Hmm...I wonder what the RocketTheme team has been up to?
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- Gene Page
- Hero Rocketeer
- Posts: 289
- Thanks: 0
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Sharon Gaughan wrote:
Andy Miller wrote:Sometimes, you just need to set the record straight, and inform people of the truthLet me set the record straight: You, RocketTheme, and Gantry are top of the line. I know it is hard, but ignore the trolls and fools. It is a good thing they can't read; it would be hard for them to process the information without a brain.
I second that.
Reading through the posts I see evidence of fear and anger about the direction of web design. It's not aimed solely at Gantry, but feature-rich template frameworks in general.
This is common with any trade. Many of my clients are tradespeople, and I know some of them (or their associates) dislike the proliferation of Do It Yourself Information. They feel threatened because they falsely believe their technical degrees will become meaningless if any aspect of their trade is illuminated or made simple.
For web designers like this it's not about framework bloat, or load times, or even design quality. It's about ego. In the first few posts someone says framework is "so the 'user' can act as a web designer". That hostility is derived entirely from fear of inadequacy. This person clearly earned a four year degree, and now they are upset that people are quickly producing competitive, custom branded, websites using templates as a starting point.
I'm not a "user". I'm a designer. I got a job doing layout and print design for a major advertising agency almost right out of high school. While there, I started college, but I never took graphic or web design courses. All of that was learned over the years, just jumping into projects, reading, watching tutorials. I have extensive experience with phpbb, drupal, wordpress and joomla, and I still can build tableless websites from scratch using nothing more than notepad++ and my knowledge of HTML/CSS.
With that background, I can say absolute - these people are misguided. Frameworks don't make it easier for most users. They make it easier for designers.
Most users still don't know their way around HTML/CSS. And they don't know how to create PNG graphics. And they couldn't begin to understand phpmyadmin. Learning these things would take them away from doing their jobs whatever they may be. I say this from experience - my clients - plumbers, spa owners, insurance salesmen, etc - really don't care what goes into building a website, they just want to make sure it looks great, communicates their brand, and doesn't cost a fortune.
And that's where EASIER comes in. I don't start from scratch time and again. I don't have to spend time custom coding every detail. I don't have to create mockup PSD (though I might in some cases). And all this crap I'm not doing adds up... it saves me time and saves the client money. Best of all, they end up with a great website they're happy to show off.
It's not template frameworks these educated professionals should be bashing... It's Weebly and WebsiteTonight, and VistaPrint, and (with great contempt) Wix. This is the dren of the internet. Half of my clients tried these services before realizing they needed a professional. But whatever...
My point in the end is that I love Gantry and my clients love their RT websites. Loadtime is great and the space used is minimal - so tell these guys to take a flying leap at a rolling donut. Or better yet, ignore them. - Show Support for These Requests...
Automatic K2 Tags for RokSprocket ->
www.rockettheme.com/forum/index.php?f=16...86380&rb_v=viewtopic
Option for K2 Video instead of Image for RokSprocket (like JoomlaBamboo's ZenTools) ->...
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- Patrick Toulze
- Elite Rocketeer
- Posts: 1810
- Thanks: 18
- Marketing - Web Designer
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I just renew my subscription with RocketTheme for the fifth year (start in 2009) now. I’m making web sites as a part of my profession of marketing business and organization.
I use ONLY Rockettheme templates for the base of all my clients web sites and, so far, have not even a hint of intention to use anything else. RocketTheme, in those 5 years, always deliver the goods and bring professional, solid and beautiful templates to their customers. (See the new Joomla Alerion template — http://demo.rockettheme.com/?template=alerion ).
More, and a big part on the equation is the vibrant community and the patient and professionals Rocket Staff that always answer questions, demands even if insignificant.
I bring that question here for this reason;
1— When somebody expose negative points or praise Gantry & Rocket, it forces me to revise what I know about it and make my own ideas. Bringing those ideas here is, to me anyway, is an healthy way for people with knowledge about those subject to defend or enforce their concept and set the record straight for everybody. - Graphic Designer - Marketing -Web Sites — Trying to become a decent human being.
www.grafcomm.ca
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- Andy Miller
- Preeminent Rocketeer
- Posts: 9919
- Thanks: 96
- Web Kahuna
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Patrick Toulze wrote:
I just renew my subscription with RocketTheme for the fifth year (start in 2009) now. I’m making web sites as a part of my profession of marketing business and organization.
Glad to have you as a long-time rockettheme member Patrick!
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- Jason Kopacko
- Elite Rocketeer
- Posts: 653
- Thanks: 1
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Andy Miller wrote:
I just get tired of all the misleading and blatantly inaccurate information. The problem is one person reads a comment by someone else, that Gantry is slow, or bloated, and then they just assume that's the case. That person then replies to some other blog post, saying Gantry is bloated, and this FUD is then read by others, who continue to spread it.
Sometimes, you just need to set the record straight, and inform people of the truth
I agree that the record needs to be straightened, I just think that any attempt by anyone (including you) to do it will always come off wrong when you/they are the ones who have to come out in support of RT. Now, if a quorum of folks from each of the different template/framework makers were interviewed about their product, that has a different connotation and comes off a lot better. But to think you have to get on every board and every thread and defend RT is fruitless. Quality ALWAYS speaks for itself. Over the past few years, I have maintained a YOOtheme, Gavick, Shape5, and RT developer level subscriptions. This year, 2013, I am only keeping RT. Why? Because it simply is the best of the breed. I am not a coder but I can feel the "bloatness" that some describe. When compared to my installs of WARP vs RT sites, WARP "seems" faster. But that is my impression of my own sites. (Of which I am very critical of any site I stand up.) WARP provides almost NO controls though.
