[wp-forums] Drupal support + Our Support

[spencerp]

> Drupal is doing some thinking about their support system, here is a post about it:
> 
> http://drupal.org/node/86986

> Matt Mullenweg

I've read it briefly, and it's a good read, from what I got. =)  Here are my thoughts, suggestions and opinions below. 

WP is free, and so is the support. Most users/helpers/mods are non-paid people, giving their help to people everyday, all day if they can... Which leads me to saying this below here..

I've been getting a number of emails, on growing concerns and issues about the "support/ support staff" lately.. and being that I'm a non-paid helper/mod person.. I can do anything about these following issues and concers that are brought up, but.. feel that I should bring these out into the open..

1) General user/helper/mod/ attitudes in the support forums lately.. seem to be harsh, un-needed, un-called for, and need to be addressed in a hopefully more "professional" manner, then what's been going on these days.. Even normal, general, users, are acting, or having harsh, sarcastic, rude attitudes, and directing comments to other users, or moderators even, in which leads to on-going flames in a thread.. 

This was mentioned before.. a while back, that people should be "punished" some how, because of such actions, lately these people aren't even getting a slap on the wrist.. Rather, people are saying, move it along people.. or keep it clean people.. and that's it.. How is that going to help? IMHO, it's not really.. sigh

Don't get me wrong though, I *know* it's FREE support, and it is hard sometimes.. to give a total professional attitude, and help ALL THE TIME.. non-stop.  This is coming from some people that have even been in the support forums for a year or more.. 

Which leads to another thing, of why "they" user/helpers took off from the forums in general, and don't wanna re-turn to help.. 

2) Conspiracies/Drama, needs to go out the door too, I know it's hard sometimes.. but.. we are ALL FREE user/helpers/support peoples.. here to give help to the users, and have them go off on their merry way, blogging with WP, like they've always wanted to do in the first place. 

I see "us/any support peoples" as a huge "WP family", and of course, in any "family" there is drama, and stuff.. but, having over excessive drama crap in the lists, is un-called for really. It'd be like, going to Mc Donalds or the Olive Garden with the family, and hearing the manager, and normal employee going at it in the background over petty crap..

This stuff should be kept on a ONE ON ONE, EMAIL TO EMAIL basis, by themselves.. not brought to the list. .ONLY important issues, such as forum issues.. .should be brought to the wp-forums list.. 

Running people off from the forums, because you don't like the person in general, don't like their attitudes in general, or don't like their professions in general, doesn't help anything, or anyone in general either.. 

It's childish, un-called for, and is un-needed, it doesn't help WP's Support group(s) in general either... I *know* I'm not the greatest person to talk, as I've already done some goof ups in my time, and I'm still not mr perfect moderator.. but, I'm only human, and still learning.. 

Again, I'm just saying... Conspiracies/Drama, shouldn't be here, period. And running those off, that actually do help in the forums, is BAD.. it shouldn't be.. especially if "THEY" are actually helping in some way.. and EVEN if it's not always WP related eithier.. 

Another thing is, those that DO POST in reply to non-related WP threads, DO NOT POST FLAME-ISH type replies to those people, then add the modlook tags.. and sit back to watch it go to hell and back either!! That don't help for a crap, and shouldn't be either!

The MODS are here to help keep things flame thread free, and if normal, WP users are adding flames to the forums, that's only making things harder for us, mods in general.. I know it's hard to keep your cool sometimes.. but people please! It's a free support forum, for an awesome free blogging software package! 

Giving helpful support to those that lack "our" knowledge, is what were here for to begin with! Not make things worse, and not posting CRAP Flame-ish type stuff, only giving more drama to their problems, when un-needed to begin with.. It DON'T HELP!

In general, most of "us/helpers/users/mods" are in their 20's to 30's even older.. IMHO, we should really start trying to act our ages, rather then acting like kids in Elementary School/Middle school or whatever.. 

1) If someone needs help, give it to them, not rude, pissy, replies!
2) If you have personal issues with people, keep it one on one, in private one on one emails, don't bring it to the lists!
3) If you're having a bad day, step back away from the forums themselves, and let others deal with support requests... so you're not giving false, bad, interpretations of the WP community in general.
4) Let's ALL try to cut down on the general Conspiracies/Dramas in general, it don't help anything, or anyone.. makes things worse..
5) No matter how old the "no-replies" are, we should go through and handle them all, some how... so people don't think they are being ignored.. and post numerous dupe threads..

I've already wrote a book, sorry .. just felt this stuff above, is the most important at this present time.. to deal with.. =/  What ya'll think?

spencerp