Redeem your 
Dear Ms. Netiquette,
I was playing on Dice City Roller on Pogo and when I went into the room a player made the comment “Can’t have a room to myself” or something very close to that. I waited for a minute and then typed in “NOPE”. She then responded with “you are so rude”. I didn’t reply, just kept on playing. She then typed in “I have reported you to Pogo, have a nice game.”
This was on November 1st, approx 11 PM o’clock. What can be done about this? I like Pogo and I’m going on my third year and have had no problems whatsoever with any of the players. Please let me know, as I would really appreciate it. The only thing that I did wrong was reply to her stupid remark.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Should Have Bitten My Fingers
And, frankly, if you’re asking what can be done if you should run into this situation again in the future, the answer is mostly the same. You already know you should have just kept your fingers from typing.
We had a similar letter in Last Week’s Column where a player was admonished for joining “her” room in Everyone Wins Bingo. Both Dice City Roller and Everyone Wins Bingo are games that are social in nature, and your activity can influence the other person’s game.
However, on Pogo, there are no private rooms. Players can turn off chat by checking off “Show Chat” from the options menu above the Who’s Here list (look for the little rotor icon) so that they don’t see any chat, and they can even adjust the bar between the Who’s Here list and Chat window so that they don’t even see more than one screen name to give them the feeling of isoloation. Or they can simply mute the other player or players in the room.
Trying to keep a room all to yourself will often just lead to frustration, which sometimes leads to pettiness, as you witnessed first hand.
So my advice to you, should this ever happen again, is to simply ignore or mute the player, or turn off chat entirely. You could, if you wanted, suggest those solutions to the complaining party, but it’s likely that they already know it, and it might just make them angrier.
Hi Nettie,
Your column is one I look forward to every week and I’d like to start this email by saying thanks for trying to help people that write to you.
That said, I am writing to make a comment about the “Parking in PAS” letter that appeared in your column yesterday.
When I first started playing Pogo Addiction Solitaire I will admit that I would get upset by people that seemed to “park” in the room just to collect tokens. I never really said anything to anyone, it was just one of those small, irksome annoyances, but that has changed.
I am not writing to put down the feelings of the person that is upset because some players “park” in PAS, but I am hoping that I can help to change the way they look at that practice.
First, with all the things to worry about in our lives just now, is it even worth it to get concerned over a few tokens? I could see if maybe we could exchange the tokens for money or for a gift card or something, then maybe. But tokens will only buy Mini things, Pogo expressions etc. and aren’t really worth driving up your blood pressure over.
My brother’s family home was severely damaged in Hurricane Sandy by a huge tree crashing through the roof, breaking the beams, sending his 4 year old son sprawling under sheet rock and punching a hole from the roof down through the 1st floor. No one was seriously injured and of course, they have insurance, but after seeing someone go through that or the many things people are suffering daily, I don’t worry about someone that has nothing better to do than collect tokens even though they aren’t playing a game.
I and probably most people I’ve met, come to play at Pogo to relax, socialize with friends or family and/or to lose our troubles in a game or two. So please, try to look at the person that just parks in a room to collect tokens as someone that maybe doesn’t have much in their life so those tokens are very important to them. Maybe they have no one nearby to talk to and dressing their Mini after having spent tokens on Mini items is a big deal to them. It doesn’t hurt anyone else for people to park in a room and it’s not like the 1,000 token gift is coming off our token balance, so let it go and save your worries for the big things!
Good luck to everyone in trying to look at this just a little differently!
Sincerely,
Found Peace Through Realization
I love your newfound attitude and appreciate you sharing it with us.
It’s true – tokens aren’t worth much. And as as it turns out, neither was my advice last week! I was duly informed by way of other letter writers that in Pogo Addiction Solitaire, those who are not actively engaged in the game are not eligible to receive tokens. I must admit – and at this point it’s pretty obvious – I don’t play much Pogo Addiction Solitaire, so I verified that with the game’s producer, and sure enough, one needn’t concern him or herself about whether or not the choice is between to “room parkers”.
