Is this all we will hear from Senior Management?

[dmwebb6]

Nathan Parker posted in a thread "Accordance senior management has reviewed customer feedback concerning programming updates. Enhanced Syncing is the top priority for our desktop programming. We will provide additional announcements once it's ready. "

 

After many customers pleading/begging to hear more from senior management is this all that we are going to get.  If so this is even more frustrating.    I have just about decided that this is my last post on this topic.  This is not an update since I have been told the "enhanced syncing is a top priority" for nearly three years now .  Surely we deserve more than simply this.

[Lawrence]

@dmwebb6

@Nathan Parker

 

The reorganisation of the forum names/categories feels like management is hinting that discussions about the company is off-topic for the forums.

 

We can ask about how to use Accordance, report bugs, get help with the software, discuss the website and chat about non-Accordance things, but there is now no category for posts asking for a roadmap or talking about the health of the company. These topics appear to be reserved for the 'official' categories with restricted posting privileges. (Treating/reporting them as 'management' bugs as opposed to 'programming' bugs is probably not what the bug-report sections are intended for.)

 

On one hand, it's good to focus on something constructive. Maybe someone would revive discussions about how people use Accordance for various tasks - how they set up their workspace for Bible study, original languages analysis, or prep for a biblical theology paper. We all have our niches where we wield Accordance like a pro. My own Accordance niche is tiny, and it's refreshing to see how others wield Accordance in theirs.

 

On the other hand, when the wheel keeps falling off and we not only need to repeatedly reassemble our wheelbarrow but also lose carefully-packed content, we'd like some rational explanation for why we should use it for the next important job. It would be nice to have somewhere we can politely raise such questions to people in a position to answer.

[Pastor Jonathan]

That is the purpose. The management and leadership do not WANT to deal with issues. They want it to just pass on. 

[Kristin]

11 hours ago, dmwebb6 said:

Nathan Parker posted in a thread "Accordance senior management has reviewed customer feedback concerning programming updates. Enhanced Syncing is the top priority for our desktop programming. We will provide additional announcements once it's ready. "

 

I think the above statement is one of my greatest frustrations. I wish he had wrote, "Accordance senior management has reviewed customer feedback concerning programming updates. Fixing the systemic corruption is the top priority for our desktop programming. We will provide additional announcements once these issues have been fixed and your notes and highlights will no longer be corrupted. We are aware that many of our customers are doing academic and scholarly research and we understand the critical nature of resolving these issues. "

[JohnABarnett]

Speechless in Texas. 

[Mark Allison]

Forum posters are less than 1 percent of Accordance users. I'm guessing it won't be long till management believes they're more trouble than they're worth and simply shut them down. Or they'll just continue to ignore them. 

[Pastor Jonathan]

@Mark Allison, I pray you are wrong, but evidence says you are right. 

[ReformedDoc]

Whatever happened to the squeaky wheel gets the grease...Lol!!! @Mark Allison 

[Pastor Jonathan]

@ReformedDoc,

 

There are two ways to fix a squeaky wheel. 

 

1. Put the grease on it (in this case, engage with the community and help us help them)

 

or 

 

2. Just remove the wheel and drag the cart. 

 

[cweber]

5 hours ago, Donovan R. Palmer said:

Forum posters are less than 1 percent of Accordance users.

It might be that forum posters represent a small fraction of the Accordance users. However, it's often observed in various communities that those who take the time to voice their concerns or provide feedback are just the tip of the iceberg. There might be many more users who share similar concerns but choose not to express them publicly (I know some personally). The feedback shared here, though from a smaller segment, can be valuable in understanding the broader user sentiment and identifying areas for improvement in the software. It’s an opportunity for us as a community and for the development team to delve into these shared experiences, to work towards enhancing the product for a better user experience.

[Rick55]

8 hours ago, Mark Allison said:

Forum posters are less than 1 percent of Accordance users. I'm guessing it won't be long till management believes they're more trouble than they're worth and simply shut them down. Or they'll just continue to ignore them. 

 

 

My guess is they are selling so much why stop selling? 

 

If their sales numbers are booming , they are doing something right and they are not going to stop doing that for a minority. 

