My review of customer service on SMF

Arantor

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #90, on May 9th, 2013, 05:40 PM »
The problem with the values is that it's only a requirement on the team's behalf. The team manual is also primarily for the team in terms of responding to users - thing is, neither xrunner nor I are team members.

Validity is fine :)

1) If you notice, he wasn't deciding whether it was a problem in SMF. He was trying to find out *why* it is a problem. Because, as quite rightly pointed out, spaces were added for a reason relating to readability. If there is a reason for not having the spaces for a given language, then it needs to be flagged up.

Since when did personal aesthetic preferences get flagged as bugs? I don't like the shade of blue in the header, is that a bug?

There IS a legitimate case of a rogue space that was a bug, but that was only a much later thing, the original topic did not have the unbalanced spaces in it.

2. This is why he was trying to get to the bottom of it. Is it a legitimate bug in SMF? Is it a personal preference? Is there a related bug?

The answers to which are no, yes, and yes. But blindly answering the guy's question would have seen them answers as yes, no and no, a very different picture.

A lot of the issue is that xrunner pushed it when others didn't - but if I hadn't realised what a stupid waste of time it would turn out to be, I'd have been pretty much the same. The question then becomes: would you guys have treated me any differently? The answer, of course, is yes. This is what it comes down to: one member is being hounded for being blunt with someone and others who have more standing in the community are not, even when objectively their attitude can be perceived to be worse.
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xrunner

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #92, on May 9th, 2013, 06:39 PM »
Quote from Arantor on May 9th, 2013, 05:40 PM
The question then becomes: would you guys have treated me any differently? The answer, of course, is yes.
I just got a PM telling me that your post above was read, and that - yes - you would have been treated the same as I was. :wow:

You know, on my forum I deal with delusional members all the time, but I never thought I would deal with them on the SMF forum.

Arantor

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #93, on May 9th, 2013, 06:43 PM »
I'm sorry, that is indeed somewhat misguided. I absolutely refuse to believe I would have been treated in the same way because of the number of times I have done similar things!

Kindred

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #94, on May 9th, 2013, 08:24 PM »
hey Arantor - without getting into it any further, and solely in the interest of truth...

He has twisted the words and meaning and that's not what K@ actually said to him.

xrunner

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #95, on May 9th, 2013, 08:30 PM »
Quote from Kindred on May 9th, 2013, 08:24 PM
hey Arantor - without getting into it any further, and solely in the interest of truth...

He has twisted the words and meaning and that's not what K@ actually said to him.
Bullshit. I guess I'll have to quote actual text now to defend myself even though I don't like quoting other's PMs.
Quote
But, Kays isn't the idiot that you make him out to be. (comment: I have no idea where that came from, I've never called ANYONE AT SMF AN IDIOT!) If it'd been Arantor who'd made that one push too many, I believe that he'd've done exactly the same.
Kindred dear, why doesn't the staff get out from behind their little secret room and talk to me about this matter. I can defend myself against all comers. I knwo I'm right about this.

Arantor

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #96, on May 9th, 2013, 08:35 PM »
The comment made in that PM was made to me directly elsewhere, and I don't agree. I do not believe I would have had the same reprimand, verbal or otherwise, as xrunner had, had I done the same thing. Thing is, I've arguably done much worse and not had a single comment about it!

However, I am only too aware that a lot of this stuff is a matter of perception and that no-one's really that far in the right here :/

We all react to what we perceive - and he perceives an injustice. I perceive a sort of injustice too, but to a lesser degree. I also perceive that I didn't stay particularly involved in the thread in question because I knew ultimately where it would lead (exactly where it did). I also perceive there to be double standards above and beyond what would normally be expected on a forum, especially one that theoretically is supposed to be professional. I accept that double standards are inevitable, but that they should be curbed where possible.

Kindred

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #97, on May 9th, 2013, 08:46 PM »
Well, Arantor, I think that the matter is actually quite simple.
Yes, there are different sets of standards - as with life. You get what you earn.

there those users, like yourself, who have proven helpful over and over and over (with or without snark)
There are users who try to help but are frequently mistaken (if they accept correction, they can move up in estimation, if not, they move down)
there are also users who have not proven anything except that they like to complain and make trouble...

te first set get a fair amount of slack.
the second set get slack enough to hang themselves or pull themselves up...
the third set don't get any slack at all and have to work their way up to ground level to even see the rope

(and of course, there are all sorts of "levels" in between as well, it's not all cut and dried as some seem to think or want.)

