"Dbl_A", the coder/developer of many highly-used Plex plug-ins, appears to be going on hiatus, for an indefinite period of time.
In a message, Dbl_A makes the following statement... "I've had some pretty big family issues, that will be keeping my away from plug-in development for the foreseeable future. You're more than welcome to try and continue development on your own, if you're keen."
According to his Github, Dbl_A was an active coder/developer of the following well-known and highly-used Plex plug-ins...
• Crackle
• ABC
• CBS
• TNT
• Nickelodeon
• Nick Jr.
• MTV Shows
• MTV Music
• Great TV
• PBSKids
• Food Network
• HGTV
• ESPN3 (Plex 8)
• ESPN3 (Plex 9)
So, the question now is... Who will step up, maintain, and keep these plug-ins alive?
well there is a sort plugin developer community and people are always eager to help and chip in.
I think we got you covered on Dbl_A’s plugins. I speak for myself when I say I maintain Food Network, HGTV and MTV Music, and I know for a fact others are maintaining ABC, great TV, …
If something breaks, report it in a forum post, you will get an answer and a solution. Now that the plugins are tested nightly, plugin fixing will be more proactive and much more responsive. I would not worry about the future of these.
Would you mind elaborating a little more about the nightly testing? I know that CBS, ABC, and ABC Family have been broken for awhile now, and I’ve been reporting them over the last several days. I was trying not to be a jerk about reporting them, though, because I realize that this is a free community and I’m not versed enough in the coding to be much help.
The other option is to jump in and fix them yourself. All of us plugin developers started to scratch an itch we had - we wanted specific content and so took the time to learn how by either writing a new plugin or fixing a broken one. The reality of life is that, given these are developed by people in their spare time, people will come and go, and the time they have to devote will also go up and down. I personally have had very little time to work on plugins the last few months, although that should change later in the year.
So, bottom line, if you really want or need the content the best way is to do it yourself. It’s actually pretty easy, fun and there are lots of people here that will give you help if you want to jump in and try.
@Jonny… I sure hope that you weren’t trying to be mean and a little snippy, like your post sounded. You have no need to be defensive.
In this thread, I was merely trying to convey that one of the developers, who codes some of the most highly used video plugins, would be absent for the forseeable future. Many did not know.
If you read the entire thread below, I clearly have the upmost respect for the developers in this community. And in fact, I DID try to fix it myself, by I’m not a Python coder, so I was completely lost!
Having read Jonny’s post (and the entire thread) I did not notice any sort of defensive tone. Less than a year ago I started to write my first plugin having zero python experience. The help that I received from members of the community made it not just possible but enjoyable to finish the first one and move on to the second and the third and so on. I still ask for help regularly and get it with a smile.
I think Jonny was just suggesting that a lot of the plugin developers started out with little or no coding experience (python or otherwise) and I think the regular infusion of new blood helps keep the plugin community lively. His point about ‘scratching an itch’ is valid. I know that I myself have worked the hardest on plugins that I had a special interest in using
Well, I've had that "itch", and sometimes it's better to ask a "doctor" than to continue scratching it!
Other times, however, **[I've applied just the right amount of cream](http://forums.plexapp.com/index.php/topic/26068-bravodisney-channel-plugins/page__view__findpost__p__166624)**, to make the itch less annoying and manageable.
As always, a big "***THANKS***" goes out to the community members willing to help!!
No, I wasn’t trying to be mean or defensive and I’m not sure my post is, sorry you took it that way.
I was, as Mike says, was trying to impart that many of us had no python experience before writing plugins and we got all the help we needed to succeed. And yes, I’m a big believer in the fix it yourself attitude:)