 

The CEO built a 20 year business so he can enjoy his time with his family and have his selected employees steer the ship while he (hopefully) is relaxing with his family. 

If it was not for the founder , we would not have accordance so how blessed are we because of him ? 

 

 

Of course we can not expect immediate fixes to the software if there are bugs etc. 

They will come with time. 

 

And can we really demand a response from the CEO or Senior mgmt? 

It's not like there are ton's of bible software options to choose from. 
Especially to those who have invested deeply. 

 

There is basically E-Sword, Logos and Accordance. 

 

I am just a layman , but I from my speculation that I made when I was an employee of a billion dollar company ,

Accordance should do a quarterly evaluations of what is working and what is not working. 

 

Maintain what is working and fix what is not working. 

 

 

From my personal experience,

The software works just fine and I use it every day with no issues. 

 

I noticed accordance will stop functioning properly when you start moving folders around so just keep the folders where they belong and the software should not give you any issues. 

 

I have gone though my share of reinstalling, switching computers ect. 

 

Also, 

I learned years ago to never upgrade to the latest operating system. For example: Even though Sonoma is out, I am on Ventura using an M1 with no issues. On my Windows PC I am running windows 10 and don't plan to upgrade because everything works without issues. 

 

To be honest I don't need a super computer to run Accordance so I chose to keep a basic mac computer without the latest and greatest specs , and the software runs fine. 

 

 

With all this said, It's helpful for me to be able to ask a question on the forum if I have one.

It's also fun to answer questions on here even if you don't have the right answer. 

It would be cool if there was a bible study thread where we could talk bible and recent discoveries you found in the Word. 

 

The forum has potential for fruitful online fellowship so I hope it will bless people. 

 

 

I didn't have to write this but I hope it helps someone. 

 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by Rick55
Multiple Typos

[cweber]

@Rick55 I believe the core of the frustration emanates from individuals who have invested a substantial amount in the software, often amounting to many tens of thousands. Drawing a parallel, if one were to purchase a car of a similar value, the expectation would extend beyond merely commuting from point A to B; a smooth, reliable, and enjoyable experience would be anticipated. Experiencing breakdowns throughout the journey would understandably not meet the expectations set by the significant investment. Similarly, the expectation with Accordance Bible Software is for a robust, reliable, and progressively improving product that aligns with the financial commitment made by its users.

[robrecht]

It's sad to see a company deteriorate.

[Rick55]

7 hours ago, cweber said:

@Rick55 I believe the core of the frustration emanates from individuals who have invested a substantial amount in the software, often amounting to many tens of thousands. Drawing a parallel, if one were to purchase a car of a similar value, the expectation would extend beyond merely commuting from point A to B; a smooth, reliable, and enjoyable experience would be anticipated. Experiencing breakdowns throughout the journey would understandably not meet the expectations set by the significant investment. Similarly, the expectation with Accordance Bible Software is for a robust, reliable, and progressively improving product that aligns with the financial commitment made by its users.

 

 

I understand it's frustrating of course. If the program did not work of course it would make someones heart stop who invested 10-40 thousand into the program. 

On a realistic side note of your parallel, I can't tell you how many Teslas and BMW's I see broken down on the side of the road because there is to many. 

 

Accordance is a $60 application, it just depends on what you have in the trunk that is costing so much. 

 

My experience with accordance is robust. It is such a cool software and has introduced me to so much scholarly work that I would have never known if it was not for it being robust. 

 

Things will get better of course, 

We voiced our concerns , they have been heard , just give it time and any issues will be resolved. 

 

 

John 14.1 ¶ Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

 

 

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by Rick55
Multiple Typos

[JohnABarnett]

5 hours ago, Donovan R. Palmer said:

...

 

Alongside this, there is also deep wisdom in knowing when feedback is no longer productive. So we all need to see the point when we each need to move on when enough has been said. 
 

...
 

This is ok, and we move on. I wish the team all the best. 

 

Grace and peace. 
 

 

 

 

Indeed. 

[Donald Cobb]

Just my two cents: I wonder how helpful all this is. We have gotten used to one Juggernaut company that, through means that we may or may not approve, has defined much of the market, and we expect smaller companies to compete on the same turf. 

