This is actually an issue I’ve had going back several betas. I attempted to report it via normal support channels. They insisted I had to post to the forum. This is the first opportunity I’ve had to do so.
(Note: requiring people to use a forum to report issues is terrible customer service. I love Scrivener, but this almost sent me away from it permanently, beta or no beta. Not the bug; being forced to come to the forum to report it).
ANYWAY: compiling in any one of several projects I’ve tried, including one freshly created recently, produces all kinds of odd results: margins that are shoved way over to one side; fonts that change for no obvious good reason mid-document, to name two obvious symptoms.
Eventually, I’m going to want to produce a manuscript. Knowing that I can do so without a lot of manual hand-hackery to make it look good is going to be fairly crucial!
I’m curious as to why you think an open forum is the wrong way to report bugs in a beta test? Surely, it’s better for all of us who have opted to test the beta to be able to see what others are reporting? That way we can avoid submitting dozens of duplicate bug reports, and can try reproducing other people’s bugs with our computers, which may help pin down the problem.
I think the main disconnect here is that you’re participating in a public beta, not using software with dedicated technical support. It is unusual for a public beta to conduct its bug reporting and discussion areas in a way other people cannot review and contribute.
As for the problem itself, a specific example, perhaps provided as a demo project, would be helpful, but I think what you are describing is something we’re already aware of and have on the list to fix. I have a test project filed with them that reproduces a number of font and indent related issues, particularly around the usage of styles and compile settings where styled text may be partially or completely altered.
I did not come here to receive advice as to how I should be spending my time. I came here to report a bug in a product I have already paid for in the past and intend to pay for in the future. It was precisely because forums tend to be chock full of irrelevant, unsolicited “advice” that I tend to avoid them.
I should say, to receive such “advice” from someone signing off as a member of the support team is particularly offensive, and so, to return the favour, allow me to recommend to you a different line of work, in which annoying your customers is not a detrimental factor.
mshappe, I am definitely not a member of the developers team—just wonder what a product (i.e. name and version) you have paid for and still intend to pay for in the future. So far as I know, licenses for Scrivener for Windows 3 has not been available yet.
I don’t want to turn this into a trolling session, however the expectation on every beta program I’ve been on, and I’ve been on many, including with Apple and Microsoft, is that their normal support team are not trained on and do not handle beta issues. Call/email Applecare with a beta issue for example and they will politely advise you to submit the bug via their beta process.
So, L&L staff have not acted in an offensive manner, merely politely confirmed the process for submitting bug reports. The process is advised on the beta forum, where you were able to download the FREE beta copy.
While L&L staff were very polite and respectful, let me suggest, if you are not prepared to follow the bug submission rules explained, then don’t use the FREE beta and don’t be so precious as to expect them to change the rules just to suit you.