I look at it like this, RT is the Michael Jordan in the room. Everyone else wants to be like "Mike". - Thank you,
Jason
Server #1: 4-Cores @ 2.3Ghz | 8GB RAM | Plesk Control Panel v11.0.9 | Apache/2.2.3-65.el5 | mySQL: 5.5.23 | PHP: 5.3.10
Server #2: 8-Cores @ 2.5Ghz | 16GB RAM | Plesk Control Panel v11.0.9 | Apache/2.2.15-15.el6 | mySQL: 5.5.25 | PHP: 5.4.4
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- Andy Miller
- Preeminent Rocketeer
- Posts: 9919
- Thanks: 96
- Web Kahuna
- Would be great Jason if you had replied on that thread with that well-rounded and experience-based comment, we might make some progress in educating these people that need it so desperately.
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- Jason Kopacko
- Elite Rocketeer
- Posts: 653
- Thanks: 1
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Thanks Andy.
Given my background and chosen profession, I tend to stay out of arguments until I am "called" to do so
This, being my side job, I tend to let my experience and quality do all the talking. I've found its just better that way.
Convincing a life-long Ford lover to own a Chevy is like loaning money to a family member. All you end up with is money lost and a headache. I have figured out that most people (in today's society) have to have an "Ah hah!" moment before their mind will open up to new ideas and technologies/processes.
Not everyone is going to love RT, not everyone is going to hate RT. All that matters is that you and the rest of your team make sure the ones who are spending their money with you, are the ones who are happy. If you don't do that, it won't matter how awesome RT is, there won't be any funding to keep it alive. - Thank you,
Jason
Server #1: 4-Cores @ 2.3Ghz | 8GB RAM | Plesk Control Panel v11.0.9 | Apache/2.2.3-65.el5 | mySQL: 5.5.23 | PHP: 5.3.10
Server #2: 8-Cores @ 2.5Ghz | 16GB RAM | Plesk Control Panel v11.0.9 | Apache/2.2.15-15.el6 | mySQL: 5.5.25 | PHP: 5.4.4
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- Michael Halligan
- Sr. Rocketeer
- Posts: 162
- Thanks: 0
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I will start my fifth subscription with Rocketheme in July. Best bit of luck I ever had was finding their site. Only complaint I have was I didn’t find them earlier.
As a user not developer I have learnt quite a lot and this is not only because of the templates & extensions but due to the forum. The people on there (the forum) from general users like me to moderators and web designers make tweaking anything possible. I wouldn’t have dared do any the stuff I do now if it wasn’t for that forum support.
Rocketheme also keep pushing the bar so you learn even more and they do it at the rate that you need. Like when a new version of Joomla appears they advise when it’s best to make the move, outline the pros and cons to a non-developer like me.
Do I use other apps: yes, have I tried other template providers: yes but the only subscription guaranteed renewal is rockettheme. Simple really, value for money and innovation coupled with an unbeatable forum.
So there you have it my two cents
Michael H
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- Steve Beck
- Rocketeer
- Posts: 94
- Thanks: 0
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Andy Miller wrote:
Glad to have you as a long-time rockettheme member Patrick!Hey... I took out my first RT membership on 14 June 2008 (under a different account).
It was the time of the big move from 1.0 to 1.5, RT still used SMF w/ 1.0, and everybody was in love with HiveMind (except me
) - I signed up solely because of the beauty of Media Mogul - though I never used it. I launched my first ever website with Hyperion, quickly switched to Terran when that came out, and went long term for the same site with Solar Sentinel the moment that came out. Switched that same first site to Modulus last year with a massive site makeover, and soon to upgrade that same site to 3.5 with another RT template yet to be chosen once 3.5 is out...
I built my first ever website with RT /J!, and still a loyal member all these years later. Never used anything except J! and PHPBB, and never a member of any other template club except RT!! Renewed RT J! 3 times, and RT PHPBB twice... with absolutely no plans to ever move!!!
Where's my love Andy
- Lawn Mowing Perth | Lawn Care Tips
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- Steve Beck
- Rocketeer
- Posts: 94
- Thanks: 0
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Michael Halligan wrote:
Best bit of luck I ever had was finding their site. Only complaint I have was I didn’t find them earlier.Can't quite remember how I found RT in the beginning... but I had found Joomla first, and sure I found a link to RT on a support site for Joomla template competitions or components or similar. But I was very fortunate that I found them right at the beginning of my website building journey! Which was never intended to be a journey at all - just a way to share some advice with my customers online... my how things can change
- Lawn Mowing Perth | Lawn Care Tips
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- Andy Miller
- Preeminent Rocketeer
- Posts: 9919
- Thanks: 96
- Web Kahuna
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Steve Beck wrote:
Andy Miller wrote:Glad to have you as a long-time rockettheme member Patrick!Hey... I took out my first RT membership on 14 June 2008 (under a different account).
....
Where's my love Andy
LOL! Thank steve, made me chuckle!
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