I work in IT consulting. For us, whenever our PMs stall the clients with: "We're waiting on an action plan" it is code for: "The only guy who knows whats going on on this project is MIA and we cannot reach him on the phone. Hang tight till we can find someone who has a clue".
And 'The post about our action plan is being confirmed' is code for 'We hope sometime soon the stars will align and the different department heads will agree on the wording of our proposal', with the addendum: 'Meanwhile our developers have gone home.'.
We are all here with you, upset about the lack of communication and with the servers being down for so long on a weekend (and for us here in Canada, a LONG weekend), but if part of your complaint is that your missing sleep because your worried about your game then you need to re-analyse your priorities.
That really wasn't part of my complaint, just a personal vent I felt inclined to add to justify me being a bit more stingy than perhaps necessary. Although I am tired and irritable, I would've felt roughly the same even if I had nothing better to do with my time. I appreciate your concern though and will definitely get some rest once I wind down.
Honestly anyone who remembers what the Blizzard PR department was like at times of critical failures remembers how frustrating it was to hear from a PR rep every 8 hours...
Remember when some servers were offline for 3 days at WoW launch? Yeah, good times.
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So let me get this straight, original poster could've gotten q good nights rest if he didn't spend his entire night waiting for a game to come back up and he's complaining about the communication via twitter. The bigger issue here is your addiction to video games causes you to fiend so much to play you sit there on every message praying you get to play the next hour all night and sacrificing sleep over it. It's an open beta for an unfinished game, if the **** goes down go do something else?? Go to bed? Go drink or smoke some weed and watch tv?
Tube-watching booze-chugging stoner telling me I'm an addict. I'll definitely dwell on that one for a while.
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warfluxMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited May 2013
It's ok to be frustrated because of the outage. Don't let these self important dbags alienate you or judge you. They are only doing so to make them feel better about themselves.
To be fair, the person running the Twitter feed works for Perfect World, not Cryptic. I actually feel kinda bad for them, as they're not the one coming up with the ETAs. They're the messenger. So the rug is getting pulled out from under him/her as well whenever they get an ETA then it changes.
The Rep kept giving a timeline for when they were going to give us an eta and a plan. He would tell us things like he was going to post in 30 minutes and never did. That is his fault. I'm not sure how you can defend that except by twisting around what the issue is, which you are doing.
And you think the Rep was what? Lying? Making it up? Or relaying information that he was told? You know that he can't really throw someone else under the bus right? He just has to tweet that plans have changed and that he'll keep you updated.
All this thread is about is shooting the messenger. And that's dumb.
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rektxMember, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 1Arc User
edited May 2013
He really is just rambling on and on about nothing.
Torrenz, because drinking and smoking weed sometimes makes you an addict, wait no it doesn't. Waiting for 8 hours on a sunday to play a video game is ****in HAMSTER and so are you. WAAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY F2P GAME ISN'T WORKING WAHHHHH
ah but see something even as simple as adding "I've just been informed" or "I've just been told" would do alot to reduce the anger towards him and it would point out and remind people who are upset,bothered, and/or angry, that he is in fact the messenger people don't think rationally when emotions are flowing and rage is one of the strongest humans got.
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clockwerkninjaMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited May 2013
I have to agree with this post. The twitter has been nothing but off putting for everyone I know. The lack of information and ETA after ETA have infuriated everyone I know..Myself being the one who drug everyone into this game have been fielding phone calls all night..
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Quote Originally Posted by roents
It's an "open beta" that can't be wiped even in the midst of multiple economy destroying exploits. FUN
ah but see something even as simple as adding "I've just been informed" or "I've just been told" would do alot to reduce the anger towards him and it would point out and remind people who are upset,bothered, and/or angry, that he is in fact the messenger people don't think rationally when emotions are flowing and rage is one of the strongest humans got.
To be honest, the twitter guy doesn't know anything. That's why his response is Soon (TM) and Very Soon (TM).
To be fair, the person running the Twitter feed works for Perfect World, not Cryptic. I actually feel kinda bad for them, as they're not the one coming up with the ETAs. They're the messenger. So the rug is getting pulled out from under him/her as well whenever they get an ETA then it changes.
What's the saying... "Don't shoot the messenger" right?
Torrenz, because drinking and smoking weed sometimes makes you an addict, wait no it doesn't. Waiting for 8 hours on a sunday to play a video game is ****in HAMSTER and so are you. WAAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY F2P GAME ISN'T WORKING WAHHHHH
You're perpetuating negative stereotypes against us pretty well right now. Maybe you're the one who should have another doobie and not get so worked up over how strangers live their life, eh? Quite disheartening that a fellow leaf enthusiast of all people would be so openly judgemental.
