Display posts from previous
Sort by

finding BIABacus

Post #1 made 10 years ago
by alanem
I am in the midst of trying to get someone to try the BIABacus software.
I have easily directed him to the biabrewer.info website but when it comes to BIABacus it becomes a lot more difficult to get to with loose ends everywhere.
Could/would it perhaps be a good idea to have in the forum pages a forum that is just titled "BIABacus Latest Versions" or just BIABacus with discussions and such on BIABacus directed into that one forum with the latest version pinned for easy access?
I'm sure it would make navigation so much easier for people who have heard of the BIABacus software and just wander in looking for it, can't see it, then wander on out.
I find BIABacus absolutely great and would love to share it with other people I know, but it really needs to be a lot more simpler to get to.
Just my sixpence worth....
Al
I used to spill more than I drink these days!

Post #3 made 10 years ago
by alanem
[quote="joshua"]Alanem, check http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1869

thats just it Josh, I can flip around in the site and find it, but what I'm saying is that a visitor comes to our site that has heard about the software would probably never find it, because there are no directions or mention where to find it.
Like people looking for BIABacus aren't going to come in and go to http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1869 .... they will be looking for a heading of BIABacus that you click on and get all the details and the up to date version of the program etc.

I appreciate the fact that Pat and you guys work bloody hard on this site and I am in no way saying you "should do this" or you "should do that" I just feel it is a great program but somehow needs to be more easily accessible to visitors.
Anyway that's just my view on it.
Thanks for the input Josh, appreciated.
cheers
Al
I used to spill more than I drink these days!

Post #4 made 10 years ago
by kaiserben
I think the point is that people have to join/sign up, read the site rules, make an introductory forum post and then get approved by admin before gaining access the BIABacus.

That's what I did and found it all quite straight-forward. Reading the site rules etc actually leads you to where the file is available.

It could be confusing for anyone just doing a search for "BIABacus" in the hope of a quick download, but that's kinda the point isn't it? Have people actually contribute here first?

Post #5 made 10 years ago
by alanem
kaiserben wrote:I think the point is that people have to join/sign up, read the site rules, make an introductory forum post and then get approved by admin before gaining access the BIABacus.

That's what I did and found it all quite straight-forward. Reading the site rules etc actually leads you to where the file is available.

It could be confusing for anyone just doing a search for "BIABacus" in the hope of a quick download, but that's kinda the point isn't it? Have people actually contribute here first?
Thanks for your input KB.......... I guess on reflection that is a pretty logical reason, and it makes sense .... thanks for enlightening me.
I rest my case your honour..... :peace:
cheers
Al
Last edited by alanem on 11 Nov 2014, 14:52, edited 1 time in total.
I used to spill more than I drink these days!

Post #6 made 10 years ago
by Lylo
I agree with you alenem it should be easier to find. Sometimes I will notice that topics are referring to versions far newer than mine and I have to go searching again. We used to have a "get the latest version" tab at the top of the Biabacus, I'm not sure why it was eliminated.
AWOL

Post #8 made 10 years ago
by joshua
Guys, Actually, nobody can download anything until you are approved.

A sticky link with a Full "Promotion of BIABACUS" would be good, and the Newest/Current BIABACUS.XLS download link posted.

Just not available to non-Approved people
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #9 made 10 years ago
by Pat
Apologies for the slow reply but this is a very busy time of year for me. I did hope to have BIABacus 1.0 (remember that every file on this site now is a pre-release) officially released by today but my paid work has been unusually busy this year so I am often working 10 hour days before I can even get to forum correspondence and admin which often takes another two to four hours on many days.

BIABacus 1.0 has been written but the accompanying help and recipes will still take considerable time which I don't think I'll have until the Christmas/New Year break.

The current BIABacus is a Pre-Release (PR1.3T) and is best viewed as exactly that. In other words, see it as an opportunity rather than as a great thing that can be handed on to all other brewers. We really don't want at the moment a heap of BIABacus questions requiring personalised answers as every one of these takes time away from publishing BIABacus 1.0. And when that is published, the help will eliminate the necessity for many personalised answers.

However, the BIABacus Pre-Release (the link joshua gave above) can be accessed immediately from at least three forums...

The Master Guide of BIAB Brewing
BIABrewer.info and BIAB for New Members
Measurement, Mathematics and Records

I think there might be more. The easiest thing to do though, for now, is to tell people it is stickied in the New Member's forum. BIABacus 1.0 will be as well so this advice will never become redundant. Make sense?

In the new forum structure, the BIABacus will be far easier to find. For a start, there will only be one version for some time - BIABacus 1.0.

Obviously I would like to be able to work on all this full-time and give you everything tomorrow but I need to eat and pay bills and many of the hours already spent on this site actually take away from man more hours I could spend earning dollars. So, I beg your patience for a little longer.

In the meantime, I need some of the more experienced brewers to be thinking about some recipe/s that they can contribute to the BIABacus bank of high integrity recipes. That is the next highest priority. Feel free to use this thread to throw a few recipes (in the format of PR 1.3T) out there, or some ideas.

Thanks for your patience,
Pat
Last edited by Pat on 12 Nov 2014, 20:19, edited 1 time in total.
Are you a "Goodwill Brewer?" Pay forward and Buy Some BIPs ;)

Post #10 made 10 years ago
by alanem
Pat, I realise your paid work comes before anything else and that BIABacus is a special project on the side and I greatly appreciate the work and hours that you put into the project.
After reading your post and others on the subject I now fully comprehend the reasons and understand the situation much more clearly now, so as far I'm concerned this topic is closed.

Cheers and thanks for a great program
Al
PS. If the new BIABacus 1.0 when released is an improvement on PR 1.3T then it's going to be bloody awesome!
I used to spill more than I drink these days!
Post Reply

Return to “BIABrewer Old Hands”

Brewers Online

Brewers browsing this forum: No members and 9 guests