's not an option. I'm given the impression its somewhat of an orphan program nowadays. My latest problem is with deleted posts still appearing on my online feed, creating redundancy and inaccuracy. Kind of a drag... but I've never really gotten along with electrons very well... they're way too rogue for me. Enough to make me build with steam gauges... almost.

cattflight · #33 10-29-2015, 01:33 PM

I don't like seeing the words "program" or "download" for something like this. Expercraft has the right idea by hosting this service in the cloud, accessible from a web browser. It's just a shame there is no support and no communication at a time like this.

As others have recommended, I've started playing with Google Blogger and, aside from the fact you cannot auto calculate your build hours and expenses, it's a good platform. Very intuitive and visually pleasing, with excellent relational a keyword cataloging. It allows you to enter complex search criteria and get qualified returns for subsets of posts. Nice.

Now I just need to decide if I want to cut n paste 140+ Expercraft entries into Google Blogger. Ugh.

DanH · #34 10-29-2015, 01:43 PM

Web based build logs are a lot like nose rings and spiked hair...us old guys don't get it

Why not make completion date notes in the margins of your Vans build manual, next to the operations performed? Regularly store some build photos on your hard drive. Burn a disk for your DAR when you get ready for inspection, assuming he/she actually wants pictures. Spend the new free time building the airplane.

airguy · #35 10-29-2015, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanH

Web based build logs are a lot like nose rings and spiked hair...us old guys don't get it

Why not make completion date notes in the margins of your Vans build manual, next to the operations performed? Regularly store some build photos on your hard drive. Burn a disk for your DAR when you get ready for inspection, assuming he/she actually wants pictures. Spend the new free time building the airplane.

I do all that stuff - I spend my screw-off time at work daydreaming about the airplane and writing about it on the web!

longranger · #36 10-30-2015, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goatflieg

I'm running KitLog Pro on Windows 8, and I've always had at least some problems. It's kind of a wonky program; not very intuitive; clumsy; the help function doesn't work with Windows 8; it keeps thinking I'm offline when I'm online; it keeps offering revisions at startup, but won't actually upload them. At first Matt Dralle was good about getting back to me with fix routines... but they didn't work completely... and recently I've had more problems and haven't gotten a response yet. I wish I could do a complete reinstall off of a CD-ROM... but that's not an option. I'm given the impression its somewhat of an orphan program nowadays. My latest problem is with deleted posts still appearing on my online feed, creating redundancy and inaccuracy. Kind of a drag... but I've never really gotten along with electrons very well... they're way too rogue for me. Enough to make me build with steam gauges... almost.

Just in the last couple of months I've started having similar issues with kitlog. KitLog tells me I'm not connected to the internet, when I know good and well I am. I also have some out of order posts, and some with pictures upside down, but without being able to upload a database, there's no way to correct it.

I've emailed Matt several times on the issue, and when I do get a response after two weeks or more, it's just a "it should work" response. I'm tied up with projects related to moving into a new-to-us house so I'm not currently working on the RV, but I'm still very disappointed in recent customer support from Matt.

goatflieg · #37 10-30-2015, 04:57 PM

I'm given the impression Matt has a lot of irons in the fire... hence my "orphan program" thoughts. I've got a LOT of backup... my blogspot blog; my handwritten notes; almost 500 photos and counting... so I suppose I can live with KitLog Pro problems. I just don't like having information on the net that isn't accurate. Oh well... (for now)

goatflieg · #38 10-30-2015, 08:01 PM

Just checked my email and got a reply from Matt... Looks like familiar instructions, and he said the delete function has been disabled from online posts for security reasons; I should have merely updated... but that didn't fix the out-of-order situation I was working on. I'll keep you posted as I re-apply his instructions... but I wanted to let you know I got a reply from him.

cattflight · #39 10-30-2015, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanH

Web based build logs are a lot like nose rings and spiked hair...us old guys don't get it

Why not make completion date notes in the margins of your Vans build manual, next to the operations performed? Regularly store some build photos on your hard drive. Burn a disk for your DAR when you get ready for inspection, assuming he/she actually wants pictures. Spend the new free time building the airplane.

All good points for the primary record keeping. But I also use the blog to give friends and family a view into my progress. My fellow Glastar builders also appreciate having a place to look at my work as they approach those same chapters. The assembly manual milestone check marks and some organized photos are all I'll really NEED to show the DAR. But I like having something visual that's more portable. The web build log does that.
Or at least did until it went belly up.

6S4 Hugo · #40 10-31-2015, 05:55 AM

Has anyone tried the Wayback Machine at http://archive.org/web/ for reclaiming posts?