To be honest, the twitter guy doesn't know anything. That's why his response is Soon (TM) and Very Soon (TM).
Which is exactly my point, if he would simply REMIND peoplem that he is in fact simply the messenger, who have rage flowing in various amounts...read not me, at least not towards him...it would lessen it, at least towards him. I know perception is everything but in this case he needs to make sure people realize he is nothing more then a messenger.
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warfluxMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 0Arc User
And you think the Rep was what? Lying? Making it up? Or relaying information that he was told? You know that he can't really throw someone else under the bus right? He just has to tweet that plans have changed and that he'll keep you updated.
All this thread is about is shooting the messenger. And that's dumb.
I think he is above his head and incompetent. That's all. Anyone who deals with system outages knows you never give an ETA on anything unless it's pretty solid. He's resulted to telling everyone he will eat his hat if they don't have an update by midnight. Do you think someone told him to say that exactly?
Someone competent would use better judgment, that's all I'm saying. If I were him I would take that feedback and learn how to do my job better. Is he a horrible person? I have no idea. I'm just saying I thought most people have higher standards for the frontman handling all of the communications. Guess not.
I don't know where the modern attitude has come from of "criticism is bad". I don't feel he is doing his job properly. You think he is just a puppet and has no responsibility?
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lethizorMember, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited May 2013
I doubt you guys would have any idea of what to say in his shoes either that wouldn't get you either fired or amount to the same thing he is currently doing.
I'm a tech support rep, I deal with the very angry public all day long, and there are things you can/can't say to customers, and a lot of situations that you can only pass on the information you're given, and if it's nothing you can't say so or you'll be fired.
Twitter/FB guy may be posting a whole lot of nothing but it is NOT his fault, he's a person like the rest of us and he wants to keep his job. His job is as important to him as yours is to you, or mine is to me. We all need to eat and have a roof over our heads.
I have to do it, you have to do it, anyone living in the real world in a customer based employment situation has to tell customers what the boss wants them to, not what they want to, and not what the customer would like to hear about situations.
Customer service is somewhat a misnomer, and it isn't right, and it ISN'T fair, but that is the world we live in so *****ing at this poor guy who has been working for hours and hours trying to at least talk to us and prove someone is there breathing, while meeting the demands of his employers... well it's just not very nice of you guys, it's not his fault anyways. And if your boss tells you to give the public x ETA and doesn't meet x ETA you can't just decide on your own to give a different ETA or to say anything that would lead customers to believe that you yourself doubt the ETA.
All this thread is about is shooting the messenger. And that's dumb.
I'm really trying not to propagate that sentiment. I don't want the messenger to fix everything right now and be held accountable, just maybe whoever calls the shots could equip the messenger better next time.
0
lethizorMember, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited May 2013
Also criticizing for the hat eating post... maybe he was trying to deliver the news in a way to show that he actually believes in this ETA they gave him last time, and that he actually genuinely cares not only about his job but about giving us real news. I'm sure he's also sick of repeating messages and ETAs, it gets dull after awhile.
I'm really trying not to propagate that sentiment. I don't want the messenger to fix everything right now and be held accountable, just maybe whoever calls the shots could equip the messenger better next time.
A truthful statement sadly they have to keep guys like him on a very tight leash. otherwise they end up with a noose. I'll grant he could've no scratch that DEFINITLY worded it better, but he's just a parrot in this case, repeating what's been said to him.
I think he is above his head and incompetent. That's all. Anyone who deals with system outages knows you never give an ETA on anything unless it's pretty solid. He's resulted to telling everyone he will eat his hat if they don't have an update by midnight. Do you think someone told him to say that exactly?
Someone competent would use better judgment, that's all I'm saying. If I were him I would take that feedback and learn how to do my job better. Is he a horrible person? I have no idea. I'm just saying I thought most people have higher standards for the frontman handling all of the communications. Guess not.
"I'll eat my hat" is a colloquial saying. He's taken to it meaning literally as a fun little thing to talk about to take the edge off because people like you are taking this WAY too serious. The ETA thing was probably something he was told by others. He thought he would relay that information. Then some suit somewhere probably jumped in and said 'no' we must have 5 more meetings about this bullsh*t because some other suits are freaking out somewhere else. He can't tell all of this can he? No. He can't. But anyone that's dealt with real world corporate messes knows that the guy on twitter doesn't post anything unless he was told he could by someone else. Which is what happened.
Spare your faux indignant outrage to gain the posthumous higher ground. Anyone with a shred of experience and intelligence knows it's all for show.
