Blizzard's Community Relations

[Xanthippe]

Bashiok had this to tweet re: Kripparian's HC Inferno Diablo completion.

"People think that was the first HC Inferno clear? Weird. Webcams r 2 legit 2 quit. hay HAY"


Professional.

[Segoris]

An employee of a company has a personal life and makes a sarcastic comment about something completely non-important, news at 11.

The only thing he did wrong her was get 2 Legit 2 Quit in my head, what a jerk. In other early 90's related news - Arsenio Hall will have a talk show again coming in Fall of 2013

[Xanthippe]

His Twitter feed is not personal, but professional. Unless his real name is Bashiok.

[Paelos]

He's been slowly sliding into madness over the last two years. I can't wait for the moment when he finally cracks on the forums and ragequits. It'll be really funny.

[calapine]

I think men shouldn't be allowed to do community relations. They just don't have what it takes to survive in such a rugged environment.  

[Segoris]

His Twitter feed is not personal, but professional. Unless his real name is Bashiok.

Private or personal account, I don't think it matters (especially at 2am or whatever). He wasn't being rude, simply sarcastic with a reference that dates before the majority of the players catassing to give two shits about the player with the accomplishment in question. Could he have still said congrats? Sure, that's about the only thing missing in Bash's message imo.

Personally, I like community relations persons that don't stick to form letters and engage with the playerbase and can leave the automated responses/comments out of it. I don't think he needs to apologize like some number of crybabies on the official forums are asking for, and don't think he should change that part of his way of doing things.

I think men shouldn't be allowed to do community relations. They just don't have what it takes to survive in such a rugged environment.  

 

[Azuredream]

I would totally agree with you about the 'professional' thing except that his job involves reading Blizzard forums. Give the poor guy a break.

[Ingmar]

They've always gone for a more goofy/conversational tone in their forum relations stuff, it seems to work just fine.

[kildorn]

There's a level of professionalism I expect, but being randomly snarky seems fine for gaming PR. Their old web dev dude was way the fuck over the line, but I'm more impressed that the current PR folks haven't just broken down and banned everyone on the forums in a fit of rage yet.

[schild]

Bashiok has always been the height of mediocre and more often idiotic than otherwise. But the "2 legit" AND webcam bits go back to Diablo 1.

In this case, everyone that has posted in this thread thus far about it being unreasonable is just wrong. This is a rare case where was he posted was actually far from the worst thing he could've said and on the right side of things to say.

[Rokal]

He's been slowly sliding into madness over the last two years. I can't wait for the moment when he finally cracks on the forums and ragequits. It'll be really funny.

He is destined to be the next Tseric, but I don't really have a problem with him. I prefer him to most CMs who usually just seem to repeat "thank you for the feedback, we're listening" ad infinitum.

[calapine]

He is destined to be the next Tseric, but I don't really have a problem with him. I prefer him to most CMs who usually just seem to repeat "thank you for the feedback, we're listening" ad infinitum.

Oh, that douchbag! I stopped following blizz forums after quitting wow...do you know what happend to him?

[IainC]

He melted down in a series of increasingly rambly self-hating posts and was fired.

[calapine]

He melted down in a series of increasingly rambly self-hating posts and was fired.

Oh, well. I take back the douchebag but he wasn't a very good CM. He had a gift - while not technically being rude - to rub people the wrong way. And yes, customers are shitbags. Worked in a callcenter so it's not like I can't related to being yelled at(which makes it a lot more personal) or insulted yet having to stay calm and polite. One of the reasons I quit.

[Segoris]

Too rugged of an environment for you, was it? 

The Tseric ramblings were awesome imo, it was funny to watch people's reactions at times.

[Selby]

But the "2 legit" AND webcam bits go back to Diablo 1.

Yeah, my first thought when I read that was "damn, that sounds like a reference to Diablo 1 back around '98 or so..."

[amiable]

I think bashiok just congratulated Kripp and Krippi on the first HC inferno diablo kill. He menitoned that he read the spreadsheet worng and thought someone else had the world first.

[Outlawedprod]

He is destined to be the next Tseric

Oh, that douchbag! I stopped following blizz forums after quitting wow...do you know what happend to him?

[Nonentity]

I worked with Tseric back when I was a GM on WoW. He was a GM with me, and I'd talk to him briefly outside on cigarette breaks. Dude was nice, but always looked totally and completely strung out.

So, I dunno. I'm not completely surprised that happened.

[Xanthippe]

This is merely one of many unprofessional things he's said. When most of what one posts, as a representative of a company, is sarcastic, I wonder why the hell the guy doesn't go find a new job.

Lylirra, on the other hand, is top rate.

[Tebonas]

Its Wow players that whine on the official forum, if it was the same entitled assholes as in the Everquest class forums, I really can't fault him all that much for being sarcastic.

Of course it was unprofessional, but he said not a wrong word in this nervous breakdown of his.

[Outlawedprod]

This is how you show your customers you care about them.
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5889089807

[Miasma]

He made some post about the attack speed nerf and said "other stats could have been nerfed too (aren't you thankful?)" so now "Aren't you thankful?" is being reposted everywhere like a mini meme.