xrunner

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #98, on May 9th, 2013, 08:53 PM »
Quote from Kindred on May 9th, 2013, 08:46 PM
Well, Arantor, I think that the matter is actually quite simple.
Yes, there are different sets of standards - as with life. You get what you earn.

there those users, like yourself, who have proven helpful over and over and over (with or without snark)
There are users who try to help but are frequently mistaken (if they accept correction, they can move up in estimation, if not, they move down)
there are also users who have not proven anything except that they like to complain and make trouble...

te first set get a fair amount of slack.
the second set get slack enough to hang themselves or pull themselves up...
the third set don't get any slack at all and have to work their way up to ground level to even see the rope

(and of course, there are all sorts of "levels" in between as well, it's not all cut and dried as some seem to think or want.)
^^^ You know what the clear answer is then don't you? DON'T YOU?

If those are the rules, then put it in print as the rules for the SMF support forum.

Here, I'll start you off dear -

There are different sets of standards on the SMF forum- as with life. You get what you earn.

1. There those users, who have proven helpful over and over and over (with or without snark)

2. There are users who try to help but are frequently mistaken (if they accept correction, they can move up in estimation, if not, they move down)

3. There are also users who have not proven anything except that they like to complain and make trouble...

Summary: The first set get a fair amount of slack.
the second set get slack enough to hang themselves or pull themselves up...
the third set don't get any slack at all and have to work their way up to ground level to even see the rope

Now, that wasn't so hard was it dear? That's the problem in a nutshell. There are no rules governing how people get to respond! Just flesh it out a bit more and you'll have it ready for your forum. :+1:
Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #99, on May 10th, 2013, 12:03 AM »
I just sent back a constructive PM that has three options that I believe would have resulted in a much better outcome. It doesn't address the core issues of double standards, but these options remove the drama from the thread. Basic forum moderating skills.

Option A (in the thread) -

xrunner, can I have a go at rimh101 for a few posts? Let me try to see what can be done with a one-on-one between me and him, OK?

Option B (in a PM) -

Send me a PM and tell me politely what he wants me to do in the thread - this way it takes away any possible drama out of the thread.

Option C (Warning system) -

I could have been issued a 10% warning notice from the system and I would never have known who sent it. All they had to do was explain what they wanted to do in the warning message. Do they even know how to use the warning system? What a weird thought ...
Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #100, on May 10th, 2013, 02:04 PM »
Quote from xrunner on May 10th, 2013, 12:03 AM
All they had to do was explain what they wanted to do in the warning message. Do they even know how to use the warning system? What a weird thought ...
Wow - I must have ESP. Look at this new gem -
Quote
You know... That warning system? Other than to mute Spamtards, I've never, ever, used it!
So one of the lead support personnel for SMF, on their own forum, doesn't even fully utilize the warning system [1]

So ... why did they even put in the warning system if the very people supporting it don't use it! :oops:
 1. other than to effectively do the same thing that a ban would do, and bans have been around since basically the beginning

Arantor

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #101, on May 10th, 2013, 03:18 PM »
It was funnier when you had people with the developer badge that weren't even using 2.0.

The reason why they use it to ban instead of actually using a ban is because only admins have the ban power and using the warning system in SMF to mute users is cheaper in performance terms than using the ban system itself. (Coincidentally, using an infraction to actually ban a user is cheaper in Wedge than using the ban system to ban a user is too. And for a similar reason.)

The warning system is useful, though I'll admit not as powerful as it could be.

xrunner

  • Posts: 192
Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #102, on May 12th, 2013, 01:47 AM »
In the future, I imagine this will be the support forum for Wedge.

In that future, I'm pretty sure I'll be hanging around here, trying to learn from some level, and help from another.

In that future, it's possible I might ask a new user about a small concern they have, about a space, or some other item.

Why, for example, they might think it's a problem, just for understanding.

Just letting you all know in case you want to start setting up penalties ... :)

Road Rash Jr.

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Re: My review of customer service on SMF
« Reply #103, on May 12th, 2013, 05:02 PM »Last edited on May 12th, 2013, 05:40 PM
meh :whistle:
Cyberbullying is defined in legal glossaries as

    actions that use information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group, that is intended to harm another or others.
    use of communication technologies for the intention of harming another person
    use of internet service and mobile technologies such as web pages and discussion groups as well as instant messaging or SMS text messaging with the intention of harming another person.

Examples of what constitutes cyberbullying include communications that seek to intimidate, control, manipulate, put down, falsely discredit, or humiliate the recipient. The actions are deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior intended to harm another. Cyberbullying has been defined by The National Crime Prevention Council: “When the Internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person."
 
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