Manners maketh man

wcrorlando · 2020-02-26T11:54:50.000Z

Is it just me, or have the ‘requests’ for help become more demanding recently?

I’m happy to help (if I know the answer), but over the past few weeks it seems the “hey do this for me” posts are becoming more prevalent.

Denis-Kelley · 2020-02-26T12:00:51.000Z

It comes in waves, but sometimes it is an ESL issue. Just ask them to clarify and provide more detail.

wcrorlando · 2020-02-26T12:03:05.000Z

you’re probably right there - didn’t consider the international aspect and how it comes across. Thx

wslrav · 2020-02-26T12:25:08.000Z

I’m huge fan of the “do your own homework” retort.

jbaker3 · 2020-02-26T12:34:24.000Z

Always turns into a “help me help you” situation pretty much right away.

david-scammell · 2020-02-26T12:39:52.000Z

I had a friend of mine that used to send people links from https://lmgtfy.com/ https://lmgtfy.com/ (Let me Google that for you). It can be fun to use, just be careful with your wording. You want to light-heartedly remind them how easy it is to use Google. Here’s an Let Me Google That example .

But then again, we do need to realize that we are an international community and online translators aren’t always the greatest. The best way to improve manners in a community is to make sure we use them ourselves. It starts and ends with each of us!

biscuitking · 2020-02-26T13:32:45.000Z

I really hadn’t noticed.

patrickholmes2 · 2020-02-26T14:10:40.000Z

Just happened to me today.

One of our designers has a laptop that isn’t charging. Took it and did the testing and found out the battery is shot. Laptop is under warranty so it will be replaced. The designer tells me about needing it for training before March 23rd. I explain since it is in warranty I cannot dictate when the repair will be finished. This results in a “It better be done by then.” and when I shrugged I got “You don’t want to see what happens when it’s not done.”

Of course I’m gonna do my best for minimal downtime and try and get the supplier to just send me a battery, but the demanding threat like attitude isn’t going to change the actual outcome. Currently we don’t have any spares, the last laptop we sent back under warranty took 8 weeks to return (CPU fan/heat sink assembly) and the IT director makes the decisions on how we proceed. It is out of my hands once I find the problem. They all know this but I guess putting me in my place is what needs to happen.

Sorry, didn’t mean to rant. If I had the battery I could have it swapped out in under 15 minutes. Yeah, it’s a battery under the bottom cover tray. ASUS ROG Scar II GL504GW model. But is easy enough to do if you have the part handy.

Huw3481 · 2020-02-26T14:30:16.000Z

David Scammell:

I had a friend of mine that used to send people links from https://lmgtfy.com/ https://lmgtfy.com/ (Let me Google that for you). It can be fun to use, just be careful with your wording. You want to light-heartedly remind them how easy it is to use Google. Here’s an Let Me Google That example .

But then again, we do need to realize that we are an international community and online translators aren’t always the greatest. The best way to improve manners in a community is to make sure we use them ourselves. It starts and ends with each of us!

Just a casual reminder that using a lmgtfy link in a reply to a question (regardless of snark level or appropriateness) is going to result in a post deletion and potentially a talking to from the Community Managers.

Huw3481 · 2020-02-26T14:31:40.000Z

Rav7027:

I’m huge fan of the “do your own homework” retort.

Again, please report any homework questions. We have a specific “homework” deletion message.

Robert5205 · 2020-02-26T14:32:09.000Z

I find myself reluctant to make the effort to help people who don’t want help, they just want the answer. I’m here (online) to educate, not provide free consulting.

In person, I deal with it a little differently. When I get a request (or demand) and it sounds like, “My PC isn’t working.” I reply, “Yup. It’s broke.”

jimlong3 · 2020-02-26T15:01:27.000Z

Miach:

“It better be done by then.” and when I shrugged I got “You don’t want to see what happens when it’s not done.”

“Mr. Designer, if this tool is that “mission-critical”, where is your spare? No spare? Not that critical. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

bowlinggeek · 2020-02-26T18:54:51.000Z

I did notice this (here on SW). Also noticed if the spicehead-xxxx doesn’t get the answer they need or are looking for or as fast as they want, they just post it again in a different forum. Saw one yesterday in the printers forum asking about why a laptop shut off randomly.

Denis-Kelley · 2020-02-26T19:10:59.000Z

mattaria:

I did notice this (here on SW). Also noticed if the spicehead-xxxx doesn’t get the answer they need or are looking for or as fast as they want, they just post it again in a different forum. Saw one yesterday in the printers forum asking about why a laptop shut off randomly.

Please report these as we remove duplicates.

@bowlinggeek

timthornhill · 2020-02-27T08:28:57.000Z

For me it’s not a general thing but there are specific users who just expect us to drop everything for them.

james485 · 2020-02-27T11:55:23.000Z

It changes per day but most of the problems are typically solved by doing a ‘google’ search.

John5152 · 2020-02-27T14:13:13.000Z

Not so much on here but I’ve got a department that doesn’t really know what they’re doing or what they need but expects me to be able to work it all out for them!

Currently there’s someone working in a remote rented office in a Regus building that can’t connect to a database, I’ve tested everything and I can connect as them from here so it’s clearly a local problem but I keep getting told it’s “critical”. Even if I traveled the 200 miles or so I wouldn’t be able to do anything on their local network but apparently it’s my problem!

tomsteinmetz6433 · 2020-03-04T15:29:10.000Z

I’ve been noticing it. People are just becoming jerks.