Still, your letter certainly should serve as a reminder that we shouldn’t sweat the small stuff.
Hi Nettie,
I wanted to provide a different view about empty rooms from your November 2 column. I agree that the player who had already been the only person playing in a room was rude to Just A Player. Obviously, if Just A Player hit “Play Now” it was not her fault that she was placed into a room with one player – it was Pogo’s fault for assuming that everyone needs to “make new friends.”
I absolutely cannot understand why the “Play Now” default places the player into a room with one person playing alone. Doesn’t it seem evident that the person who hits “Play Now” has no preference whatsoever about how many people are in a room, whereas the person playing alone probably prefers it that way? Why should Pogo take it upon themselves to force a player to play with other people? I often play in full rooms, sometimes to chat, sometimes to read chat, sometimes just because the game is more fun with lots of players. However, I also often play in a room alone because it’s my quiet time and I’d just like to be alone. I always ask anyone who enters the room if they had hit “Play Now,” and the answer is always yes.
I think this is a bad decision on the part of Pogo programmers. I have lots of friends and have no need to be forced to “make new friends,” as the Pogo greeting says every time I enter any room. I would really love to see the default changed so that “Play Now” puts one into a room with at least two people, if not more.
Thanks for listening,
Plenty of Friends
The bottom line here is that nobody owns the rooms. There are games, like Dice City Roller and the Bingo games, where having multiple people will have some bearing on the outcome of the game for others. But guess what? That’s part of the game. It was built into the game to be part of the game, and while it can cause some issues (don’t get me started on Bingo, please), “it is what it is”, and if you’re going to play a game, you should politely accept that fact.
There’s little point in trying to prevent others from staying in a room that they entered through the “Play Now” button. Sure, some players have no doubt successfully driven others out of “their” rooms, but the effort to keep a room as yours gets old quickly, and it can end up bringing the worst out of people.
So, if you want total solace, turn off the chat and accept the realities of the game. Ultimately, you’ll find “peace with this realization”!
As to “parking” in PAS it is one of the games I like to play in the morning when I need to attend my disabled daughter. Most of what I do for her only takes a couple of minutes and then I am back but do occasionally miss a gift if there is a lot going on in the chat window. When people get upset about the lack of “thank you” I am so sad for them.
I don’t mind if you and others don’t say “thank you!” I figured you were busy at home or at work. In advance for all the times I have been away from my computer lately, and in the future, tending to my diabetic cat, I say a heartfelt THANK YOU for all the tokens you and others gave and will give me when I may be away at the moment and not see the notice.
I understand completely, Sindy. Many times in PAS I don’t pay attention to chat unless a friend is in there. I just play.
I always thought in Pogo Addiction Solitaire you weren’t able to receive gifts unless you had fully completed game.
i must be missing something here….I have often played in rooms by myself…mainly because i am three hrs later than east coast and there aren’t that many folks playing scrabble or canasta at 3am pst. I don’t mind if another player joins me…but more times than not, many players will enter a room only to leave because they can’t think of words to spell or they get upset if you challenge them. But that same player will exit the game and come right back in maybe 5-10 minns later. It’s aggravating when players do that…if your’e gonna play…then play! I like to play fast and yes i do run out of time too, but i try very hard not to let that happen and if it does and oppenet doesn’t extend my time, oh well; But that oppenent will get highly upset if you don’t extend their time after 2 or three times in one turn. So i don’t think many of us pick a room to be by ourselves, but to play with no interruptions. i think once a player sit at a table, they should play the game til it’s over not leaving only to come back again. Too many players get caught up in chatting and hold up games while we eait patiently. If you want to chat with someone…don’t hold up my game. My time is just as important as yours.
you may add me to your friends list if you like…I live on the west coast and love to play with new friends..i am almost always up at 3 am…lol
my screen name is calleysbuddy :)
You can play most of the games with robots. That eliminates this problem of players jumping in and out of your game. I agree, it is annoying.
