8.1.1.0 Problems...

[User1104]

Went to login to 8.1.1.0 using my gmail account that i created on the new site ... I click i want to login using gmail and i get presented with a blank empty white box and the platform never loads... uhhhhh

now i can't even load up the platform.. yikes.

[NinjaTrader_Brett]

I see the problem. Its related to our launch and updating URLs as we roll out the new website this morning. Pardon the mess, will upload a hotfix shortly. The previous build is downloadable from Client Dashboard if you are stuck in the water and don't have NinjaTrader Client Dashboard login credentials to use.

[NinjaTrader_Brandon]

We included the hotfix in the current release. Thanks for your report of this. Please download and install current release once again.

[User1104]

Brandon, how do i know the file i'm using is the new hotfix? You just want me to redownload it but i'm still getting the same issues. So i don't think the hotfix is in the latest build.

If you release a hotfix why isn't the version changed like you have done in the past? 8.1.1.0 ... the same thing happened when you guys noticed that there was WAY to much bandwidth was being used with that "LIVE" button was added that people complained about. A new build was released with a hotfix but the build number never changed. This makes it very hard for troubleshooting and not sure why the practice is being done as it just looks like your trying to "hide" something instead of putting out a new release? I just can't figure out why it would be done like this... ?

[brucerobinson]

Yup. Absolutely correct. Beyond belief.

[bltdavid]

Totally agree.

It makes no sense that a HotFix should have the power to PREVENT
an increment to the version number.

How the heck do you guys at NT maintain your own sanity when
you follow this extremely degenerate software engineering practice?

It's appalling ... the engineering mgmt practices at NT are simply not
world class best practices ... from our customer vantage point, this
little minor detail (again, where's Ray in all of this?) has an incredibly
huge impact to the outside world.

But, apparently, no one in senior NT mgmt seems to agree with this.

It's almost like a corporate ego is involved in these decisions, "we're
not going to increment the version number with HotFixes because
we don't want to admit the problem ever existed. To hell with these
customer complaints, they'll just have to trust us that we fixed it."

Again more crap thinking by the thinkers thinking this.

When senior mgmt develops egotistical corporate thinking like this, it
just gets in the way of the apolitical world of software engineering
best practices.

That's why Ray needs to quit watching Hulu and drinking margaritas
and find someone who can make these eng changes at the highest
levels.

Ultimately, this is a human problem, and requires human intervention.

[NinjaTrader_Dennis]

Hello All,

Thank you for your posts and feedback.

We have recently updated our release notes to include any bug fixes that were made prior to this release. These notes can be found at the link below.

https://ninjatrader.com/support/helpGuides/nt8/8_1_1_0.htm

I will follow up with our development team in regards to the hotfix and version number not changing as I can understand how this may be confusing and make troubleshooting difficult.

Please let me know if I may be of any further assistance.

[jeronymite]

NinjaTrader_Dennis This goes way beyond "confusing and [making] troubleshooting difficult". This is about effective, robust IT Service Management (ITSM) practices. Those practices must be ultimately customer-focused or they are merely self-serving. If truly customer-focused, they also enhance internal service management for the benefit of all.

Make no mistake: Well-designed and sensibly-implemented ITSM practices are crucial to good business where IT Services (and products) are delivered to customers. This is not a matter of a particular "philosophy" of business approach. This is fundamental, bedrock, essential management practice that is required to make provision of IT Services work well for external and internal stakeholders. Ignore this and the business suffers. That's certainly obvious in this recent transformation attempt. Many would say it's been obvious for a very long time. It usually stems from entrenched attitudes to internal management and to policies towards customer engagement.

Adopting formal, well-thought-out ITSM processes is critical to long-term business success. It benefits customers through greater certainty of service (provision and quality), and it benefits staff who are given clear, consistent, effective and efficient ways of working. This is, as mentioned, subject to the caveat that the processes must be well-designed and sensibly-implemented -- enforcing complex, impractical and simply unsound processes is always counter-productive. It should also be noted that even where processes may already exist, ITSM is a "living" approach to provision of IT Services and products. It will always be subject to improvement.

Where are the overall advantages of good IT Service Management to be found?

• More effective and efficient operations internally
• Increased productivity and job satisfaction (with greater staff retention and retained experience)
• Fewer issues arising from the "unexpected" -- the vast majority of issues stem from human mistakes, something that is always inevitable, but for which the risk can be dramatically reduced with good, practical processes
• The points above lead to an environment that values fulfilment of commitment to a customer-focused charter
• Streamlining of business activities that no longer have divergent or highly-individualised approaches -- this does not imply that individual contributions are scorned; on the contrary, it encourages the insights of individuals to promote and prosper a Continual Improvement programme, one of the hallmarks of a business that is serious about customer success, not just its own shareholders' return, although that will benefit too
• Safe transparency of operation -- gone are the days when an organisation could dismiss calls for greater openness and visibility of activities; a "closed system" approach is ultimately antagonistic to customer respect and retention. Greater transparency makes for greater trust in the "contract" between provider and consumer.
• Better services and products -- business strategy is foundational to the production of high-quality services and products; and Strategy is the starting point for ITSM adoption and implementation. From Strategy through Design, Transition, Operation and Continual Improvement, the focus on customer success reinforces outcomes that lead to increased business success. [Those who have some understanding of ITSM will recognise the ITIL framework here. Other frameworks are also important.]
• Customer satisfaction and growth of the "installed base" -- most customers want the business to be very successful, since that also improves business longevity and the ability for the customers to have long-term benefit from the services and products offered
• Improved ROI (return on investment) for all concerned -- investors/shareholders, stakeholders generally (including staff), and customers. It's truly a bottom line win for the business and customers.

To NinjaTrader Management: you obviously understand the importance (in some degree) of technological transformation. [I would point out though that there is a myriad of technological transformation that continues to be overlooked (for years) and that the Desktop platform desperately needs!] It is the still-pending internal transformation of attitudes and outlook towards a customer-centric charter of business that will make more difference than you can imagine, despite this well-intentioned current exercise with all its good and "less than good" aspects. The benefit to the bottom line for you will more than justify this further (arguably more necessary and perhaps more challenging) transformation.

Thanks.