Hi,
I am writing to point out some of a recent users list thread and to open the discussion here. There has been a huge discussion ongoing for about three days on the users list, and I believe threads like this are detrimental to the value of support provided to the OpenOffice.org user: not because of the original requester's post, but because of some of the discriminating answers that were provided, and the length of the thread itself, which did not focus on actual help information for OOo users.
http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=users&msgNo=89593
The users list is set up for users to share questions and answers amongst each other, so that users can collaborate their skills and learning of the product with others. This is a good thing.
Discussions will inevitably evolve from some of those posts. When they do, they should be moved to either the discuss list (OOo related material) or to the social list (non-OOo related material) to clear the path on the users list for folks who have questions and are looking for answers.
The users list is very busy. It is burdensome to users as it is to subscribe to a list that tends to generate approximately 2000-3000 messages per month.
http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/SummarizeList?listName=users
Sitting on any list where folks are abusive, especially in a constant matter, is really hard to do. It turns folks away. I used to sit on the users list to help answer questions, and I have been turned away, because I became tired of reading rude messages directed at OOo users, aka OOo /customers/ over and over again. I am now a fence sitter at the OOo project, trying to decide if I should stay or if I should go, and I have been asked to state some of things that has affected my desire to work for the project. I can say whole-heartily, this is one of those things. I have seen users being abused by OOo veterans since I first started the project, and now we do so consistently and we do it on the users list, of all places.
Because there are soooooo many users who are willing to help, there will almost always be someone who will answer a question. If you do not wish to answer the question, or if you feel you must belittle the user in order to answer the question, why don't you consider just laying low, and letting someone else answer those questions? There is no need to judge the asker, at least not out loud. If you feel you must, please consider not answering and allow others to do it who are willing to provide a friendly answer? Who wins from a belittled customer? Not the customer. Not you, because many of us are looking on with as little respect as you show the person who asked the question. And certainly not the project.
I (and likely many others) have much respect for those of you who sit on the list and will genuinely help the OOo user with their issues. Many of us were once in that position, and its the good hearts we remember, and the good hearts that make us want to help too. I especially respect those that can do so in a non-judgmental manner. That speaks volumes about your ability to provide good customer service, a very helpful skill to have in your personal tool pack.
Everyone is entitled to choose when or where they want to help. That's the freedom part. But if you choose not to help, wouldn't it be better to do so in a quietly effective manner, instead of being outwardly abusive to others about it?
Note the following message in the thread, especially the bottom, where the user writes that he was about to share the users list as a resource with his co-workers, but now has second thoughts. Also notice he asked a question that no one bothered to answer.
http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=users&msgNo=89889
If this technology director was sitting in my state's school system, he would be networked to every other technology director in my state's school system, so the turn-off would spread across the entire state school system, not just the users in one school. ;) Is this really how OpenOffice.org supporters want their project to appear to these very important audiences?
OpenOffice.org is hitting the news in a big way these days, much because of the blog entries of Sun's CEO, Jonathan Schwartz. People are taking notice and are starting to become pretty verbal with negative comments about OOo.
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050409141718941
http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=297235
Do you really want to show an equally negative attitude on the user's list? Wouldn't it be better to counter those attacks by providing excellent customer service, if that is the path you choose? It was once said that OpenOffice.org folks were nice. I'm not feeling that on the users list lately, and I haven't been for months. In fact, I went away, because I could no longer stand to read the abrasive messages that were sent to folks, and I did not have the energy nor desire to compete with or counter-act the abrasive comments that were posted. If you look and reminisce, you will notice that there are a few folks who used to sit on that list that no longer say much anymore.... Do you suppose they too went away?
I have actually wondered myself if the people who use this constant abrasive manner are employed to turn folks away, because it seems too unreal to be so consistent without motive. What are you thinking?
When folks do step up to do the right thing, they too are attacked. As a fence sitter, trying to decide "should I stay or should I go now", part of me can see humor in this mode of self-destruction. But as a person who is customer oriented, and has been since my first days at the project, I thought I might try to speak up to point out that there are two sides to the coin.... which side will OpenOffice.org supporters pick? And what are the motives behind that pick? I think it's worthy to consider at least the outside perception of the reality, because OOo is in the news.
Sincerely, Diane Mackay
-- OOo1.1.4 and OOo1.9m79 on RH9 Linux http://www.mackmoon.com/OOoHelpOutline.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