Well, yes, you *can* play most of the games with robots, but unless you set up a game/table yourself (first player there), it will not stop people from jumping in and out.
Pogo please stop changing the games and how to get into them, and all the new changes you have done in the past 6 months. as a result my computer freeze’s up or we get booted, if we are in bowling and get booted we lose our game. take pity on some of us old folks and stop confusing us. like the old pogo better
AMEN. Don’t fix something that’s not broken. The old was better.
Amen to that! I am so tired of Pogo changing things that were just fine only to make them difficult or impossible after the changes. Like they say, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
I agree I am sick of all the useless changes pogo is making to the game site. I like a plain homepage. We now have a cluttered mess to look at daily. Looks like Pogo employees need something better to do with their time. Maybe start making their new format compatible with their player’s computers. Things just get worse and worse. :(
I have to say, I find it interesting that Pogo “sends people to emptier rooms as well so as not to overcrowd a room.” This occurs when there are 3-4 rooms consisting of 4-5 people each, one or two rooms with only one player, and 20 rooms that are completely empty, all under one tab. I wonder from where the overcrowding will come.
I think Ms. Nettie might be missing one point about players who wish to play alone. It just might be to avoid the stress of “fighting” over the requirements of completing a particular badge challenge. I have looked for an empty room once in a while for that purpose myself. In that case, if I enter a room that appeared to be empty and someone has gotten there first, I simply exit and look for another room. I think most people are looking to lessen stress in their lives, not add to it! Kudos to Ms. Nettie for her informative columns each week! I’ve learned a lot from this column and from Letters to the Editor also.
I often play in rooms alone if its a certain challenge or I just simply wanna be by myself. If someone comes in I might finish “my turn” or round and simply leave and move on to another room. No biggie. I just don’t get how some can feel the need to argue about someone entering. Its pointless, and a waste of energy. My opinion I guess.
Very true Jill. There are certain challenges you can complete more quickly if you are playing alone so the best thing to do if someone enters your room is assume pogo put them there, finish the game & move on to another room without comment. Anything else is rude.
I agree that if you wish to play alone, DON’T play in games that can have POGO randomly place other players like a bingo game or Dice City Roller. If you wish to play alone, play a game like “cribbage” or “checkers”. You are able to make the game a “private” table and only allow people with the correct password to join. I have done this and it allows you to play against the computer AI and not have to deal with other people.
I have a good suggestion for someone who wants “alone time” on Pogo. Play a game where you can play against robots (Monopoly the world edition,Jungle Jin, dominoes just to name a few). Or if you are playing a game, and someone enters the room, you can simply leave and go to a different empty room (this maybe a pain, but it is an option).
I do this all the time in DCR, I just leave and find a different room. I’m not going to be rude, not going to bother having to bid against someone who deliberately bids against me when there are 5 other things to bid on. I also play the bots in Pinocchle, Spades and several other games. I always put it on “private game” with a “code” to keep the computer from adding someone to my room.
You folks do understand that it’s a computer program that randomly chooses a room when a player clicks the “Play Now” button, right? Right?? I mean really, it’s not like they have a Pogo employee sitting there choosing which room they will send you to when you choose “Play Now”. LOL
So, if you want a room with a specific amount of players in it, simply choose your own room. I promise, it really is that simple. Problem solved.
I often go to empty rooms to play any of the games, whether it’s against a robot or not. The problem is, another person enters the room and either just wants to show off and out score me and then leave or they sit there and not play. That’s creepy because I feel they are reading my profile and it makes me feel vulnerable. I usually finish up the game I’m playing and then leave. I have never asked anyone if they hit the Play Now button. I never even thought of that as a possibility for why they came into the room I was in. I always felt it was rude of a person to play in a room where there was only one player. Especially when there are many other empty rooms they could have gone to is some games. I like empty rooms so I won’t be bothered or feel the need to compete. If that’s selfish of me, I am sorry. If I see a room with only one player in it, I respect their wanting privacy and so I find an empty room.
