# Why you haven't seen release notes yet



## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

I'm taking some grief from some users over not posting the L215 release notes yet. 

Let me make this clear, so that everyone knows how we get the release notes. When new software spools, we ask Dish for them. When they are sent to us, we post them. That's the procedure. 

I can't post what hasn't been sent to me. If and when I get them, they'll be posted. If I don't get them, there's not a hell of a lot I can do about it. I don't work for Dish, contrary to some of the rumors that apparently are going around. I try to work for you guys out there, but some of you are making it very difficult.


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## JM Anthony (Nov 16, 2003)

Mark - Nill Illigitimi Carborundum - loosely translated - Don't let the *******s get you down. 

I'm happy to have L215. Release notes would be nice, but you know what ---
I can watch TV, record and playback programs without them!! I know this is a real revelation for some of the posters, but sometimes you just have to deal with life on its terms which is often different than your own. 

My guess is that most of the pissers and moaners around here are posters with little skin the the game. Just my perception and as a general statement, always comes with some exceptions.

John


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

I have compiled most of our observations on the EKB's 921 Software History page. The main source was the "L215 is downloading" thread.


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## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

Nice list!

You may want to add this to it. There are others missing too.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=43577

I have documented pictures there of the bug but the consistency of it appearing is still elusive and not always reproducable.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

Ah, yes. I believe that is actually 2 bugs. The first is that the secondary recorded programs list feature (your picture on the right) only appears sporadically. The second, as stated, being the list of recorded shows displaying the title of the early pad rather than the main event. I suspect most people are seeing the first bug, and not realizing it because the show appears in the normal way, so therefore answered "no" to the resulting second bug that only appears when the first does not.

OK, got those 2 added.

Was the secondary event list feature from the 721 supposed to be present from the beginning or was it added later?


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## Redster (Jan 14, 2004)

JM Anthony said:


> Mark - Nill Illigitimi Carborundum - loosely translated - Don't let the *******s get you down.
> 
> I'm happy to have L215. Release notes would be nice, but you know what ---
> I can watch TV, record and playback programs without them!! I know this is a real revelation for some of the posters, but sometimes you just have to deal with life on its terms which is often different than your own.
> ...


I agree with John. 

Mark, the majority of us really do appreciate all the hard work that you do. Don't let the minority get you down. Thanks for everything.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

Amen.

Given our recent correspondence of a few weeks ago, the AVS announcement sounds like the headaches finally managed to outweigh the benefits of running the site.

Forget the 3 dozen habitual complainers and realize that there is a silent majority of hundreds or thousands of users who appreciate getting us the info that you do provide.


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## JM Anthony (Nov 16, 2003)

BobMurdoch said:


> . . . Forget the 3 dozen habitual complainers and realize that there is a silent majority of hundreds or thousands of users who appreciate getting us the info that you do provide.


Absolutely. There are some people predisposed to complaining. For some strange reason, these folks get their rocks off by throwing dirt wherever they can. Maybe they have nothing going for themselves, maybe it's something else - don't know/don't care - 'cause I long time ago stopped listening to those kind of folks and I even get paid to do so at work!! :lol:

Way on the other end of the spectrum are the good folks who remember to say "thanks." "Thank you" is such a motivator that we ALL need to remember to express it more often and tell people how they have helped us in specific ways. Does wonders.

And in between are a whole lotta folks who are thankful for the service, but rarely express it, or do so indirectly.

John


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## ntexasdude (Jan 23, 2005)

Okay, I'll bite. A big thanks to Chris Blount, Mark Lamutt, Allen Noland and Jason Nipp who filled in for Mark for a while. :allthumbs :goodjob: :bowdown: 
I appreciate their volunteer efforts. 

I am eagerly waiting for the 215 release notes too.


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## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

Agree that release notes would be nice but even nicer would be having them n a timely manner. The purpose of those notes is to read what to expect in the software that just loaded to our 921's. Otherwise it's like giving someone a surprise birthday gift 2 weeks late. At this point, I doubt anything in the release notes would be a surprise to those who have analized L215 for the past couple of weeks. Maybe to some it's now the principal of it, that it seems it's the one thing we do get from E* for all the efforts by the people posting here. Personally, I am now curious as to what hose release notes will say about the OTA guide data. By now none of us needs to know what was done as it affects everyone differently. You know what you got or what you lost. What matters is what will happen in the future. I'd prefer a commitment from E* as to what will be done about it.


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## gunawo (Aug 17, 2004)

E won't give release notes as they're not sure that what they are doing will work. We have plenty of evidence to prove that.


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## TonyB (Jul 5, 2004)

DonLandis said:


> Agree that release notes would be nice but even nicer would be having them n a timely manner. The purpose of those notes is to read what to expect in the software that just loaded to our 921's. Otherwise it's like giving someone a surprise birthday gift 2 weeks late. At this point, I doubt anything in the release notes would be a surprise to those who have analized L215 for the past couple of weeks. Maybe to some it's now the principal of it, that it seems it's the one thing we do get from E* for all the efforts by the people posting here. Personally, I am now curious as to what hose release notes will say about the OTA guide data. By now none of us needs to know what was done as it affects everyone differently. You know what you got or what you lost. What matters is what will happen in the future. I'd prefer a commitment from E* as to what will be done about it.


My thought is that by delaying the release notes they can edit out anything that says something is fixed that we all know now that really is still broken. Hindsight is always 20/20!


