Redeem your 
Hi Ms. Netiquette,
I have read more than a few times in letters to you about people getting frustrated when someone who is losing exits the game. I too have found this annoying in the past, as no matter how I am doing I always finish the game. I have many times thought of these players as sore losers and have thought that if they can’t lose graciously then they should not play.
However, after tonight I will reserve my judgment on these players. I was losing quite badly to an opponent tonight in QWERTY, it was their turn and they were obviously about to win by a margin of around 200, when my internet connection was interrupted (due to my son tripping over the modem cord and pulling it out) and I crashed out of the game. I felt awful as all I kept thinking was that the person I was playing most likely thought I had exited because I was losing.
So I think sometimes we should remember that technology sometimes fails us and that not always when someone leaves a game it is because they are sore loser. I will definitely not be jumping to conclusions about someone who leaves a game they are losing in the future.
Accidents Happen
| Dear Accidents Happen,Thank you so much for writing and sharing your experience. You bring up a very good point and I’m glad that you reminded me and the rest of the community that there may be valid reasons for someone exiting a game before the game is complete.
It’s very easy to judge people harshly when there is an appearance of impropriety. Our first reaction is often to think the worst. Hopefully your reminder will click with players the next time something like this happens. |
Dear Ms Netiquette!
I have a pet peeve that I just have to get off my chest! But first let me say, “Thanks for all the good advice you give out all the time, sometimes repeatedly!”
Now I will tell you my pet peeve. It appears that people have forgotten to read! Can’t they click on the “How to Play” link and read the directions on how to play games, and other information included in those files BEFORE starting to play?
My guess in NO! I know I could turn off the chat feature and not have to read about how many “geniuses” there are playing Pogo games. But that gets to be a hassle if I do choose to chat occasionally. But thank you for your time and patience. I’ll try to work on mine too!
Thanks,
Vicki
| Dear Vicki,You know what I’m going to say. In fact, half my readers are already saying it.
So, in the interest of becoming slightly less predictable, I’m not going to say it! Instead, let’s talk about why this is a pet peeve, shared by many users I might add. When you see that a new game has been launched on Pogo, the first you do is read the instructions. This is what you might call a good habit that most people don’t have. It certainly would be nice if we all read the “How to Play” files before we actually started to play the game. But before we all jump upon our high horses and ride out into the fields of our perceived superiority, let’s remember that a good number of the games on Pogo are pretty easy to figure out, and for many people all they need are the basics explained to them so that they can just play the game. They’ll learn the rest as they continue forward in their gameplay. So, the bottom line here is that you will continue to run into your pet peeve. In fact, your pet peeve is going to be a constant source of annoyance, especially if you are a Club Pogo member who partakes in challenges! My advice– put your pet peeve to sleep, and adopt the mute button! |
Dear Ms. Netiquette,
I am an early riser and generally seek out temporary rooms to play in either for solace or to practice an upcoming challenge. There are usually plenty of unoccupied rooms to choose from.
Frequently someone will enter my little haven and begin a conversation. I always reply politely, finish my game and leave. Why do people enter rooms with only one player when there are so many other rooms available? This may seem petty but it truly bothers me. What are your thoughts on this?
Signed,
I Just Wanna Be Alone
| Dear Wanna Be Alone,You are not actually alone. There are quite a few people who would love to be the only person in a game room. But, the reality of the situation is that nobody owns any of the game rooms, and there is no reason why any one person should be able to lay claim to an entire game room, especially when you can simply turn off chat.
People choose the room they want to play in for a myriad of reasons. Maybe they like the name of the room; maybe they told someone yesterday that they’d meet them in such and such a room at such and such a time. Also keep in mind that many players simply hit the “Play Now” button and that action may take them into your room. When you turn off the chat, the chat window disappears and it is as if you are alone. You may see that other people are in the room, but you will not see their chat. You might want to put in your profile that you do not enjoy chat and thus you keep the chat window turned off so interested parties will understand why you don’t respond to chat. |