VERY WELL SAID NAME (REQUIRED) EXACTLY HOW I WOULD HAVE SAID IT I WILL ASK IF I ENTER A ROOM IF THAT PERSON MINDS IF I JOIN THEM IF I GET NO RESPONCE I WILL MOVE ON!! I ALSO THINK “WHO WANTS TO PLAY WITH SOMEONE IF YOU DONT FEEL WELCOMED?” THATS JUST MY OPIONON :)
Thank you Suzette your comment is spot on. I’S A COMPUTER——-
I would like to comment on the letter Parking in PAS. I HAD TO LEAVE MY HOUSE IN A HURRY AND DID NOT HAVE TIME TO TURN OFF MY COMPUTER, AS I RECEIVED A CALL SAYING MY SON WAS HIT BY A CAR.
It is not always someone wanting tokens, emergencies do happen, maybe that was the case with
the room Parker’s.Really hope this helps people realize that we are real people with real
lives.Good luck to everyone playing the games!
I hope your son was all right!
I came back to my mahjong garden game the other day and saw it had been running for 96+ minutes! Big oops but yes, you are 100% correct. Life happens and we don’t always have a chance to take even a few seconds to turn off the computer or a game. Your son is way more important!
I do not like the new “friends” page as u have to scroll down to look at it
Sometimes I don’t care whether or not I’m in a room by myself, but occasionally I am trying to earn a game in one of the games which can be frustrating like Bingo Luau or Dice City, where I’m trying for a specific card. One solution if I’ve been the only player and someone else comes in the room, is to ask whether the other is working on a badge, or the same badge, if it’s the current challenge. If so, I offer to cooperate if possible. In Dice City, some may want different auction cards, so we can work out our bidding (sorry, Pogo…but you don’t get any more tokens from me than I have to give you…), or in a game such as Bingo Luau, do they need to call first, or wait until a specific card fills, or something…often we CAN work something out…and then we begin chatting, and I’ve made a few friends that way…
Pr Chris
I have found that a lot of players like to go in the empty rooms to learn how to play the game. By doing that they are not bothering anyone else’s game. Maybe Pogo should think of something in that line to help these people ORMAYBE PLAYERS SHOULD BE MORE CONSIDERATE AND REMEMBER WHEN THEY STARTED LEARNING NEW GAMES!!!!!!!!!!
I agree Char
Thank you! That is a very good reason to play in an empty room. I have done that myself. Other reasons to play in empty rooms can be because you don’t like to see the chat flying by as that is very distracting when you are trying to concentrate. I know I can turn off the chat but, then I can’t see my progress when I am working on a badge. Also, some of those badge icons are so annoying. They flash, blink and do everything but yell. I mute those people immediately. : (
I hate the turkies as do 99.9 % of my friends. We also detest the elves. Please concider something else instead . Thank you !!
I absolutely LOVE the turkeys. I bowl much higher scores with them for some reason and look forward to them all year. There are other things I don’t like that probably others like a lot. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions! (btw, the UK site does not have the turkeys I’m told.)
I don’t care for the turkeys and the elves either. I just switch to UK and you get normal pins. I stay in UK for the duration of the seasonal theme and then switch back to USA when it is over. The game is exactly the same except for some of the game titles – like Cludo Secrets & Spies. Happy bowling.
Here is something to consider, there are games that you can make private, I play them all the time. I can learn the game without bothering anyone and no one else can join unless they know the password. It really does give you the private room, and your the only one there. I learn best when I can play the game against a non-judgemental robot. Thanks/
SITTING HERE VERY SAD Pogo is supposed to be a SOCIAL GAMING SITE.
I am concerned about the fact that so many people are upset about players parking to gain some extra tokens I totally agree with Found Peace Through Realization I mean really with all real issues going on in our Country and around the world they are upset because someone is wanting tokens for doing nothing. Does it really matter.
