Why does Atlassian classify documentation errors as suggestions and not BUGS!

[Bob Sovers]

I sent feedback about the help screen being in error for the new editor and https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFCLOUD-66529 was created.  But it was created as a suggestion and not a BUG.  What does it take to get Atlassian to admit that errors are BUGS!

[Bob Sovers]

This was prompted by a very nice email from Helton Alegra <jirastudio-support-system@am.atlassian.com> where they note the original (internal) Jira studio suppport ticket with this note:

Helton Alegra updated JST-474697 - Help Screen is wrong!.

Status: Closed - Atlassian Bug.

I guess that INTERNALLY Atlassian admits that it is a BUG, but to the public (ie, paying customers), it is just a suggestion!   And they wonder why their users get irked!

[Bob Sovers]

I just received notification that they reopened the JST-474697 ticket.  Though I am the only one outside of Atlassian that can see  https://getsupport.atlassian.com/servicedesk/customer/portal/23/JST-474697

In looking thru the whole conversation with Helton Alegra, I found that several public facing issues were created (all suggestions and not BUGS)

• [CONFCLOUD-66529 - Keyboard Shortcuts documentation update -- Helton's comment "Bob, I totally agree with you on this one, as this page should contain a list of shortcuts, instead of telling users to go back and check the "Shortcuts" help in Confluence, (then what would be the point of this page?"
• CONFCLOUD-66530 - Some Shortcuts in Confluence don't work -- Helton's comment "Bob, with these guides I was able to reproduce this behavior that you've mentioned, and immediately raised a suggestion A* to our DEVs, to fix the "B" shortcut as well as change the "Add row" shortcut to something else that does not interfere with the OS's own shortcuts."

One other thing that Helton passed on "Hey Bob, thanks for bringing this to our attention, I've pinged our Documentation team so they could take a look on this specific "Suggestion" (as we treat documentation updates as this 'issue type' for internal tracking)."  --- I guess documentation BUGS are not real bugs at all (at least to Atlassian!)

(Please note that ALL of these discussions took place on or before May of this year, and yet the 2 issues are still unresolved!)

[James Bullock]

The short answer is: "Atlassian is having growing pains."

They aren't yet good at the difference between a commitment, an intention, and an aspiration, which becomes more critical as they become more critical in other peoples' businesses. The *cost in bother and uncertainty* of using  a product is also a thing; it actually dominates value over scale (time, uses, users...)

Their product catalog acquisitions are strategically bang-on. Product operations (a better POV than "engineering"), product management, and user-experienced value are less well done. What's easy or convenient internally to the vendor isn't necessarily what's easy, convenient, or even useful to the customers. Customers also need easy clarity.