personality Options

[kathystaa]

so the forums are a place to help each other right? but.. some of the staff or whatever you're called are very rude. when you're helping us out, your attitude online creates a bad atmosphere, making us NOT want to ask anything at all. & you're way too strict about rules. so I titled a topic "help" & you explode and close my topic because I didn't expand my topic "help with pictures"? Regardless, someone would've opened it, no?

[synatribe]

I agree with SOME mods and many OM and OD's who think they were born more precious by God than regular members

[kryogenix]

The staff sucks shamu testicles. f**k them with a spiky comb

[tokyo-rose]

The help topic requirements are stated at the top of every support forum. I understand that you might not know about them if you're not here very often, but they are pretty easily seen.

• Topic must be titled to reflect the question you are asking.
• Topic must include a screenshot or url AND any coding used.
• No questions about any type of ad removal.
• Use codeboxes:
CODE

CODE

provide code here

[Insurmountable]

We all want to help you, but for us to help you and to save time we need you to help us too. We're here to help, and we ask for very very simple requests for you to fill, I don't think its that much to ask.

[Teesa]

but isn't it just wasting more time and space closing a topic and having the member post another topic with the same question? new people don't always know the rules obviously, and it wouldn't hurt to just remind them for next time (like the quoting images thing-how people used to get reminders not to quote images)

[kathystaa]

I do agree with a lot of the staff. and actually, I do go on here a lot, I've been a member since 2004. It's the staff like Synesthesia who piss me off. I'm trying to state my opinion, I didn't post this topic to review the rules. I see that they are at the top of the page, they're everywhere.

& I understand about the whole saving time ordeal, but myspace is JUST myspace, xanga vice versa.. it's not the end of the world. I join online forums and sites to make friends, rather not to be put down or have to obey more rules than life already gives.

[Insurmountable]

but isn't it just wasting more time and space closing a topic and having the member post another topic with the same question? new people don't always know the rules obviously, and it wouldn't hurt to just remind them for next time (like the quoting images thing-how people used to get reminders not to quote images)

Honestly, most of the time when they have 1 post I'll PM them the rules or I'll post it in the topic, and sometimes I'll just edit the topic title for them, the first time. After that its their responsibility.

Personally, they are very very simple rules. I don't think its to much to ask instead of typing HELP!! to type something else.


I can understand your frustration, believe me. When we first started with these rules I was really against them because it makes people feel like they can't get help around here, and thats the LAST thing I want anyone to feel. We want to help you, and if you just give us that little more information in the topic title, then we know what to expect when we open up your topic and it can help some staff answer your question faster.

Yes, myspace is just myspace, and xanga is just xanga in the end of the day. But asking for help with html or css matters takes a lot more time and lot more information than just clicking around and chatting away with people. We want to save your time, by putting in a detailed title and a detailed explanation of your problem, provided with codes or screen shots. So Us, The staff, doesn't have to ask you a million questions and we can simply just give you the answer.

I do apologize for anything the staff may have done to upset any of you, we aren't here to make sure you have a bad experience, we want you all to be happy and receive the help you deserve.

[kathystaa]

thank you for being rational and understanding.

[Insurmountable]

You're welcome, is there anything else that you would like to discuss?

[tokyo-rose]

I do agree with a lot of the staff. and actually, I do go on here a lot, I've been a member since 2004. It's the staff like Synesthesia who piss me off. I'm trying to state my opinion, I didn't post this topic to review the rules. I see that they are at the top of the page, they're everywhere.

I'm sorry if I came off as being rude. I didn't know that you had already tried the MySpace script for hiding picture comments.

The reason why the help topic rules were instated is because it saves staff members time when they're helping out. Instead of opening a topic only to find out that they can't answer the person's question, seeing the information in the topic title enables them to help out with questions that they can answer.

[Melissa]

so the forums are a place to help each other right? but.. some of the staff or whatever you're called are very rude. when you're helping us out, your attitude online creates a bad atmosphere, making us NOT want to ask anything at all. & you're way too strict about rules. so I titled a topic "help" & you explode and close my topic because I didn't expand my topic "help with pictures"? Regardless, someone would've opened it, no?

I agree with this. I've seen a lot of threads in resources that were closed after like 2 posts because the topic wasn't specific.

If you're gonna take the time to click on the thread and close it, why can't you just PM the original poster about the rules, edit their thread topic, and try to help them out? Is that really so hard to do?

[Tung]

so the forums are a place to help each other right? but.. some of the staff or whatever you're called are very rude. when you're helping us out, your attitude online creates a bad atmosphere, making us NOT want to ask anything at all. & you're way too strict about rules. so I titled a topic "help" & you explode and close my topic because I didn't expand my topic "help with pictures"? Regardless, someone would've opened it, no?

nvrm ... O_o

[libertie]

Hi there,

Thanks for your feedback - it's good to hear an opinion from someone who's stuck around for a long time. I've been interested in hearing what people think about this particular rule we've been enforcing lately, so this is a good way to get the ball rolling. I just wanted to apologize if anyone came off as short towards you or anyone else. I can assure you that it certainly isn't meant that way - the moderators who are closing topics are doing so because they are enforcing a rule that has been put in place here. Whether or not it's a good rule or it's something that works for us as opposed to other places is up for question. I can tell you with confidence that nobody here enjoys locking topics because the original poster didn't give enough information.

