Post by Galactic King on Apr 13, 2021 20:04:24 GMT -5
Hi all,
I hope you've had a good Easter! (Or simply a good weekend if you don't celebrate.) I just wanted to reach out because I've noticed a disconnect in communication lately that seems to getting more common. I'll break down what the process should be for asking a question below. I know it sounds silly to have an actual process for asking questions, and if you are the kind of person to ask your questions publicly then this thread is not for you. In fact, stop reading! You're good and this does not concern you. If you ask questions privately or ask multiple people the same question, then unfortunately, this thread is for you.
Firstly, questions really should be asked publicly. This way, everybody can see the question and everybody can see the answer. There is no confusion and chances are that if you have a question, then other people probably have the same question, so it can only be a benefit to ask it where everyone can see. This can be done either on discord in the questions/suggestions channel or on the board.
Secondly, questions should be... well, questions. Some people tend to ask questions that would be considered "loaded" in the hopes of getting something changed. These are not actually questions, rather, they are suggestions. You need to post these without a question mark and in the appropriate area, making sure it's taken as a suggestion and not a question. Likewise if you already know the answer or the answer is clearly on the main site, then what you're doing isn't asking a question.
With that out of the way, we can get to the simple stuff. How to ask a question:
I hope you've had a good Easter! (Or simply a good weekend if you don't celebrate.) I just wanted to reach out because I've noticed a disconnect in communication lately that seems to getting more common. I'll break down what the process should be for asking a question below. I know it sounds silly to have an actual process for asking questions, and if you are the kind of person to ask your questions publicly then this thread is not for you. In fact, stop reading! You're good and this does not concern you. If you ask questions privately or ask multiple people the same question, then unfortunately, this thread is for you.
Firstly, questions really should be asked publicly. This way, everybody can see the question and everybody can see the answer. There is no confusion and chances are that if you have a question, then other people probably have the same question, so it can only be a benefit to ask it where everyone can see. This can be done either on discord in the questions/suggestions channel or on the board.
Secondly, questions should be... well, questions. Some people tend to ask questions that would be considered "loaded" in the hopes of getting something changed. These are not actually questions, rather, they are suggestions. You need to post these without a question mark and in the appropriate area, making sure it's taken as a suggestion and not a question. Likewise if you already know the answer or the answer is clearly on the main site, then what you're doing isn't asking a question.
With that out of the way, we can get to the simple stuff. How to ask a question:
- Is it just a normal question?
- Ask it either on discord in the questions channel or on the forum in the questions board.
- Is it a private question?
- Some questions can be private. If you're embarrassed to ask it publicly or if doing so would compromise you, such as if you have a question about how the 24 hour rule works but you don't want to give away that you plan on using it, etc. These can be asked privately to the appropriate staff member. If it's relevant to updates, please ask your column monitor. If it's relevant to roleplays, please ask your faction's RP Guide. If you're unsure of who to ask, please feel free to reach out to me directly and I can either help you or point you in the direction of someone who can. You can DM us on discord or PM us on the forum.
- Have you asked the right person?
- This is where the problems can happen. Let's say, for example, the question is "I forgot to train on my last update. Can I have the stats?" This type of question should be asked of your column monitor. However, let's say that for some reason, you asked every member of staff- privately. You are probably going to get different answers. Some will be no and some will be yes, and you will probably go with the answer that best suits you. Now we have staff stepping on each other's toes, you have conflicting information, and you just bothered a lot of people over a very simple question.
Basically, don't ask multiple staff the same question. Start low and work your way up so people aren't accidentally getting overruled. If you've already asked Subaru a question, and you disagree with the answer, you can move up- you can ask me. However, you must mention that you already asked Subaru and the answer was no. This way I can discuss it with Subaru and figure out what's going on. If I also say no, please feel more than free to ask Alex. However, you must mention that you've already asked me and I said no. Another example: Let's say you ask Joseph a question and he doesn't answer for a few hours. It's fine to move up and ask me also. However, you have to let Joseph know! You have to say "Hey, this question is a bit urgent so I asked Frieza/Revan." That way Joseph doesn't waste his time trying to get you an answer that you no longer need.
And that's pretty much it! Thanks for reading. Now that it's been said and made visible, intentional or accidental problems caused by a lack of courtesy in asking your questions may result in a forum warning. Please feel free and welcome to ask any questions you want, but please do so with the best of intentions and with courtesy to the one you are asking.
