Responses to new posters

[Moon Wizard]

I have seen a number of threads in the last few months where people that have come to ask questions, and kick the tires on Fantasy Grounds, where the thread has devolved into a negative debate.

We appreciate everyone's opinions on these issues, but I would ask that each of you refrain from posting any confrontational or negative messages on the forums. It doesn't really solve any problems or answer any questions; it just creates a negative atmosphere, which we want to avoid.

If as you are writing a post, you feel an edge of negativity creeping into your post, please just delete your post and move on to something you'd rather be doing. We appreciate defending the way that FG works and why, but we are fully aware of the limitations of our product. I personally delete about a third of the posts I start writing, just because I feel that they add nothing real to a discussion other than making me feel better.

Having people that point out other things they want are either opportunities to improve our product or new opportunities. We understand given the size of our company that we can't satisfy everyone, and we're fine with that and wish them luck on their journey.

If you ever have any questions you want to ask directly of SmiteWorks staff, please feel free to send an email to [email protected]

Regards,
JPG

[seycyrus]

I've been the jerk before, but after reading through some of these types of threads recently I think some parties have been a bit thin skinned. It seems that the only answer some people accept is the one that they want to hear.

[Moon Wizard]

It's all good. Everyone has days where it's easier to get excited or upset over something. Plus, this is the Internet, which is completely tone deaf as well.

This is just a gentle reminder that we're all here because we enjoy playing RPGs, and to just ignore posts that bother you. I'm not as fast as the combined force of the community, but I do check every day and try to respond the same day as well.

Regards,
JPG

[gaara6666]

John, you and David have always and will always go out of your day to respond timely and respectfully. Even seeing David on NUMEROUS occasions offer to troubleshoot network issues with new users personally. As a reformed grand master internet troll I understand how getting under and through people's skin works. Your advice is the best one. Just change gears is the best solution. That being said I appreciate the reminder and wanted to add something meaningful to the post by inviting all new users to not feel discouraged and us to remember how overwhelmed we all were when we started.

[ddavison]

John, you and David have always and will always go out of your day to respond timely and respectfully. Even seeing David on NUMEROUS occasions offer to troubleshoot network issues with new users personally. As a reformed grand master internet troll I understand how getting under and through people's skin works. Your advice is the best one. Just change gears is the best solution. That being said I appreciate the reminder and wanted to add something meaningful to the post by inviting all new users to not feel discouraged and us to remember how overwhelmed we all were when we started.

I even answer to David when my first name is Doug. How's that for awesome? :P

[darrenan]

Thanks Dan, we appreciate that.

[ddavison]

:D

Basically, there's only a couple D names that I won't respond positively to.

[JohnD]

Fine and possibly for the best. I am here to enjoy myself and mentally escape from repeated kicks to the nuts that life administers, so getting worked up is the opposite of what I personally want for myself, especially when I am just trying to help and the other side has dedicated themselves to taking a difficult stance.

I doubt that it matters who responds when the recipient isn't open to hearing the message.

For every one person like that, however, there are probably 20+ who are reasonable and genuinely curious and you'll be foregoing community efforts to help those as a result of the occasional squeaky wheel for fear that an honest, factual answer based on years of practical use/experience with the software will be taken poorly.

[ddavison]

For every one person like that, however, there are probably 20+ who are reasonable and genuinely curious and you'll be foregoing community efforts to help those as a result of the occasional squeaky wheel for fear that an honest, factual answer based on years of practical use/experience with the software will be taken poorly.

It's not that we don't want people to welcome new members to the community or prospective buyers. It's that if you read a message from a newcomer and it rubs you the wrong way, then it is best just to walk away and let us respond to them. If you respond to a newcomer with a helpful suggestion and they respond back to you negatively, then it's not normally going to help to continue the conversation. Again, this is where John or should be stepping in because at that point it becomes more like a job.

[Mask_of_winter]

It's not that we don't want people to welcome new members to the community or prospective buyers. It's that if you read a message from a newcomer and it rubs you the wrong way, then it is best just to walk away and let us respond to them. If you respond to a newcomer with a helpful suggestion and they respond back to you negatively, then it's not normally going to help to continue the conversation. Again, this is where John or should be stepping in because at that point it becomes more like a job.

