FREE Bonus Tokens, Promotions, Amazing Minis, Sweepstakes & more!
Hats, mugs or t-shirts and more at the 
Dear Ms. Netiquette,
I agree whole heartedly with A Happy Camper in Pogo Land(Ms. Netiquette, 10/1/2010). I have been a Club member for a little over a year and other than the occasional WTG and GG in various games, I have never had a good chat with anyone. I am basically kind of shy and keep to myself.
This week I won my first Hot Shot spot in the Mini Mall. I received such wonderful comments in my guestbook. I was so impressed! I knew the guestbook was there, but no one had ever written in it before. I even received a few gift items from these folks and I didn’t even know them. What a great compliment getting all those comments and gifts were. Made the win all the more special.
Pogo People are Very Special
| Dear Pogo People are Very Special,Your letter is much appreciated. I’m happy to say I received several letters from players who have had far more great experiences than negative ones. This column generally deals with behavior that we hope never to come across, so it is nice to occasionally get a reminder that for most folks, those are pretty rare occurrences. Congratulations on your Hot Shot spot! As a (very) occasional judge, I do know how tough it can be to get one of those spots! Also, not to toot my own horn, but did everyone catch this week’s badge in Crazy Cakes? Yes, that’s Ms. Netiquette! |
Okay Ms. Netiquette…
This is the second time you have stated that “It’s not against the Terms of Service to type in all caps and it shouldn’t be…”
Well, I went to your Terms of Service to be sure I saw what I saw previously on this subject. Let me refresh you:
It states under “Rules of Content”:
You may violate the TOS if you…(4th item on the list) Disrupt the flow of chat in chat rooms with vulgar language,abusiveness,hitting the return key repeatedly,or inputting large images so the screen goes by too fast to read( and here’s the kicker) “use of excessive shouting {all caps} in an attempt to disturb other users”
So, why do you insist on saying Shouting/Yelling is not against the TOS? Please don’t say it’s because the user has problems reading small print… he’s using a keyboard… what’s to read? The “Shouter” enjoys the controversy… I know because I have run into it so many times in poker, and when I ask them to lower the caps they say “I like using caps.”
So… even those who may have diminished eyesight… unless they are typing just so they can read their own type… there is no need to use caps! Letters on keyboards are quite large
CAPS Against TOS!
| Dear CAPS Against TOS!,Sorry! I’m not smelling what you’re cooking here. The Terms of Service does state “use of excessive shouting (all caps) in an attempt to disturb others“. The clincher are the four words “in and attempt to”. Most people who use caps to see better are not doing so in an attempt to disturb others. I’ve heard from many players who have difficulty reading the lowercase chat over many years, and I have no reason to doubt that, for them, the use of caps does enhance their ability to read the chat. These folks would do best to frequent the CAPS rooms, and I believe most of them do. I’m not saying that there are no players who do attempt to disturb others by using caps. I’m sure that there are, and those folks are in violation of the Terms of Service and do risk being reported and are at the mercy of whatever disciplinary measure that might result from that. |
Dear Ms. Netiquette,
I would like to weigh in on the issue of foreign languages and rudeness.
I do not like seeing that used in these game rooms because I do feel it’s rude. I am from a generation that remembers when the Vietnamese refugees came to America in the 1970s, and I remember very well them speaking their native tongue and pointing at crowds of American citizens and laughing uncontrollably.
That is just as cruel as what other Pogo players are doing today. Our official language is ENGLISH. That’s what needs to be spoken in America. There are a lot of folks that are tired of having other languages shoved down their throat while there is no effort on the part of the other person to learn the language of their new adopted country.
I have traveled overseas and I can tell you that in most places Americans are expected to be able to say a few words of the host country’s language. They do not cater to us at all.
I have an idea. If this issue is still a problem in a month or two why not create a room for them to go? Then if the protestors go in there and see that they really have no right to complain. Just a thought.
English in America, Please!
| Dear English in America, Please!,I can certainly understand why you were upset by the behavior you experienced in the ’70s, but it is a completely different situation, based more on cultural differences than anything. It’s safe to say that players speaking in other languages on Pogo are by and large just communicating with each other about topics that are likely not all that interesting. Sure, on occasion, perhaps unkind words are said, but that’s far more the exception than the rule. You make an assumption that everyone speaking in a foreign tongue is in America. Pogo.com is available internationally, thus you’re going to run into foreign languages sometimes. And there are reasons you may see people from America chatting in foreign languages – to stay skilled in that language, to practice the language, or to talk to someone who does not speak English. And of course, you are under no obligation to watch the language. You can simply mute the players speaking in other languages. |
Have an etiquette question for Ms. Netiquette? Email msnetiquette@pogo.com
Want to chat with others about this column? Visit the Pogo Forums!