Cristy is a great mod and she puts a lot into this community, and I hope it's apparent that she only did what she had been told in that situation. She's a really sweet person and I know she doesn't mean to come off as snippy with anyone; unfortunately, part of being a mod sometimes means that in enforcing the rules you can't always seem nice in doing it. I hope you don't hold that against her.

As for the rule, what you've said has been really helpful and definitely will be taken into consideration. I'd like to hear what other people think as well, but it very well is possible that this rule with our current staff and members is not something we necessarily need in that it may not be right for our community.

[Elba]

This is a stupid trish rule. We got rid of her, get rid of the rule, too.

[Melissa]

I agree.

If topic specificity is such a problem, a mod can change it and tell the OP to make his/her thread topic more specific next time. What's the point in clicking on a thread to close it when you can just as well help? It's stupid.

[absinthe]

Honestly speaking, I wouldn't say there was a point in arguing the benefits or downfalls of the rule -- it isn't exactly controversial.

It would be pretty much akin to arguing about the no double posting rule. Can't mods just pm the offender and merge them? Sure, but its a pain and unnecessary. Mods aren't here for clean-up.

As the topic started stated, she didn't need Cristy to repost a list of the rules as she saw them at the top of the page everywhere hence implying that they were easily available, and even easier to read -- so I wouldn't have thought it was that hard a rule to follow.

As to why topics should be titled properly is pretty much for the convenience of the people helping. Quite frankly, we don't have a huge amount of members helping out in the Resource Forums. The people we have are great, and usually good about getting to everyone's question, but quite frankly, it makes it a whole lot easier to be able to identify threads not only when first answering, but also when you want to go back and answer, and help with follow up questions. No one wants to click through random "HELP!" topics to see which one it was -- kinda makes a person lose interest which is of no benefit to you. Plus, since you've posted in the Resource Forums, we know you need help, we'd like to know what kind. AND, as a final point, since we do move resolved issues into the Resolved Topics subforums and encourage people to browse through before creating a new topic, relevant topic titles are necessary. It's painful enough scrolling through properly titled threads without throwing in "HELP!" wild cards.

But yeah, I hope that answered some questions.

And I don't mean to be condescending, or snippy in any way, i'm juss sayin`.

[brooklyneast05]

i think people who come to a help forum and post topics titled "HELP!" are idiots. everyone is already aware that you need help by the fact you're posting there in the first place.

edit:
i just read anisha's post

[DoubleJ]

but isn't it just wasting more time and space closing a topic and having the member post another topic with the same question? new people don't always know the rules obviously, and it wouldn't hurt to just remind them for next time (like the quoting images thing-how people used to get reminders not to quote images)

I agree with you Teesa, because new people don't Always know the rules. I want to come up with this type of proposal:

I honestly think that when someone joins the site, the CG should be forwarded to their inbox, or should be posted when the staff greets a person. This way, we can clear any confusion about who knows what.

Something like that, imo, would cut out a lot of the bs.

[Heathasm]

i think that thats a pretty classic mistake that people who are supposed to lead and help deal with. honestly, i think that this should be in moderator performace and mods should take it into consideration ~_~

[tokyo-rose]

I honestly think that when someone joins the site, the CG should be forwarded to their inbox, or should be posted when the staff greets a person. This way, we can clear any confusion about who knows what.

That's a good idea. A message is auto-PMed by Jusun when a member joins CreateBlog, so adding a link to the community guidelines and bylaws would be easy enough.

Also, Kathy, if you'd already seen the rules, I'd assume that you would label your topic according to them. :/

[libertie]

Here's where we are in our discussion, just to let everyone know..

At this point, it's looking like the rules will stay in place as they were before. They are helpful for both the person starting the topic and for the people helping with the request. However, as staff members, we will deal with how we handle these situations much differently from now on. We have collectively decided that it is not too much trouble to simply edit a topic title that is too vague and make a post reminding them to be more clear next time.

To those who feel like we're coddling/babysitting/being far too lenient, I think the harsher punishments should be reserved for offenders who are actually doing something wrong. Let's let things that don't matter (this) just GO, and actually spend our time worrying about things that actually do make a difference (like the whole inappropriate images or member bashing thing).

The point that this and that works at another forum (or every other forum) is moot. Honestly, this community works so much differently than most other forums I visit BECAUSE of this feedback forum. Most other places have a set of guidelines that are never questioned and never get changed. When a topic is posted in the respective feedback forum, it is typically ignored and nothing ever gets done. For being a slightly larger community, we DO have a relatively good relationship between staff and members in that our staff can take criticism without just being like "well too bad, don't be an ass" and leaving it at that. There are plenty of times when I want to bring other sites into my decision-making here, but the truth is I can't because it just doesn't apply to this specific community.