Bugs happen. How do we fix them?

You could assume that Grace Hopper, a computer scientist at Harvard University, was not having the best day on September 9, 1947. Her computer was repeatedly returning errors for no clear reason. When opening it up, Grace found an actual bug, a moth to be precise, that was interfering with its functioning. Thereby, she became the first person to report a computer bug.

In reality, software bugs are not actually caused by things like moths (although our developers wish all fixes could be so straightforward!). Rather, a software bug is an error in the system that causes it to produce incorrect results or behave unexpectedly. At Easy LMS, we aim to build a bug-free system for you! But, the fact of the matter is that a bug-free system is as rare as a unicorn. Easy LMS is built by humans, and subject to human error, which means that bugs slip through from time to time 😧.

Since we know how annoying it is when there are bugs, we have a process in place to get bugs fixed ASAP! Here is an inside look at how this process works, starting from a bug's discovery by you, to the final fix.

Phase 1

You contact us 

The first step in the process is where you, as a client, come into play. Let’s pretend that you’re creating a new Exam to test a new hire’s knowledge of security standards. To add some flair, you go to upload your company’s logo. Instead of successfully uploading the image, you watch the loading icon spin, and spin, and spin …

After trying it a few more times, you’re probably pretty frustrated. Easy LMS is clearly not working like it should! What should you do? Contact support immediately! Support will be your point of contact throughout the whole process.

We will gather as much information as possible about the bug.

Through the chat box, you will reach a member of the support team. One of our biggest goals at this point will be to gather as much information as possible about the bug. You might feel like you’re playing Twenty Questions, but this step is critical so that development can troubleshoot later on. You’ll be asked these questions:

• What is the menu path to reach the location where the issue is occurring?
• What is the exact URL?
• Which component is affected? Exams, Courses, etc.
• What are the names of affected content and users?
• What platform and device are you using?
• What were you trying to do when you encountered the issue?
• What exactly happens when this issue occurs?

Once you share this valuable information, your job is over. Now you can sit back, relax, and let Easy LMS take the reins!

Phase 2

We reproduce 

Your job might be done, but it isn’t over for the support member that you’ve been talking to. With your permission, he or she will log in to your account and try to reproduce the bug. Referring to our earlier example, a support member would typically go to the same Exam and try to upload a logo him or herself.

If support cannot reproduce the issue, the process will end here. In a certain sense it is a good thing that the bug cannot be reproduced, as everything should be working. Nevertheless, it doesn’t help us get to the bottom of what you experienced. In cases like these, we might have a few more questions and will ask you to let us know if it happens again. On the other hand, if we can reproduce the bug (yikes!), the process will continue.

Phase 3

We record 

Now that we’ve been able to confirm that it is a bug, we will record, or what we say “log”, all of that information that you provided in a structured report. We log bugs in Jira, a project management tool. This report helps others pinpoint the exact place and aspect that involves the bug down the line. The other benefit of logging bugs in one place, is that other team members, including developers, can easily see if another client’s complaint falls under an existing bug.

Support will then tag your conversation with the bug ID number. That way, we can find your contact information to ask you for more information or give you relevant updates.

Phase 4

We debug 

Dev support is where the magic happens.

At Easy LMS, Developers and support consultants work together on a team. When we pick up what to work on next, everyone works across disciplines to prioritize bugs against potential new features based on time urgency. During this call, we will also discuss whether a new feature would be better, in which case, the bug is submitted as a feature request instead.

Once your issue has been picked up by development, they will identify the issue, propose a solution, and implement the fix within a two-day period.

Phase 5

We communicate

Woohoo! The bug is finally fixed! You will be notified by the support member as soon as it gets released.

At this point in time, we will also thank you for your patience. Bugs are no fun for anyone! Not for you. Not for support. Not for development. So, your understanding and communication with us are always appreciated, and really help make the process a bit easier on everyone involved.