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Dear Ms. Netiquette,
I saw something in chat today that I thought maybe you could talk about in one of your columns.
A couple of people were getting to know each other – which is wonderful – and they seemed to be forming a brand new friendship. Near the end of the conversation one of them asked for the other’s phone number. Instead of going into private chat, the player posted her phone number in open chat for all to see.
I’m an optimist for the most part and believe that the majority of the people in the world have more good in them than bad. I’m also a realist, however, and realize there are people who aren’t so nice out there.
Can you please let people know to be very careful with their personal information and for heaven’s sake don’t post it in open chat?
Thank you,
An Ounce of Prevention
| Dear Ounce of Prevention, I would be happy to discuss this! It’s wonderful that players make friends with others on Pogo, and that they take these friendships beyond the online realm. I must admit I was very touched by the story of Earl and Bren, and did notice that in the story they took their exchange of information into a private chat. Smart people! Not only do you open yourself up to the possibility of being crank called, that simple piece of information can lead to a true ne’er-do-well gaining access to a whole host of other information. There are services that allow you to type in a phone number and get the full name of the person to which that number belongs. With a full name and phone number, they can probably get your address, and other information. Furthermore, it’s actually a violation of our Terms of Service to post your (or any individual’s) phone number in open Pogo chat. Why such a rule? Because there’s no way to verify that a player is posting his or her own phone number, and that number could belong to someone else. And since we’re talking about it– I strongly recommend keeping all sorts of personal information private. This includes your last name, the name of your spouse, the names of any children or grandchildren, and even your location if it’s a small town. Am I being paranoid by making this recommendation? Nope. You are correct, while very few people would ever even dream of using any of your personal information in a nefarious way, the unfortunate reality is that there are a few bad eggs out there, and the amount of damage and chaos they can add to your life is immeasurable. Just ask anyone who has had his or her identity stolen. So, if you want to talk about your children, grandchildren or husband, give them new, anonymous, names. Be vague about where you live, and avoid providing any personal information that could be used in a less-than-honest way. You may just be saving yourself a giant headache! |
Hi Ms. Netiquette,
I was in a game room the other day and a couple of players came in and started chatting in German. Suddenly, a person chimed in and rudely said “Do you have to talk in that language? This is an English talking site so show some respect to other players in the room”.
I thought this was rude, and while I don’t usually jump into conversations, on this occasion I thought I had to. So, I said to this person “Why do you have to be so rude? Pogo isn’t just an English speaking site. It is for everyone around the world, so people can talk in what language they want”
Was I right in saying this?
Regards,
Speak Freely
| Dear Speak Freely, While it was certainly kind of you to stick up for the German typing players, perhaps your approach could benefit from some fine-tuning. Telling another person that they are rude is generally considered rude itself. So, the most polite way to handle such a situation in the future would be to assume the offending player is misinformed, and simply inform them. Something like “Actually, it’s not considered rude to speak in another language on Pogo, as Pogo is a world-wide site.” That way you’re politely informing the player, and if by some chance he or she was simply ill-informed, you’ve done your part to help them understand. |
Ooh Nettie,
I almost always find your responses spot-on, but I think you missed the mark in your response to “Burned By Last-Minute Bidder” regarding people who come into nearly empty Dice City Roller rooms and overbid your auction choice on purpose.
Yes, it most certainly is allowed by the rules of the game, but that doesn’t make it polite. And I think that was the point of the writer. And if it’s plain old competition these folks are after, as you stated, then surely they would find it more satisfying to be in a busier room.
To come into a room with one person then overbid that person on their card when there are four others up for grabs is just plain rude in my book. It harkens back to the saying, “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should”.
Thanks Nettie. That feels much better. Now I’m off for a much needed cup of green tea…
A Faithful Reader
| Dear A Faithful Reader, Pour one for me while you’re at it! I would agree that coming into a room for the sole purpose of outbidding the only other person in the room is definitely impolite. However, the letter-writer never stated that these people were doing it to harass her. It was during a challenge and as such, one can expect to see rooms fill up fairly quickly as more and more people click the “Play Now” button. Furthermore, the challenge I believe she was pursuing requested that players correctly place 350 dice. So, the item she was bidding on, “Extra Dice”, is going to be the most sought out item available for auction. With that in mind, I would hesitate before accusing the room-entering players of any impropriety. |
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