 

Accordance isn't perfect. And we might certainly wish for more direct communication from the owner (and what should he say?). But my reaction to much of the recent posts is that we may be running the danger of self-fulfilling prophecy: we say we want to help Accordance, and yet the multiple negative posts, often saying much the same things as the previous negative posts, have the effect of discouraging sales for any who read them. Case in point: we all want syncing over multiple platforms. That has taken longer than was announced, which is a of course disappointment. To be fair, my take is that it's connected 1) with tight resources that have to be reinvested in hardware and programming time and 2) the limited number of programmers. So we say: until we get syncing, I won't be buying stuff anymore. The result of that circling around to 1) and shrinking the resources is obvious. 

 

We should also realize that multiple syncing and a web version are "freebies," i.e., on Accordance's side, they are investment heavy for something we expect them to give us for free. Perhaps unrealistic promises were made for an unrealistic time frame. I won't deny that. And it's true that the long-term investment in these areas is key to Acc. keeping a competitive edge on the market. But, again, it's important to remember that we have a smaller company that we expect to do as much heavy lifting as the Juggernaut on the other side of the street without added cost to us, the consumer.

 

I know that my experience is not the same as everyone else's; I also know that Mac Accordance is more stable that the Windows version. Having said that, I've experienced few problems with Acc14, and virtually none with 14.08. (No, I'm not on Sonoma.) I use Accordance on a daily basis. I'm thankful to the Accordance team for the work that has gone into this program which daily opens vistas in my research and helps deepen knowledge of Scripture. I'm also thankful to the One the Accordance team is seeking to serve, for the work they do that helps me in all this. 

 

I'm willing to encourage the local retailer who has to compete with a national supermarket chain because, in business, monopolies aren't a good thing. In Christian businesses, even less so. It's important to know, not only why we choose a product, but sometimes why it's a good thing to choose, and stick with, a product.

[Mike Atnip]

As the former editor of a small Christian magazine, I understand (at least somewhat) the dynamics of only 1% of the users who voice their opinions on these forums. We would send out an issue of the magazine and sometimes get zero letters to the editor. "Does anyone read this thing?" I would ask myself. But when something controversial was published, then the letters would trickle in! Out of 3,500 circulation if we received more than half a dozen letters to the editor per issue we would think we are getting swamped! So the point is, for the most part we humans tend to be short on the giving praise and appreciation side and long on the complaint side. I wonder how many letters of appreciation Ford or GM gets daily compared to complaints and lawsuits? Yet hundreds of thousands of satisfied drivers fire up their Fords and GMs daily.

On whether the top leadership of the company should engage with forum users, that can be tricky. Imagine, for example, the CEO of General Motors or Ford trying to speak with everyone who has a complaint. That is all they would get done, and they wouldn't ever get done with it probably. So they hire people to relate with those who have complaints, while they focus on managing the entire operation. I personally do not expect the management of Accordance to personally interact with me when I have a complaint, although if they have time such a personal interaction would be greatly valued.

I am relatively new to Accordance so do not remember the "good ol' days" when the previous owners had more personal interaction with users. I only know of those "good ol' days" from comments on this forum. So I use Accordance daily, recognize some areas that I wish would be improved, but accept it for what it is and hope for the best. From my little corner of the world, Accordance has been and still is a blessing.

[robrecht]

29 minutes ago, Donald Cobb said:

... So we say: until we get syncing, I won't be buying stuff anymore. The result of that circling around to 1) and shrinking the resources is obvious. ...

 

Personally, I've purchased several hundred dollars of resources that I know I don't need and won't use in Accordance for the express purpose of supporting the company, but I also realize that this is a warning sign to me, that the company is struggling. I don't care about syncing across platforms. I would just like a program that does not randomly freeze up and crash. It would also be nice to see new scholarly resources, but that does not seem to be a priority of most customers and therefore not a priority of the company. 

[robrecht]

8 minutes ago, Mike Atnip said:

On whether the top leadership of the company should engage with forum users, that can be tricky. Imagine, for example, the CEO of General Motors or Ford trying to speak with everyone who has a complaint. That is all they would get done, and they wouldn't ever get done with it probably. So they hire people to relate with those who have complaints, while they focus on managing the entire operation. I personally do not expect the management of Accordance to personally interact with me when I have a complaint, although if they have time such a personal interaction would be greatly valued.

