Using the Ask Channel

Mele · Post by **Mele** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:30 am

Hi guys!

Since the new system came in for the ask channel it is very, very common that a player using the ask channel will close off the question by using 'ask' again instead of letting their answerer finish up. :) I just want to make a plea, PLEASE do NOT close your question on the person answering you. Sometimes they have extra things to add, sometimes to ask something else etc. It may seem like no big deal to say thank you, and close it up, but your answerer could have more to say, or could just plain want to say you're welcome and some kind parting words. (I hate not being able to say you're welcome or have fun or good luck or something! :D) So please only close a question if no one has come to you, and you no longer need help, or if your answerer went afk or linkdead and another NC has not taken over etc. But please do not close your question on a quick responding attentive answerer. :D

Thanks!
Danica

Maybel · Post by **Maybel** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:30 pm

I have had a few people do this. I was done with the question... but it seamed like he was being rude and just closing it...

It would be like us answering your question, then before you had a chance to say anything else... closing the question...

I like to say you are welcome and happy RPing... It makes me feel... like they didn't need me anyways and just closed it

Please don't do this unless it echos again. Sometimes we are in the middle of an RP and can't close it right away but have something else to add...

Selveem · Post by **Selveem** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 2:08 pm

I've closed my own question before. I didn't realize that is how it might seem helper-side. To those I did close my question on, I'm sorry! Your efforts are definately not unappreciated.

Dapher · Post by **Dapher** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 11:51 pm

I agree. I am very grateful for your assistance, and never want you to think otherwise.

Mele · Post by **Mele** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:47 am

This is still happening and it makes me a sad panda. Bump. :)

Lysha · Post by **Lysha** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 5:27 pm

I don't know how to end the Ask session, so I just leave it to the Helpers.

Shabanna · Post by **Shabanna** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:59 am

I might say... that as a player who is not involved in any way with the ask channel other than to occasionally use it. XD I have had this happen to me in reverse lol you question on ask and then the question is dealt with or maybe nont... but instead of someone saying I hope that helped...you get the little " it has been judged that your question is whater whatever *wedunwannatalktoyounomore* *click* thank you for playing! etc ..." lol admittendly...it hit me as abrupt once or twice but, I realized that it was just that there was nothing really else that needed to be done and no need to hang out with all the have a nice life chit chat .. since chances are they had 8000 other people asking stuff. So I tend to shrug it off.

*hangs her head low* I have also closed a question or two when I either found tha answer myself while waiting or... if I was short on time or... I dunno... just cause I am not thinking about it sometimes and figure people are busy and I assume its not the disney chat channel its for answers... sooo ... I apologize if I have done it to anyone...

i don't do it out of malice. AAaaannd ... I can not say I will never do it again cause I tend to not think about things that sometimes.

Uhhh im rambling...
but
I wanted to say sorry I never meant to offend anyone if I did that

Shhhaaaaa~banna

Mele · Post by **Mele** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 7:45 pm

I've got my first day off in forever, and have been on the game for approx three hours.. In three hours I've had two questions closed on me. Seems this thread needs a bump.

Please, if your answerer replies to you, and you've got nothing more to say, do not take that as an invitation to close the question on your answerer. We are volunteers. Thank you can go a long way. We're not replying for us, we're replying for you.

Danica

Jaenoic · Post by **Jaenoic** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 8:29 pm

Today I had a player with a problem that made me somewhat bummed because there wasn't much I could do. But I was about to suggest something that could help fix it, when he logged off, thus closing the ask channel.

So just wanted to bump what's been said here, please let the answerer close the channel in case there is more that they can do for you. Thanks!

Mariela · Post by **Mariela** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 9:28 pm

Yes! Very important to make sure that you can close the channel before you log it out! Sometimes it may take a few minutes but the person who you asked will come up with an answer. Give them a moment or two.

I've been on it before and they said, "nope... can't do anything but let me check.." And five minutes later they came up with a solution! It was bleeding amazing!

Just be patient. Everyone is here to have fun and it sucks rocks when you can't have instant fun. BUuuuuuut the person on the channel might have to disconnecdt from something t hey are doing to look something up for you or get in touch with an IM to see what the problem is. Just... soft shoe and relax.

Lathander · Post by **Lathander** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:47 pm

One suggestion for this situation is to politely include that sentiment in your first response to the question. Something along the lines of "Hello, I play so and so and am one of the people that helps answer questions. Please remember to let me be the one to close the question when we are done so that all of your concerns can be addressed."

Selveem · Post by **Selveem** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:08 pm

How many times should we allow our ask question to repeat itself before it becomes annoying to Imms who may be busy doing other things?

I normally let it do a maximum of four before I just close my own ask request.

Jaenoic · Post by **Jaenoic** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:51 pm

Chances are if you have asked and it is not being answered, so it is repeating itself, no one is around to answer it. Otherwise they would answer it. And if they are around and not answering, well they can't complain about being annoyed by repeating echoes, they should just answer it. =D

So the short answer is, you can let it repeat until someone answers it(or you get tired of the echo

) I would say. But my word isn't 100%

Japcil · Post by **Japcil** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:34 pm

I would like to clarify something, there are two different echos, the one saying I am still waiting for help on: 'blah blah' and I am still waiting for help from Japcil on 'Blah blah'. The first one I'd say you can close whenever you want. The second should only be closed by the answer unless a rare case of the original answerer losing connection. Alot of times the I am still waiting for help on such and such from so and so for me because I am either trying to reproduce a bug the player is asking about or I am talking to other player council members about the question.

Selveem · Post by **Selveem** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:59 pm

Japcil wrote:I would like to clarify something, there are two different echos, the one saying I am still waiting for help on: 'blah blah' and I am still waiting for help from Japcil on 'Blah blah'. The first one I'd say you can close whenever you want. The second should only be closed by the answer unless a rare case of the original answerer losing connection. Alot of times the I am still waiting for help on such and such from so and so for me because I am either trying to reproduce a bug the player is asking about or I am talking to other player council members about the question.

Yes, I was referring to the one no one seems available to help with, not one assigned.

Japcil · Post by **Japcil** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:30 pm

Being a long standing player, I assumed the three of us and others knew what we were referring to, however I wanted to really clarify for the newcomers.

Brier · Post by **Brier** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 1:06 am

Lysha wrote:I don't know how to end the Ask session, so I just leave it to the Helpers.

Me too. Always seemed easiest.

Mele · Post by **Mele** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 6:21 pm

Bump.

Seriously, this is really disheartening to have something closed on you when you're trying your best to help something that should simply be handled ic as is. :\

Sometimes things suck but don't take that annoyance out by simply closing your question. Now it's first thing Thanksgiving morning and I feel like crap because I couldn't do much for someone, and the little idea I could offer was killed before I could offer it. XP

Please remember using ask to close your question is under the terms that you:
- feel harassed by the answerer and plan to send a complaint
- Are having an emergency and need to log off (though even then, logging off closes it.)
- Ask something and do not get a reply and are tired of your own echos.
- Get many echos that you are still waiting for your answerer to still help you, making it seem like they're afk.

Thank you.

Oghma · Post by **Oghma** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:16 pm

From a mechanics perspective we could set it up like this: to avoid the ask closing would be to either remove the reminder echo or make it longer in between or remove the ask end from being able to close questions while the answer end has the power to do so.

Mele · Post by **Mele** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:48 pm

This thread is about closing your question with no echos of wait time at all, simply closing it because you the asker feel you're done, while your answerer is not.