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warfluxMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 0Arc User
"I'll eat my hat" is a colloquial saying. He's taken to it meaning literally as a fun little thing to talk about to take the edge off because people like you are taking this WAY too serious. The ETA thing was probably something he was told by others. He thought he would relay that information. Then some suit somewhere probably jumped in and said 'no' we must have 5 more meetings about this bullsh*t because some other suits are freaking out somewhere else. He can't tell all of this can he? No. He can't. But anyone that's dealt with real world corporate messes knows that the guy on twitter doesn't post anything unless he was told he could by someone else. Which is what happened.
Spare your faux indignant outrage to gain the posthumous higher ground. Anyone with a shred of experience and intelligence knows it's all for show.
I deal with roughly 10 major outages a week impacting up to 5 million users. I handle the communications. If I acted the way this guy did I would have been fired a long time ago.
Anyone with a shred of experience and Intelligence knows he could have handled this situation a lot better.
I don't care what anyone told him to say. He is the person writing the communications, he should know it was a bad idea. You don't have the standards I have so you're happy with it. Ok.
It is funny that we have so many "competent" or "pro" PR persons here judging other people jobs. It is always easy to say than done guys!
At least, they are doing their best to keep informing players what is happening. In other games, developers just shut down everything including forum until they fix the problem, and sometimes do not even have any explanation.
You say 4v5 is impossible? Cool story bro.
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warfluxMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 0Arc User
It is funny that we have so many "competent" or "pro" PR persons here judging other people jobs. It is always easy to say than done guys!
It's really not that hard. Ask anyone who handles outages and the communications that has been doing it for awhile. You never make promises you can't deliver. You always say there is no ETA when you have none. Yea, who am I? Just some guy on the internet claiming to be a pro PR person. I'm not really, I'm in IT. Handling communications on the outages is a very small part of my job but when you do it 10 times a week you sort of get good at it eventually. But, I understand why you have no reason to listen to me.
Can I forgive him? Absolutely. It's not a reason to hate someone. I don't see anything wrong with calling him out for it, though.
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lethizorMember, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited May 2013
Warflux I don't know what company you work for, but ours is also massive (spans the entire united states, we have a presence in every state in some form), and we are allowed to pass on information from engineers to our customers in any way appropriate, including some humor occasionally to lighten the mood.
We wouldn't get fired for that, if I said something to a customer like 'well this is the ETA they're giving me for this project to be completed, so if it's not better by then I'll eat my hat! I'll go ahead and give you a call with the update by at LEAST 12pm" - it would be totally fine.
Only situation that would not be fine in is if I didn't call the customer, lied, or goaded an irate customer by being flippant about it, which is not what this guy is doing. He has said the same thing about "I'll have an update as soon as possible" 15 times. He got some information he felt solid about as far as the ETA for update, and he inserted humor into the situation to let people know he was aware of the whole ETA fiasco, but felt good about this the info he got on this one.
I think you're being ridiculously overly critical unless you work for one of those companies with iron QA where you have to read from a script, which is no customer service at all. I've never had a complaint about my service and I talk to thousands and thousands of customers a month, most of whom are irate to begin with.
From the sounds of it, there are multiple people taking turns managing the twitter, facebook, and forum updates. Also, the twitter has been a near-endless stream of varied, interesting stuff. Even though very little of it contains any sort of meaningful information about the downtime, it is still far better than a copy-pase of "We will be posting more details 'soon'" every five minutes.
Comments
And 'The post about our action plan is being confirmed' is code for 'We hope sometime soon the stars will align and the different department heads will agree on the wording of our proposal', with the addendum: 'Meanwhile our developers have gone home.'.
Remember when some servers were offline for 3 days at WoW launch? Yeah, good times.
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Hopefully more to come!
Yup I remember that, and while we weren't happy we all understood it REALLY REALLY NEEDED IT.
And you think the Rep was what? Lying? Making it up? Or relaying information that he was told? You know that he can't really throw someone else under the bus right? He just has to tweet that plans have changed and that he'll keep you updated.
All this thread is about is shooting the messenger. And that's dumb.
Quote Originally Posted by roents
It's an "open beta" that can't be wiped even in the midst of multiple economy destroying exploits. FUN
To be honest, the twitter guy doesn't know anything. That's why his response is Soon (TM) and Very Soon (TM).
He promised to eat his hat if the plan isn't online in 1,5 hours!
What's the saying... "Don't shoot the messenger" right?
This plan better be pretty ****ing epic with the way they're dragging this out.