No problem Daniel ;)

[Nylanfs]

Diablo, I think he was talking about damned, his name is David i think. :-)

[gaara6666]

thanks for the save nylanfs....but I was talking about Doug because apparently I am ultra stupid... like a Charisma dumpstat bard and cant remember Doug Davison so I say David like a buffoon.

[ddavison]

It's not big deal. I actually get that quite a bit and look how much fun it caused already. I think there is something psychological about Doug Davison that makes people think "David". It happens a bunch. But now I plan to start calling Damned David, because he will also appreciate it. :P

[Trenloe]

Diablo, I think he was talking about damned, his name is David i think. :-)
Damian.

[gaara6666]

just please dont call him drizzt

[damned]

i too often respond to almost anything starting with D....

[jshauber]

It's not big deal. I actually get that quite a bit and look how much fun it caused already. I think there is something psychological about Doug Davison that makes people think "David". It happens a bunch. But now I plan to start calling Damned David, because he will also appreciate it. :P

Just call him DUDE!!!

That covers it all....

[ddavison]

Just call him DUDE!!!

That covers it all....

The DUDE abides.

[Nylanfs]

K, White Russians at Gen Con it is!

[Ellspeth]

So we can call you anything but to late for supper? I made it easy on myself way back when I always just think of you as Mr.D, ever since you helped me out late one Friday night personally, when my table wasn't letting me in a game, in response to a query to customer support. I was impressed then and still am impressed by the superb customer support your company offers. As for all the D names, I gave up on that with a son in law, two grandsons, most of my best friends all starting with D, I just call em all dammit. Works like a charm. Some day mothers and fathers of sons may discover the alphabet has lots of other letters that are very cool to. All that aside, I love these forums, the help I find here, the wonderful friendly people, and I assume anything else is just misunderstandings, best left to pass.

[llothos]

I think I just read the post that prompted this reminder. I was surprised at the responses the OP was getting from the community but I was also surprised that the OP just wasnt getting it or was trolling which was getting people's backs up.

Im a newcomer to these forums and most the responses I've seen have been helpful and then I read that one and they could have handled it a bit better. (Wasn't devs it was a community member)

[damned]

it derailed quite quickly. it shouldnt happen and it doesnt happen very often. its just a reminder i guess how easily internet communications between many strangers can get misinterpreted and go off the rails :(

[seycyrus]

*deleted*

I don't think any response would have been satisfactory. Perhaps from your point of view, you might be able to tell me what response would have been adequate?

[llothos]

*deleted*

I don't think any response would have been satisfactory. Perhaps from your point of view, you might be able to tell me what response would have been adequate?

I don't disagree with you at all. I was reading the responses and one of the first ones given should have pretty much answered the questions, I understood the differences as I had some of the same questions when I started looking into fg and whether through the forums or other online sources I was able to find the answer. That's why i think they just either really honestly weren't getting it or was trolling the community as there are lots of passionate people about the product. It seems this may have been the last straw fo one of the community members as they bowed out for a while.

[LordEntrails]

*deleted*

I don't think any response would have been satisfactory. Perhaps from your point of view, you might be able to tell me what response would have been adequate?

Sometimes the best response is no response.

[seycyrus]

Sometimes the best response is no response.

Honestly, I do not see a SINGLE thing that was inflammatory in ANY of the responses to OP.

[llothos]

The final post before it was closed came off with the wrong tone.yes it's hard to read tones in just text and different people will take it different ways.

I wasn't impressed with the op's opening comments and how they were portraying themselves to the community but and I think most of the responses given answered the questions they had. even just the first couple of response I thought sufficiently answered the questions.

Then it just derailed in the last post and there may have been pm's we didn't see.

[jasonthelamb]

I even answer to David when my first name is Doug. How's that for awesome? :P

Yeah, Derrick is a great guy!

[ddavison]

We have a tradition that all the boys in the family have a name that starts with D. It has been that way for several generations -- so, my son's name is Derrick. My Dad's name is Daniel, and his Dad's name was Donald, and so on. DAD initials for all.