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Dear Ms. Netiquette,
Why is it so important to some people that a person have their profile open for public? Does it frighten them if it’s not?
I have been asked on several occasions why mine is closed. No matter what I say people just up and leave the game or table, and give me the “must be some reason” remark. I’m a nice person and it bothers me that people think I have some problem if I have my profile closed.
Just want to play Pogo without any hassles.
Private Profile Puzzlement
| Dear Private Profile Puzzlement,
There are a number of people who have been lucky enough in this world – and on the Internet – to have had minimal conflict, and some of these folks truly do not understand why someone would choose to keep his or her profile private. They may believe that someone who hides their profile is possibly up to no good. This is an unfortunate assumption, and can even be misleading. In reality, the ne’er-do-wells are more likely to emulate what you’d expect from a trustworthy person. Your second question seems to hit the nail on the head. It is likely that these folks are a little scared of a blocked profile. If you just want to play the game and not get into a long explanation, when asked, you might simply say “Oh that… it’s a long story, but I have a good reason for keeping it blocked.” Whatever you say, so long as it’s in a friendly tone, should let players know that they have nothing to fear. |
Dear Ms. Netiquette,
I read your column pretty faithfully and have never seen you address this issue. Why does Pogo make such angry faces appear on our minis when we lose a game? I may be disappointed, but I am never “angry” if I lose. If I won all the time in every game, what would be the point?
I just wondered if maybe our Minis in games such as Jungle Gin can stop looking so evil if we lose. I really do not like my Mini to be anything but happy. Wouldn’t it promote a better image if we all took defeat with humility? Just my thought for the day.
Thank you for always trying to help people through some challenges with others. Smile and the world smiles with you. Enjoy your tea and cookies. :-)
Smiling Regardless
| Dear Smiling Regardless,
We have occasionally seen this question pop up. And as an etiquette specialist, I must concur that the angry face is a less-than optimal reaction for a polite Mini to have. Alas, back when this particular piece of Pogo was implemented many, many moons ago, those in charge of it wanted to have an end game Mini reaction, and of the five expressions available, they went with the mad face. It could have been the sad face, but you may have written about that as well.We have looked into coming up with an alternative, but to be frank, it’s pretty low on the priority list. The good news is that this is simply a feature of the game and behaves exactly the same for everyone, so nobody should be offended by the “mad-faced Mini”. |
Dear Ms. Netiquette,
A few nights ago, I was playing Vaults of Atlantis Slots, just trying to earn a Badge, when I ran across a strange – and possibly disturbing – incident.
Two players were chatting with each other, sharing interests and lightly flirting, when a third person jumped in. They advised one of the players to watch out for predators. Said player thanked them for the advice, but continued chatting.
After a while the third party interrupted again, but quickly went beyond polite advice. They started accusing one of the chatters of lying about their age, and that they knew the real age because they worked for Pogo. They then went on to claim it was their job to watch for online predators… and that they were part of a small group of employees that handled such things.
Well, no one really believed their Pogo staff claims, and when it was obvious no one was taking them seriously, the supposed-staffer told everyone to try an online search for a Pogo romance that ended rather… fatally.
Now I’ll tell you Nettie, if I hadn’t had a calming cup of mint tea at my side, I would have been mighty tempted to say something. I’m all for a healthy dose of caution, especially online, but they made it sound like everyone online is dangerous. As someone that met her husband online, and has been happily married for 11 years, I know that isn’t the case! Even Pogo itself ran a nice new story mentioning couples that met on Pogo!
The entire thing left me with a bad feeling… along with a question or two. Does Pogo really have some secret task force searching for predators, and that have access to personal information not listed in our profiles? (I seriously doubt it, but just had to ask.) Can someone be reported for claiming to be a Pogo employee if they aren’t? (I assume if they are, the report will just be dismissed anyway, causing no harm.) But if they are an employee, can you get in trouble for questioning them? Though it didn’t seem like some harsh TOS violation, that supposed-employee definitely felt like a bully, given the labels and scare tactics they used.
I encourage everyone not to share personal information online, especially if you’re a younger player. When you’re an adult though, you are free to make your own decisions… even if they end up being foolish ones. No one, player or employee, should be free to scare or insult others when their advice isn’t followed.
Suspicious at the Slots
| Dear Suspicious at the Slots,
Well, you have to admit, the conversations that occur on Pogo sure can be interesting! You make a strong case for keeping a calming cup of mint tea next to you at all times. Let’s answer your most pressing question first – no, there is not a “secret task force” of Pogo employees who go room to room looking for troublemakers. The person in the chat room was violating the Terms of Service and should have been reported. There is a box that can be checked for “Impersonation” and that’s exactly what this person was doing – impersonating a Pogo employee. Can you get in trouble for questioning a Pogo employee? Only if you break the TOS when doing so! Even if you’re being rather rude about something, so long as you’re not actually breaking the Terms of Service, you do not put your account at risk. One of the unfortunate realities of the Internet is that sometimes horrible things do happen to people who meet online and then in real life. I’m not sure what this impersonator was referring to, but players must be smart about meeting friends they’ve met online. There are ne’er-do-wells out there, and people do need to be on their guard if they choose to take the step of meeting an online friend in person. You also make an excellent case for keeping personal information private, and I thank you for that reminder. It’s important for everyone, young or old, to be smart about how they conduct themselves online. It’s not just the younger folks who are at risk. There are people out there who do what they can to garner the trust of the elderly, and then abuse that trust. If you have any doubt whatsoever – listen to that, and never, ever, ever do anything you’re not 100% comfortable doing. |