As for playing ALONE I get the fact that yeah some badges are hard to do and easier if you play alone like in Bingo and Dice Derby because what another person does can affect your progress for you badge but to get mad because someone joined your game is just plain WRONG. Whether that person Hit Play Now or just clicked on a room because sometimes it will say 0 players and when you get in there is someone there, It just shouldn’t matter this is a game site we’re here to relax and play game or even find friends. If you don’t like it that someone joined then leave don’t be rude to them. How would you feel if someone treated a loved one of yours the way you just treated that person by calling them names or just being mean.
PEACE NOT WAR
What was wrong with typing NOPE when asked “can’t i have a room all to myself? Player was just answering the question..there was no rudeness, profanity or arguing…the other player made a false report to Pogo. I feel there should be punishment for filing false reports and getting players in trouble when they did not do any harm.
i agree. i think pogo is slipping in their rules. no room is private unless the table is. i often play the robot.
I sometimes go to an empty room and if possible play with robots when I’m learning a new game. Got some static once from another player so I find it’s easier to do it my way.
‘
I love the turkeys and the elves. It’s fun . I also love the backgrounds on the home pages.
I purchased the “Decades” album and have completed every badge except the “Makeover Madness”. The badge requires 120 multi-colored afros. I have been playing this game off & on for the last few days & I’ve got ONE so far. I either don’t see the multi’s at all during an entire game (5 days) or only one or two in the bonus section. I’d like to complete my album but this one is next to impossible. Unless, of course, there is some trick to it I don’t know. Help would be appreciated.
play on the harder levels, and keep clicking on new game till you see multi colored afros ( or pink hair for that badge.) It still takes time but its faster than any other way I tried. Good Luck
I had the same problem and the only way I could complete the badge was to hit “New Game” if you don’t see a multi-colored hairdo and keep hitting “new game” until a multi-colored hairdo shows up. It is a dumb way to do it, as I spent more time hitting “new game” than playing, but that was the advice I was given. Hope this helps.
Dear Miss Nettie; I could not find the original comment when I clicked on the info page to read it but I would like to offer my input. I do not like people. it is that simple but what I love about Pogo is that it offers interaction, if we so choose, with people. I sometimes wonder with all the responses if some of these people are for real; but then what I see is a lot of family ties. I envy some of these players for that fact alone. I have family on Pogo and Facebook as well and would choose Pogo anyday over Facebook because of the rooms offered. You never know if someone you know is in the room you are playing in; my sister popped in on one of my games and it was over a half hour before I realized she was there. I however do not envy your job as because I am quite certain that you have been a mediater in some of the most insane instances…I may have to drop Pogo someday because as with most people, I can not afford to “Pogo” but I will emphatically add; “keep on keepin’ on” and to my fellow Pogo-ites; even the “bad” guys that someday may turn out good; I am so glad to be a part of such a caring, sometimes fun-loving community.
I know a lot of people that play only in specific rooms. They “park” so they can be sure of getting back into the room. Some rooms are popular and fill quickly.
we need to remember that there is a live human being on the other side of that computer screen…emergencies happen, life happens, i think it is so sad that someone is so tense that they lash out at an innocent person who did no wrong…honestly! we play on here to relax and have fun…loosen up!
If a person doesn’t want to play with you, why would you stay (especially if their game is in progress and is almost over)? I would simply leave the room and keep it moving. By doing that, you will have no problems to report.
I did not know that there were so many petty people on POGO. I am fairly new to POGO and I have hit “play Now” just to play a game. If they ask me would I like to wait for players or play with Robots, I often choose Robots because of people letting the timer almost run out and then playing. When that happens, I just finish out the particular round and leave the room. Its obvious they don’t want to play and want to push me out…I leave and go to a different table. I do love POGO. I just wish there were other ways to get gems without having to purchase them or try taking the surveys that promise you gems and then ask you questions, get your answers and say you did not qualify. Maybe some day you will be able to turn points into gems.
