Why is Contribute such a bad piece of software?

[bingamar]

:disgust; Contribute is terrible! In edit mode screen elements are scattered,
it isn't wysiwyg, and my hands are tied by my web master who ignores my pleas
for a real (s)html editor. Pages lock up after editing, the software goes
unstable periodically and locks up, not all elements displayed in the browser
are visible in edit mode, fonts are obliterated or unrecognizable. I haven't
seen anything this bad since the early days of the web - since the early 90's.
I thought it might be configured wrong or there was some server side
miscommunication ? but no feedback from IT. Makes Frontpage look like a dream!

[VVebbie]

It's highly likely that you're attempting to use Contribute for something it
wasn't designed for.

The beauty of contribute is that it allows you to provide your users with the
impression of great control over their web sites while actually reducing it and
removing their ability to screw anything up.

I won't try to argue the software is unstable. There are a number of very
obvious bad design decisions in the software, the most annoying of which is the
fading controls. There's also the unintuitiveness of the template properties
window. It should really be a side bar.

If you're trying to change the font of your content, you're not conforming to
XHTML 1.0. You need to perform your editing using pre-defined styles, and the
font controls should be turned off by your administrator.

If some elements aren't displaying in edit mode, they they probably rely on
javascript or other gimmicky tricks, or shouldn't be editable in the first
place.

Keep in mind that all of this commentary is based on the assumption that the
intention is to use Contribute as it was intended to be used - as a content
editor. If you're trying to edit the layout, you're doing something wrong.

[bingamar]

Grant it - I expected more from Contribute. After designing websites myself
and having at least ftp access, working under the constraints of Contribute is
disappointing, to say the least. I've literally been "boxed in" and "locked
out" and I do not care for it. In an academic environment this is bound to
create problems.

However, these are a minor difficulties compared to the way the program itself
behaves. It wastes a lot of my limited time just editing or adding content.
Page locking is a problem I didn't mention before - blocking publishing to
pages to which I'm supposed to have content access. I receive messages
telling me the page is being edited by someone else while I'm attempting to
publish, and that I must "contact my system administrator." (I've seen that
message once too often! While trying to edit or add simple text?!) Program
crashes are a problem too, requiring use of the Task Manager and/or rebooting
to fix. Thought it was something I was doing - turned out, according to IT,
it's just Contribute quirks. (What do you get with quirky? Low productivity?
Contribute is headed for "the ash heap of history" ? and not too soon.)

Contribute's edit mode is also unbelievable - a "through the looking glass"
trip back in time with page elements scattered everywhere. (Maybe the gimmicks
and quirks are responsible for this ?) Only neophytes with limited experience
editing or creating webpages will think this acceptable.

But I've fixed the general problem - downloaded my entire piece of our web
site and now use Frontpage to edit whatever I please and see much better "what
to expect.". (Even script and "gimmicky tricks," peripherally. ) Zip it up
and email it back to IT and they can publish it "their way."

I'll use Contribute for minor content editing only - but only because I'm
forced too.
;)

[SDennis]

Sounds like you're editing a heavily-stylesheeted website to me. Contribute
doesn't handle the WYSIWYG side of CSS layouts as well as it should with
elements often appearing a bit all over the shop, but for maintaining a
"standards-compliant" site it is a much better option than Frontpage which
drags all kinds of god-knows-what extra classes, styling etc... etc... which
means kissing-goodbye to updating site look and feel from a central stylesheet.
Plus Contribute plays well with DW templates and library items - again, meaning
site-wide maintenance and updates can be done with consistency.

Remember Contribute is designed to be used where there is a higher-up system
administrator who can set proper access permissions, sort out locked pages
(which happens when someone else is editing the same page, so you don't end up
overwriting what each other is doing by mistake), and who can also handle more
advanced site updates which are beyond the scope of Contribute. It's not
intended as a be-all-and-end-all site management tool.

Maybe for you it's the wrong tool for the job. If you're doing extensive
maintenance you should be using a real HTML editor like Dreamweaver. For
simple everyday site updates, though, I think it's a fantastic solution and a
great price.