I may be just missing it but I cannot find the GuildPortal ticket status page anymore.  Perhaps this was something Aaron was just experimenting with but I seem to recall a page where Aaron had all the current tickets listed along with their current status.  If no such page exists anymore, I wholeheartedly encourage GuildPortal to add such a page.

It seems like there have been a lot of changes to GuildPortal in the last few months and many of them have come along with bugs.  I've had several long time members complain to me about the rash of bugs lately and, as our site administrator, I'd like to be able to let them know the status of any current problems.  Such a page would help.

I have no doubt that Aaron works hard to keep GuildPortal running smoothly.  The problem is communication.  Right now, I get an automated response when I submit a bug and not much else.  There's really no way for me to track what is being done to solve my problem or to know when I can expect a fix.  Even if Aaron is diligently working to correct something I've reported, how am I to know that?

So, Aaron and Sandy, please consider implementing a more robust ticket and status system.  I envision a site where I can check to see if something has already been reported.  If not, allow me to submit a ticket others can see and leave a comment on if they have the same issue, rather than submitting a new ticket.   For each issue, it would be great to see what is being done to fix it and an ETA.

Again, I seem to recall you having something like this up for awhile but I can't find it anymore.

More of my support requests have either gone unanswered or vanished into the limbo in which they've been acknowledged but nothing done.  We really need a robust ticket system which includes updates and a reasonable estimated time of completion.

The way things work now:

1. Members come to me with complaints about a problem with our website or a request.  In an effort to be professional, I immediately file a support ticket detailing the problem.
2. I get an automated response with a ticket number.  All that tells me is that the automated submission form worked.
3. Days or weeks pass with rising complaints from my members and no information to provide them.
4. I go back through my email and find several of the automated response emails. I can't tell which one was in response to which problem, as all they show is a number.
5. I submit another support ticket and receive another automated response.  I come here and post the problem, as well, subscribing to the thread to see if I get a response.  If it's a weekend, I know I'm out of luck.
6. Other people respond here, saying they have the same issue.  Things get heated as more time passes with no response.
7. At some point, Aaron or Sandy posts here, saying that it has been fixed.  If it is, yay!  If not, go back to #1 and start over.

The way they should work:

1. Members come to me with complaints about a problem with our website or a request.  In an effort to be professional, I immediately go to the support ticket page and look to see if anyone has already submitted this bug report/request.
2. If a report has already been filed, I click a comment link and add a couple of screenshots to help Aaron out.  I also check to see if there's an ETA on the fix so I can get back to my members with details.
3. If no one has filed a report, I click the handy link and submit one myself.  It immediately appears on the list for all other admins to see and add information to.  I am subscribed to this submission, so as soon as Aaron posts an ETA or requests more info, I am immediately alerted.

The second system is infinitely better.  Everyone is kept in the loop, knows that something has been reported and acknowledged and when to expect a fix.  If you Aaron and Sandy are out of town or it will be several days with no support, you could even add a notice to the top of the page.  Something along the lines of "support will be unavailable for the next 4 days but will check the tickets as soon as we return" would let us all know to just coast for a few days till you get back and give us something to tell our members.

I take my job as guild leader/site admin very seriously and do my best to be professional.  To that end, I am a paying member of Guildportal and I pay for our TeamSpeak server.  I am in a much better position to do a good job for my members when I can say "it's been reported and Guildportal will get to it when Aaron and Sandy return on Tuesday" rather than "I've reported it twice and posted screenshots but haven't heard anything back for two weeks".