Forum Outages

Lingchih · #1 July 8th, 2008, 03:07 AM

This is normal tech-speak for "we don't know when we will be done with upgrade". I commend them for doing it over the fourth of july holiday, when most of us were doing the vacation thing.

NTJedi · #2 July 8th, 2008, 03:18 AM

I'm just saying the forums out of service message needs to be more accurate in providing a ballpark time estimate. In my opinion it's rude and unprofessional to tell your customers to "check back soon" and remain unavailable for most of the day!

ShrapnelGames has been in business for awhile and thus shouldn't behave as if this is their first year running the website.

Ballbarian · #3 July 8th, 2008, 03:18 AM

Quote:

I commend them for doing it over the fourth of july holiday, when most of us were doing the vacation thing.

I second that.
My hat is off to the Shrapnel gang for spending what should have been vacation and family time tuning the forums (instead of bumming around like I was).

Omnirizon · #4 July 8th, 2008, 02:58 PM

"dammit Jim, I'm a systems administrator, not a time-efficiency/public relations expert!"

Coldshard · #5 July 8th, 2008, 03:13 PM

I demand cake!

HoneyBadger · #6 July 8th, 2008, 03:38 PM

Gandalf is 110% correct, and that so called "colorful story" is precisely what I go through every day in my line of work, except that everything should be repeated atleast 3 times until the customer wakes up, plugs in their brain, turns up their phone and/or hearing aide, and rediscovers their knowledge of basic English.

And it's not only better not to give them a time estimate, it's actually much better to conceal all guesses, thoughts, and suppositions, because if you give the customer anything on which to base a thought-process, except cold hard facts (and those hold their own danger), they will inevitably come to the most deceitful, vile conclusion possible.

It's war, basically. An American war in which the enemy usually ends up better off than they started, just as soon as they stop being stubborn and start losing, getting out of our way, and letting us do our job.

NTJedi · #7 July 8th, 2008, 03:44 PM

I know the amount of time to fix the forums can be totally unknown, but then this should be expressed on the message to its customers. Saying "SHORT TIME" and "CHECK BACK SOON" is downright lying.

IF the amount of time to fix the forums is unknown then tell the customers "UKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME".

How would you like dropping your vehicle at the mechanic and he told you "Short amount of Time" and "Check back soon"... yet it wasn't fixed until the next day!
Naturally a vehicle is more important, but understand my point how ShrapnelGames should be HONEST.

MaxWilson · #8 July 8th, 2008, 03:57 PM

The thing is, NTJedi, I don't think it was dishonest. Perhaps ShrapnelGames planned for the outage to be even shorter than it was, but it wasn't very long.

-Max

Endoperez · #9 July 8th, 2008, 04:04 PM

I was away from these forums for a short time. Five days, to be exact (3rd through 7th). I didn't notice any problems, so I'd have to say their estimate was correct.

Bwaha · #10 July 8th, 2008, 06:29 PM

Come on guys, give them a break, if we were paying for a service then I would expect notification. Here's a sugestion though, make a batch file that sends a email to forum members telling them when the forum is going to be up or down. Thank you for this game and the forum that is simply wonderful.

Bwaha