I am relatively new to Accordance so do not remember the "good ol' days" when the previous owners had more personal interaction with users. I only know of those "good ol' days" from comments on this forum. ...

 

I don't expect or want the owner(s)/senior management responding to individual complaints. What I valued most about the previous owners interaction at SBL and here on the forums was the obvious nature of their intense involvement with all aspects of the program the especially the obvious nature of their commitment to providing the highest quality scholarly resources. Questions about content would be answered by the owners forwarding emails to world class scholars involved in creating or adapting the materials. Is there anything like that going on now? That's what I would like to see and hear from owners/upper management. Instead I get the sense that there is more of a focus on providing trustworthy denominational resources. I understand that a business must focus on what the majority of customers want. But in the past I knew there was also a genuine commitment to critical scholarship. Is that still there?

[Daniel_Appleyard]

I would like to see some transparency regarding the state of the company. There seems to be many loud voices, raising a lot of alarm bells. However, is the company in danger of going under? I have scoured the net and all I have found is that the company applied for a Covid loan, which has either been paid back in full or forgiven. I posted a comment on how much I loved Accordance on YT. However, someone then posted a response, which has since been removed. I also have noticed how the forum has been changed, which seems to silence dissident voices. This is quite concerning. The response from the head office is also a let-down. I am not really bothered about cloud sync or w.e. My main concern is if the company is going to keep afloat. If Accordance goes under, then so do all our licences. This is the problem with digital media. If I owned physical copies, it would not matter if Brill went under. I own a physical copy. However, digital licences are not really owned in the same way as physical books. I find Accordance to run very smoothly. However, I also see how there is a lack of new content. I would love to continue supporting Accordance. Yet, I also have to protect my own interests, which I think a clearer statement from the management is in order. 

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

@Daniel_Appleyard I can comment on that. Accordance is fine regarding the state of the company.

 

The entire biblical studies industry has felt a "pinch" due to the current US and global economic situation, and some of Accordance's "trains" (such as syncing and Cloud) are moving along the tracks a little slower to their destination than originally desired, but you can be confident in your Accordance library.

 

We also have some new content in the works, so stay tuned to your inbox.

[Mark Allison]

26 minutes ago, Nathan Parker said:

We also have some new content in the works, so stay tuned to your inbox.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing some original language scholarly resources! 

[ukfraser]

54 minutes ago, Nathan Parker said:

We also have some new content in the works, so stay tuned to your inbox.

And I hope that one day we will complete the set with the Jewish Annotated Apocrypha

 

;o) 

 

(As well as others that have been requested.)

[JonathanHuber]

54 minutes ago, Nathan Parker said:

@Daniel_Appleyard I can comment on that. Accordance is fine regarding the state of the company.

 

The entire biblical studies industry has felt a "pinch" due to the current US and global economic situation, and some of Accordance's "trains" (such as syncing and Cloud) are moving along the tracks a little slower to their destination than originally desired, but you can be confident in your Accordance library.

 

We also have some new content in the works, so stay tuned to your inbox.

I would just like a stable release and a journals update. 

 

[dmwebb6]

3 hours ago, Nathan Parker said:

some of Accordance's "trains" (such as syncing and Cloud) are moving along the tracks a little slower to their destination than originally desired

I appreciate your updates and the job you do for Accordance on the forums.  We just need assurance that the trains are on the track and moving (it seems like iOS and Android are not progressing at all) .  I have emails from tech from about 3 years ago saying they hoped to have syncing fixed by the end of that year.  I also have emails saying that features would be added to Android shortly but none of that has come to fruition .  Accordance cloud was advertised as being available by the end of last year.  If these things were not close we should not have been told that they would be and Cloud should NOT have been advertised as a selling point on Accordance 14.  I appreciate all that Accordance does as a program but in the future DON'T ADVERTISE or promise things that are not near ready.  I look forward to a syncing procedure that doesn't continually corrupt my files.  I am a big Accordance fan and bought copies for my 3 sons and I look forward to what the future holds for Accordance.