Logo replaced with "No items found" after testing a form submission

Question

I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that Business Catalyst is written by the programmers, for the programmers, to be primarily used by the BC programmers to set up the initial web sites for end users and once everything is customized, the end user /site owner can then update product pages and other content, without knowing any code. IMHO, it was not written for Web designers who know how to build static web sites, but who also need added functionality.
Moreover, I thought the propose of BC was to build a professional looking and properly performing interactive web sites without knowing any coding. Even with knowing HTML, CSS, and some Javascript, it is one confusing mess, that does not perform as advertised, IN MY OPINION. You not only have to thoroughly understand how BC does things, and I seriously doubt that a custom site could be effectively built without knowing programming, or at least a working knowledge of Javascript, which most web designers have not mastered. Javascript is NOT easy, but neither is Business Catalyst.
Even the sample starter sites do not function smoothly, and the BC Manage site interface is NOT intuitive, so unless you want a web site that basically looks and functions just like one of the templates, you're out of luck. Maybe someone on this forum can explain how, and why, my header logo got 'replaced' with the words, "No items found"? All I did was attempt to set up a module form and then tested it. Next I was unable to log into the site with any accounts that I had set up as a User and/or member for testing purposes, which worked just fine before then.
I have just spent the better part of the last two-three week trying to figure out how to use Business Catalyst and slightly modify one of the provided BC sites to meet my needs. No such luck. I am a long time Adobe customer and have spent thousands of dollars on Adobe Software over the last ten plus years, but BC is a LOOSER. I'm NOT a stupid person, and have designed some nice responsive HTML5 web sites, but Business Catalyst has thrown me for a loop, even though I have tried diligently to figure out how all the pieces fit and work together, to little avail.
Why doesn't Adobe provide some programming help (for a reasonable programming fee) instead of forcing us to go with the independent BC programmers/site designers who do know how to make it work, but they charge the big bucks to do so? I had one BC site designer tell me that web sites cost $10,000 - $15,000. (and that was for a BC site) which I thought was quite unreasonable until you consider how few people truly know how to use BC well enough to customize a web site, and then you have to need a site very similar to the one already created. There in an inherent lack of simple functionality, and customization, for sites that are not retail product sites.
Frankly, I am very disappointed, frustrated, and now looking for a programmer to build a straightforward interactive site for my modest needs. Who cares about all those reports if you can't get the site to function properly, and are unable to troubleshoot the problems when everything is hidden in content holders with no access, and no list of all the modules that are even being used on the site I was last trying to modify.  The Announcement module was not to be found anywhere, except in the code that somehow managed to switch out the site logo in the header with search results. Doubt if I could duplicate the problem if I tried.
BC is too complex on the backend, and doesn't make much common sense on the front management end. It tries to be all things to all retail selling sites, but all those functions, bells & whistles aren't much good if a user can't get the site off the ground.
At the very least, give us access to the all the modules uses on the sample sites (not al are available within the site management), the module names, and a brief description of what they do and how to access them when they are nowhere found in the module templates directory. And would someone PLEASE write some decent directions for using the management interface, instead of glibly showing how easy it is to do this or that, without any coding, but also without any real walk-throughs of exactly how to do something specific.
My apology to EVERYONE on this forum for my venting and rant out of sheer frustration ( and deadlines that are not being met) and I do NOT fault the forum moderator for NOT POSTING my thoughts, but I do hope this message, written in utter frustration, is FORWARDED to someone at Adobe who needs to know the truth of the matter regarding Business Catalyst, from at least my own VERY BAD USER EXPERIENCE, thus far,  spent trying to get results creating a simple interactive web site using Business Catalyst.
I'm guessing some of you are frustrated and struggling as well. I wish you the best and every success in using Business Catalyst. Typically I am patient, and will keep on trying... but only to a point, at which it's time for me to move on to plan C, because the real 'help' I need is with all the little stuff that doesn't work and tutorials are definitely lacking unless you have that same problem or are trying to duplicate what is being explained - I've tried BG Gurus videos, Lynda.com training, and other Youtube BC resources.
Sincerely,
Heidi Wurst

Answer 1

the need for both a "testing" and "remote" server for the site and that the information in the 'add server form' needed to be correct.
You do not need both, you only need the the server that you want to use. I have a test site that I only use locally, so that is the server that I have setup, thus no remote server.
how many ftp addresses can I expect to have!
Just one per site, the correct one.
Gramps