Which is exactly my point, if he would simply REMIND peoplem that he is in fact simply the messenger, who have rage flowing in various amounts...read not me, at least not towards him...it would lessen it, at least towards him. I know perception is everything but in this case he needs to make sure people realize he is nothing more then a messenger.
I think he is above his head and incompetent. That's all. Anyone who deals with system outages knows you never give an ETA on anything unless it's pretty solid. He's resulted to telling everyone he will eat his hat if they don't have an update by midnight. Do you think someone told him to say that exactly?
Someone competent would use better judgment, that's all I'm saying. If I were him I would take that feedback and learn how to do my job better. Is he a horrible person? I have no idea. I'm just saying I thought most people have higher standards for the frontman handling all of the communications. Guess not.
I don't know where the modern attitude has come from of "criticism is bad". I don't feel he is doing his job properly. You think he is just a puppet and has no responsibility?
I'm a tech support rep, I deal with the very angry public all day long, and there are things you can/can't say to customers, and a lot of situations that you can only pass on the information you're given, and if it's nothing you can't say so or you'll be fired.
Twitter/FB guy may be posting a whole lot of nothing but it is NOT his fault, he's a person like the rest of us and he wants to keep his job. His job is as important to him as yours is to you, or mine is to me. We all need to eat and have a roof over our heads.
I have to do it, you have to do it, anyone living in the real world in a customer based employment situation has to tell customers what the boss wants them to, not what they want to, and not what the customer would like to hear about situations.
Customer service is somewhat a misnomer, and it isn't right, and it ISN'T fair, but that is the world we live in so *****ing at this poor guy who has been working for hours and hours trying to at least talk to us and prove someone is there breathing, while meeting the demands of his employers... well it's just not very nice of you guys, it's not his fault anyways. And if your boss tells you to give the public x ETA and doesn't meet x ETA you can't just decide on your own to give a different ETA or to say anything that would lead customers to believe that you yourself doubt the ETA.
Anyways, lay off the twitterguy!
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A truthful statement sadly they have to keep guys like him on a very tight leash. otherwise they end up with a noose. I'll grant he could've no scratch that DEFINITLY worded it better, but he's just a parrot in this case, repeating what's been said to him.
"I'll eat my hat" is a colloquial saying. He's taken to it meaning literally as a fun little thing to talk about to take the edge off because people like you are taking this WAY too serious. The ETA thing was probably something he was told by others. He thought he would relay that information. Then some suit somewhere probably jumped in and said 'no' we must have 5 more meetings about this bullsh*t because some other suits are freaking out somewhere else. He can't tell all of this can he? No. He can't. But anyone that's dealt with real world corporate messes knows that the guy on twitter doesn't post anything unless he was told he could by someone else. Which is what happened.
Spare your faux indignant outrage to gain the posthumous higher ground. Anyone with a shred of experience and intelligence knows it's all for show.
I deal with roughly 10 major outages a week impacting up to 5 million users. I handle the communications. If I acted the way this guy did I would have been fired a long time ago.
Anyone with a shred of experience and Intelligence knows he could have handled this situation a lot better.
I don't care what anyone told him to say. He is the person writing the communications, he should know it was a bad idea. You don't have the standards I have so you're happy with it. Ok.
At least, they are doing their best to keep informing players what is happening. In other games, developers just shut down everything including forum until they fix the problem, and sometimes do not even have any explanation.
It's really not that hard. Ask anyone who handles outages and the communications that has been doing it for awhile. You never make promises you can't deliver. You always say there is no ETA when you have none. Yea, who am I? Just some guy on the internet claiming to be a pro PR person. I'm not really, I'm in IT. Handling communications on the outages is a very small part of my job but when you do it 10 times a week you sort of get good at it eventually. But, I understand why you have no reason to listen to me.
Can I forgive him? Absolutely. It's not a reason to hate someone. I don't see anything wrong with calling him out for it, though.
We wouldn't get fired for that, if I said something to a customer like 'well this is the ETA they're giving me for this project to be completed, so if it's not better by then I'll eat my hat! I'll go ahead and give you a call with the update by at LEAST 12pm" - it would be totally fine.
Only situation that would not be fine in is if I didn't call the customer, lied, or goaded an irate customer by being flippant about it, which is not what this guy is doing. He has said the same thing about "I'll have an update as soon as possible" 15 times. He got some information he felt solid about as far as the ETA for update, and he inserted humor into the situation to let people know he was aware of the whole ETA fiasco, but felt good about this the info he got on this one.
I think you're being ridiculously overly critical unless you work for one of those companies with iron QA where you have to read from a script, which is no customer service at all. I've never had a complaint about my service and I talk to thousands and thousands of customers a month, most of whom are irate to begin with.