Avoiding Bad Luck on Pogo!

It’s Friday the 13th and I thought it would be fun to grab a big cup of Darjeeling, a couple of shortbread cookies and cozy up to the computer and write a fitting and fun column to commemorate the day!

First off, in my view, “luck” is really another word for “coincidence.” Sometimes things go your way, and some times things don’t. Who knows why?

On Pogo, luck takes on a few different forms – you can have a “lucky” streak in your favorite game, or you can have an “unlucky” encounter with a ne’er-do-well in just about any chat room. It’s the “luck” of the draw!

Having just heard Kenny Rogers “The Gambler”, I’ll pay a little homage to him and that big hit. So here are a few little tips on “staying lucky” on Pogo!

• Know when to hold ’em! And by “’em”, in this case I mean friends or friendly people. I’ve received requests from players over the years asking me to try to look someone up because the letter writer met this person, found them most enjoyable, but neglected to put them on their friends list, and then forgot their full screen name. Unfortunately, this isn’t something I can do. So, instead, I’ll gently remind you all to act quickly when you meet someone you like! And tell them you like them! If you’ve ever had someone say something like “Wow, I really enjoy your company” you know how good it feels.

• Know when to fold ’em! By the same token, as soon as you recognize that someone is causing you more anguish than pleasure and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better, end the relationship! To be clear – if you have a friend who is going through some major life transition and is acting grumpy, or getting overly defensive, you should cut them some slack (of course!), but if you begin to realize that the person you once thought was so cool has a mean streak or does things that make you uncomfortable, and that’s a part of his or her personality, don’t waste any more time on them.

• Know when to walk away! Now we’re talking about games, and not people (yes, I’m force-fitting this a bit to match it up with the song lyrics!) So, if you’re in a multi-player game with people who are either not playing up to your level, or in a game like Bingo where certain rooms have different types of game play, and you feel the need to find another game, politely excuse yourself and find another game.

• Know when to run! And if you end up in a room full of ne’er-do-wells, wingnuts, flim-flammers, whim-whammers, shim shammers, or any combination, there’s no need for pleasantries – just leave and find a friendlier room!

• Known when to avoid using song lyrics as a basis for a column! This one is really just for me, and I don’t know if I need to explain it any further. Anyway, I’ve essentially milked this song for about as much as I can, so now I’ll take a big sip of tea and switch into more direct advice.

• Don’t fall for scams! Regular readers know exactly what I’m talking about. You see them in your Pogo Messages box, in your e-mail, in the Pogo chat rooms, occasionally on the forums or posted as comments on Facebook. They offer you something for free, or they ask for you to do something in return for something huge. The old adage “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” is pretty accurate.

• Don’t always believe what you read! We often see forwarded messages about “So&So who has done such&such and must be avoided/brought to justice/etc… Most of the time, the “facts” laid out in these messages are impossible to verify and aren’t worth your time. I’ve been forwarded a few of these messages over the years from players demanding to know why we haven’t brought justice to So&so. Well, anybody can write these fear-mongering missives, and they can do it whether or not there’s any truth to it. If UncleHambone recently called me names, I can take my revenge in a matter of minutes by starting a ridiculous missive accusing UncleHambone of unspeakable things, and the next thing you know, it ends up spreading to message boxes and e-mail boxes like a virus.

• Make sure you have a secure password! Seriously. Not just for Pogo, but for any account that’s tied to anything you care about. I can’t believe how many people still have guessable passwords in this day and age. For more info on that, read the Importance of a Secure Password article from a few years back.

• See abuse? Report it! Reporting abuse can be a bit of an annoyance if you merely want to play your game, but it’s important that you do so. It may take some time before serious offenders are removed, and sometimes they’re merely warned, but if they’re causing issues, you’re doing everyone a favor by reporting them.

• Finally – HAVE FUN! You’re here to enjoy yourself, challenge yourself and have a good time. Don’t let the actions of others get in the way of your good time!

I wish you all a very lucky Friday the 13th, and I did want to give you a heads up that I will be on vacation next week, so there will be no Ms. Netiquette column. See you on April 27th!
Have an etiquette question for Ms. Netiquette? Email msnetiquette@pogo.com

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