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## Jim Parker (Aug 12, 2003)

I think that the release notes are probably moot to us at this point. It's unlikely that there is anything in them that we - regular visitors to this site - don't already know. Still, I would like to see them if only for the 'just curious' factor. We could be surprised by some obscure bug fix or something. Also, the notes may be of more importance to people who do not read the forums on a regular basis.

Mark: I just want to say THANKS!!! :wave: for all of your work. The vast majority of us really do appreciate it. Don't let those who "Shoot the messanger" get you down.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

BobMurdoch said:


> Given our recent correspondence of a few weeks ago, the AVS announcement sounds like the headaches finally managed to outweigh the benefits of running the site.


Heh, it's funny that you'd say that, only because it's just about 180 degrees opposite of that. The AVS move has very little to do with the headaches of running a forum like this. It's much more to do with taking what we're doing (or trying to do in some cases) here to a whole new level that we couldn't quite get to. I've been very excited about this since we started talking to David about it, because it's going to mean great things for us, and for you.

I'm just tired of getting 30 emails a day demanding to know where the damn notes are, and why I'm holding them up...that's all.


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## astrotrf (Apr 5, 2004)

Mark Lamutt said:


> I'm taking some grief from some users over not posting the L215 release notes yet.


That's unfortunate, and entirely uncalled-for. Everyone should realize that you're under no obligation to post *anything*. I've stated elsewhere that I think we're lucky to ever see release notes at all.



> I can't post what hasn't been sent to me.


If I may, though, I'd like to point out how some folks could get the wrong idea. Soon after L215 spooled, there was a post about the release notes that said "Allen has them." (June 28th)

Later, there was another post that said "The release notes are coming ... There is a lot going on behind the scenes." (July 2nd)

Taken together, you can see where folks could get the (now obviously incorrect) idea that you *do* have the release notes, and that they're not being posted because of some vague "behind the scenes" stuff.

I'm not trying to bolster the conspiracy-theory crowd, I'm just pointing out where the statements of official DBSTalk moderators may have created this situation, however unintentionally. Of course, that's still no excuse for giving you a hard time over it.

I agree with others that it's probably moot at this point, in any case.

And I'd also like to add my thanks to you for the existence of this forum, and all of the helpful information provided by you and other posters.

Terry (astrotrf)


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## TonyB (Jul 5, 2004)

astrotrf said:


> That's unfortunate, and entirely uncalled-for. Everyone should realize that you're under no obligation to post *anything*. I've stated elsewhere that I think we're lucky to ever see release notes at all.
> 
> If I may, though, I'd like to point out how some folks could get the wrong idea. Soon after L215 spooled, there was a post about the release notes that said "Allen has them." (June 28th)
> 
> ...


Since we didn't get release notes last tim either, we should now stop expecting them. In my experience its the developers that provide the release notes, NOT the beta team. Would you expect users to provide release notes for Windows XP? or would you expect Microsoft to do that? Mark, how do you know what to test and look for if the developers don't provide any notes?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

We usually get beta notes.


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## rixhd (Jul 14, 2004)

Mark, I'm one of the quiet lurkers. I visit almost every day to get the latest info. I experience most of the problems that are already discussed so I don't feel that they have to be rehashed. I paid $1000 for my 921 last August so my expectations were high. I am disappointed in the 921 but I wouldn't give it up. It does many things well and a few things poorly. I realize you are only trying to help the situation and in no way deserve to be harassed. I'm just glad this site is available. Without it I would be tearing my hair out trying to get info from Dish. I can't afford to lose any more hair. Thanks for the service you provide.


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

Jim Parker said:


> I think that the release notes are probably moot to us at this point. It's unlikely that there is anything in them that we - regular visitors to this site - don't already know. Still, I would like to see them if only for the 'just curious' factor.
> 
> ...


I am "just curious" about what it was that they caused them to cancel L214 for L215. Was suppose to be some new feature we would need.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

L214 didn't include the code to make the 921 work with the 129 degree satellite location. (I'm pretty sure about this, but not 100%.)


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## TonyB (Jul 5, 2004)

Mark Lamutt said:


> We usually get beta notes.


Mark,
So where are they - are they not the list of what is fixed?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

You know I can't release beta notes...or at least you should by now...


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

Today is July 19 and I have it pretty well figured out what was updated and what wasn't fixed with L215. I wonder if the release notes would contradict my findings?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Tomorrow, it probably won't matter anymore, anyways.


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## TonyB (Jul 5, 2004)

I am not expecting release notes for the next version either. I plan to simply test the version and learn what I can. No release notes mean no committments.


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## JM Anthony (Nov 16, 2003)

Mark Lamutt said:


> Tomorrow, it probably won't matter anymore, anyways.


Before Nick corrects you, it's "anyway." Unless you're in your teens, "anyways" is not a word. And I've seen your picture, Mark, and you're no teenager!

I'm taking this to mean that 216 is just around the corner. Since they made us wait so long for 215, to keep their batting average in tact, the cycle time for this release must be much shorter. Yeah. That's the ticket.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

:lol:


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## JM Anthony (Nov 16, 2003)

JM Anthony said:


> . . . I'm taking this to mean that 216 is just around the corner. Since they made us wait so long for 215, to keep their batting average in tact, the cycle time for this release must be much shorter. Yeah. That's the ticket.


So imagine my surprise when I just logged on and discovered 216 had been downloaded. :lol: Knock on wood, so far, so good with this download at our household.


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