Very unhappy

I purchased super suite about 3 months ago. I have dw cs4. Mac, I have a BS in CIS. I understand PHP and database driven systems like the back of my hand.
I did not receive DATA BRIDGE - don't even know what it is. It is not an option in my download center.
None of the programs I have are working together well. Did 1 live website with paypal - which I already previously have manually coded ( Paypal cart that is - I understand they just made changes) but had to do most basic, only pay on paypal purchase - because none of the buttons or systems you stated or give code for are supported without custom code(which is fine, but I didn't buy your system so I could code it) or they were just left blank, open ended to be filled in later with correct code.
I used site sculptor to build a new site - added login page - but the form builders are different and separate then the login forms. You state exclusively in the help docs not to use form builder to edit the login forms and I had old code in the login forms that I had to manually patch to get to work - directly from your forums did I find the error code patch fix - and it stated - old code - fix was to update an outdated(old)file (good file overwritten by security assist form code) - why???. And they (css formbuilder/site security(login forms) do not work together - what the hell???
Overall - it seems that I got caught between some major overhauls -I am on all current versions except for the newly updated within the last 2 weeks - and they all involve data bridge which I do not have - even though included in super suite, you are charging me to get.
I am very frustrated with every extension that I have installed. I have login forms and then data assist forms - that use the same, but completely different elements which then overwrite each other.
Per your instructions, I built my site step by step with latest site sculptor and then data assist and then security assist and then every instruction suggested running the css validation extension - but no version, stand alone or the guys name version exist on my system?, it is nowhere to be found. Most of the help documents are out of date and just plain wrong unless it is the most recent, and these usually link to other tuts and articals that are out of date and wrong.
I took a hard look at the paypal code, which I have coded manually (but not since this new change at paypal) there is no longer an express checkout - which much of your documentation suggests using - all of these things you acknowledge in the update info, b and it is sometimes just empty code sitting there - return token - confirmations, etc - all are there as individual components, but none are placed into the pages in a working manner by the wizard- it is just there.
I bought your product because I thought you could simplify and improve upon the code I had been writing. And I still admit - some of your code is still much better (tighter at least)
Instead, I am just confused and stupefied why none of these extensions seem to be working together - individually, I get the code, but your help documentation is so out of date that you are directly contradicting things you told me to do 1 document ago. There are several extensions (forms for 1) that the wizard goes thru, but you must then manually open in the individual extensions program to edit to make work - captcha and form emails had to be accessed thru the individual program as the wizards do not offer the some required settings at all!
You seem like you understand that there was a combined issue with all your product extensions (thus data bridge) but you want another $200 dollars for it.
Look at my account - it is all new - purchase and downloads. All the extensions installed are current (minus the new data bridge updates this week or last) -
Yet I have had to build workarounds to use almost every extension. From moving and renaming files so that they don't get overwritten to finishing what seems to be a code concept - to actually working code (and I am talking paypal specific here). just trying to find the most current info about these extensions has taken days to weeks of reading thru tons of out-dated materials.
I have figured out to use the built in help system to get the latest info, but almost all of them reference out of date and incorrect material to go much farther.I have already discovered major bugs (after using css form builder - I went back and unchecked the client side capability (don't ask why)- which had the effect of allowing any text and form to be accepted in the captcha field - without error - just ok. Even if the answer to what day of the week follows monday as tuba worked just fine - no error or stopping at all. But you allow this box to be unchecked, but it is really a requirement to have client and server side checking to use the captcha system. 2 long days of debugging to figure that out.
Overall, something is terribly wrong. I will not pay you any more money to find out what - but I would be very willing to work thru these issues, but cannot find a method even though I was guaranteed free support.
I understand DW and actually like it's code concepts. I at least understand them. You are the first company that really seemed to work within those bounds and I was excited at the prospect. But something has gone very wrong here. Everything is up to date with what you sold me, but everything seems to have changed and become invalid for me. I don't mind at all studying your code to see what you are doing. But when that code is fundamentally flawed or not implemented correctly and when following step by step tutorials that don't seem to actually have any relation to the program I am using - as button and screens they mention are not anywhere to be found and the code you say is there, we'll isn't, or is attached to another program that seems to be doing things differently - we'll that is now some kind of bizarre hell - and you charged me $800 for it.
And now want more to fix it if possible.
So please, tell me, what is going on. Why are things so badly discombobulated. Why are you trying to charge me more to fix it. Will someone please help me figure out why these things are not working together.
Something seems terribly wrong - and it is not a particular bug or issue - I enjoy figuring those out on a personal level - it is sort of a specialty of mine, but an overall - these extensions don't work together, and certain extensions may or may not be there and work. I basically and honestly could not tell you what I received when I bought super suite - that is how unclear your system currently is. Do I have a css validator? Today I learned I no longer have bing search (and I honestly could not care less), but it is hard to determine what I actual do have - except that I have super suite-
as everything has been combined, absorbed, or dropped with no real clear methodology (actually I understand what you were trying to do in combining like code concepts under parent umbrellas) And I just now learned about this data bridge thing, which seems to me to be your attempt at fixing some of these issues I have above - and yet I did not get data bridge with my super suite. Really?
I will be happy to go over every excruciating detail with you - go over the lines of code, the logic that does not seem to work, but there is so much of it - there is no way to include in an email support ticket. This is already ridiculously long.
There are many small specific issues - I have conquered many 1:1 from the forums or support sites. But overall - there is no cohesive system here - just redundantly flawed elements that when combined bloom into huge problems. And with every extension I use (still just starting to use them- trying them out 1 by 1 as it were) I find more issues and problems. To the point where I am dreading using any of the extensions, as I will again have to figure out a way to make your code work.
Thing is - I just do really basic sites - I am not doing anything super complex here - especially when trying out a new software package (and yes I realize that doing my first trial run with a real live site and customer wasn't the smartest thing - but I had no choice - a make it work or else situation) and while I did get it working, I now dread using a product that I purchased solely to make my life easier.
So I am begging you - please advise. Please convince me that I did not get ripped off from you - that your extensions actually work together, and that I do not have to pay hundreds of more dollars just to make them work. Most of your disgruntled people seem to feel ripped off because you basically state that you do not need to have a lot of code skills to use your product. I have mad code skills - not really an issue with me - but your product seems to be your own worst enemy here - each extension on its own is a revelation of code concept to me - yet put together in Super Suite and I have entered some sort of chaotic hell. Help!!!
Mike Sturm - Eye of the Storm photography