Also, it seems blizzard just had too many tickets and problems so they have arbitrarily closed everything that they haven't gotten around to answering and telling people that if they still have a problem to... open another ticket.

[Hutch]

This is how you show your customers you care about them.
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5889089807

Speaking of that, does anyone know how to get ahold of a Guest Pass nowadays?
Apparently, that is still the only way to get a Starter Edition going. That is, without paying for the game first.

[MuffinMan]

You have to send in three forms of ID and a utility bill in your name to get a Guest Pass.

[01101010]

This is how you show your customers you care about them.
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5889089807

Speaking of that, does anyone know how to get ahold of a Guest Pass nowadays?
Apparently, that is still the only way to get a Starter Edition going. That is, without paying for the game first.

Or pay $60 to buy the digital copy it seems.

[Xuri]

This is how you show your customers you care about them.
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5889089807

What the...? That's just...

[Outlawedprod]

http://www.diablofans.com/blizz-tracker/topic/227617-act-3-4-loot-bugged-blizzard-respond-please/

http://www.diablofans.com/blizz-tracker/topic/227854-blizzard-shut-off-the-servers/

[Xanthippe]

Now stickied in the General Forum, entitled Real-Life Threats by Lylirra:

This is a reminder that we take threats made against other players, against our employees, and of self-harm extremely seriously.

We realize that there can be stressful and trying moments in the game or when interacting with others, but there is no acceptable time to go beyond the boundaries of the game and threaten others with real-life harm.

If someone is found to be making a real-life threat, we will report it to the authorities, which could result in real repercussions. To report threatening in-game chat, use the right-click Report > Real-Life Threat option, or for forum posts, use the thumbs-down button and choose "Real-Life Threats."

                               


The Blizzard forums have always been a little crazy but now they're 

[Feverdream]

Gaming forums - you all know this - can be enough to send even the most grounded CMs or players right over the freaking edge of sanity.

The Diablo 3 forums tipped over awhile ago.  I'm not saying there aren't reasons for people to be frustrated and pissed.  Just saying that breathing the atmosphere in the forums requires some sort of protective gear =P

From the comment that inspired the first post here to the CM comments linked later in the thread, I'm not seeing anything worth complaining about, and definitely not seeing anything "unprofessional" (though I'd argue that even here it looks like people have varying ideas of what "professional" looks like).

I just know I enjoy forums most when the CMs have the leeway to be human - including use of sarcasm - and aren't required to spout only corporate platitudes.  That may mean that occasionally a CM will post something that bothers more sensitive souls, but it's worth it to keep the forums more interesting and hopefully to help players and CMs develop somewhat more genuine connections.

[Xanthippe]

The problem with CMs being human and using sarcasm is that it's akin to using lighter fluid to put out a fire. It  not only does nothing to advance civilized behavior on the forums, it just encourages even worse behavior.

If a CM feels it necessary to be snarky and sarcastic in their position as CM, they need to find a new profession; they're burned out. Completely understandable, but snark and sarcasm do nothing positive for the forums, and particularly not from CMs.

Forums can be useful or they can be toxic puddles of hostile goo. It seems to me that Blizzard's forums used to be quite a bit more useful than toxic (back when WoW launched); I could be misremembering, but it seems to me they used a much heavier hand in deleting posts.

Since ActiviBlizzard, it's gotten magnitudes worse.

[Lantyssa]

Sarcasm is fine in general conversation.  When people are upset (rightly or not), it does fuel the flames as Xan suggests.  When they're erupting, it's time to take a purely serious tone.

Even I tone it down if I realize things are tense.  (Unless I'm trying to provoke a reaction, but then I know I'm being bitchy and accept the consequences.)

[Paelos]

You get bitchy? 

But yeah, they need to come to terms with the fact that people want their fun back. The next patch needs to have some iteration of barrel hunting back in it at the minimum.

[Amaron]

Gaming forums - you all know this - can be enough to send even the most grounded CMs or players right over the freaking edge of sanity.

I think it's a bit more than that in this case.  Blizzard is used to this from some pretty unpopular patches.  This time around it's like Baishok is more upset by the actual complaints than the amount of vitriol present.

[Fordel]

The problem with CMs being human and using sarcasm is that it's akin to using lighter fluid to put out a fire. It  not only does nothing to advance civilized behavior on the forums, it just encourages even worse behavior.

If a CM feels it necessary to be snarky and sarcastic in their position as CM, they need to find a new profession; they're burned out. Completely understandable, but snark and sarcasm do nothing positive for the forums, and particularly not from CMs.

Forums can be useful or they can be toxic puddles of hostile goo. It seems to me that Blizzard's forums used to be quite a bit more useful than toxic (back when WoW launched); I could be misremembering, but it seems to me they used a much heavier hand in deleting posts.

Since ActiviBlizzard, it's gotten magnitudes worse.

The forums are what they've always been, no better, no worse. Useful threads and topics in the obscure and less trafficked sub forums.

Useless bitching and 'trolling' everywhere else. Triple the amount of crap in any forum where Blues show up regularly.