I love to play in a room with a lot of people , sometimes I chat and sometimes I don’t ….some rooms have people that have been coming to that same room for a long time and I can honesty say some rooms like that do not like newcomers and will flat right out tell you or just not talk to you if you do speak. So Unless its a friendly room I just watch and play. If its real bad I’ll just find another room…My outlook is this ” I am nice to everyone and if you are not nice back, then it is your loss…I can go else where ”
There are certain games that would take forever to win a badge with a room full of folks so in that case I do like to play by my self, just makes it easier and faster….like in bingo, but it is sad when I am in a game waiting for what I need and a pop tart as I call them pops in grabs the bingo and pops out using a cheat program….
I always say thanks for anything I am gifted and really does not bother me if someone does not say thanks back when I give them one. Sometimes I get mini gifts and don’t even know the person who gave them to me but I always send a thank you and a gift back…I love Pogo and always have to remind my self these are Adults but sometimes you would not know by the way they act……Breathe and have a good time…its only a game.
I admit I sometimes ‘park’, but it’s never intentional. Neighbors knock on my door and end up staying for an hour gossiping or a friend has an emergency and I have to run out without time to log out. I also don’t talk much so it may seem like I’m parking. I just don’t feel comfortable talking to strangers sometimes. I do try to say thanks or whatever, but it’s not always possible
Dear Nettie, you are responding to peeps parking in PAS, I don’t understand what parking is. If I “park”, i.e., quit playing, my computer auto shuts down. And if you are referring to cheat programs, thought Club Pogo was on top of that. I have recently been accused of cheating by Club Pogo Team, but they thankfully recanted their decision regarding my integrity! But I had to fight tooth and nail to maintain a 12-year relationship with Pogo to protect my on-line name! I don’t think I deserved this treatment, or should have worked so hard to clear my name. How on earth can I avoid this in the future? Club Pogo has abused me in other ways in the past also.
If I come to a room with only one player, than I usually leave because I feel that it’s obvious they would prefer playing alone, and that doesn’t bother me. There are times when I am working on a badge and that I would like to be the only player in the room, but if someone else comes in I would never post a rude comment to them. I would either continue playing or find another room. I don’t understand why there are so many angry people, when we all come here to play, have fun, and relax.
I am sorry, I play the games only for the badges…. so i room hop alot when i try for badges.. some times i am not so nice, which i will try to be in the furture…
I will try to be nicer to other people i meet in the future…. Some times i like having a room to myself, (only when i try for badges) other times I kind of like having people in the room… and i see we pogo players can’t have a room to our selfs.. so I hop, and try to find one…..
Parking in PAS. I often forget to read the chat when I am really involved in a game, so I miss the gifts, this especially happens if there are a lot of people in the room and the chat is flying by. I thank people when I see them, but it would be nice if we were given a bigger notification that we got a gift, like happens in some of the other games.
Also, sometimes I get up to go to the bathroom, stir dinner, or nod off, I am not parking to get tokens. Please be patient, not everyone is token hungry.
What happen to Bejeweled 3, I can not get it to play……When I go to play it , it says Error, message redirect uri isn’t absolute URI 3986………WHERE IS MY BEJEWELED 3…..I hope you can help me Judy
i have a question about the 1,000 weekly challenges if you had already won the 10 badges it shows what do you have to do to enter or get the 1,000. i realty do not understand it.
Dear Miss Netti, As members we are told to be polite. What about the crap POGO hands out? I hate the new setup. Gamea don’t open like they should. I don’t have time to waste waiting or money either for that matter. This problem really needs to be addressed by POGO. Instead of scolding paying members get on POGO for a change.
recently…. casanta and all the games that are rated are off limits to paying pogo players. What the hay! I PAY, I should be able to pay rated games. But guess what even though I couldnt load the game got started by the other player and my rating changed cause they didnt extend because I never loaded. I tried other rated games and the same thing. I couldnt load. I checked the latest versions and all is up to date. Why am I and some others not being able to play for what we pay for? I am dued to renew January. So, I hope pogo fixes this!