Someone asked a question about how easy it would be to complete the to-do list Jerry had listed for the SDMB. Being familiar with vBulletin, I answered. I got a warning from TubaDiva for junior ITing, apparently a new rule that she just made up.
That means when users post questions like …
… and staff doesn’t answer, as if often the case, the many Dopers who are familiar with the inner workings vBulletin can’t answer either. “Junior ITing” was common in many board performance-related pittings, and in the days leading up to and after the upgrade. We’re used to seeing staff blowing off or overlook questions about “is this possible?”, or “can this be fixed?”, so many fill in the blanks with what they know. Not any more now, I guess. (I’ll admit that staff has been more responsive since the upgrade, and I think many appreciate it.)
If you’re going to make up new rules, how about announcing them like you always do?
By the way, Tuba, remember when you asked me for the email blacklist I use on my forum, to keep out the Russian spambots that often invade the SDMB ? A simple “thank you” would have been appreciated after I shared the list with you.
Damn five minute edit window … to add: what next, no discussion about best practice on other message boards, such as “Here’s how Opal does it …” or “Here’s how it’s done on Something Awful?” or “This is what I’ve seen on Bad Science …”?
Other than the fact that there was no formal warning, just a polite request to stop, elmwood’s version of these events is entirely accurate. :rolleyes:
FWIW, I did a double-take “WTF?” when I read Tuba’s post, elmwood. Severely out of line, and overreactive – but what else can you expect from the Diva herself? I was kinda hoping Jerry (who has always been highly respected) would come along with a “thanks for the tip, elmwood-- I wasn’t aware of that particular feature” just so Tuba could taste her own foot.
I found Jerry’s response to **danceswithcats’ **inquiry funny-- I laughed out loud briefly. Snarky, yes, but I saw it more as “I’m kidding. I’m aware of it, and it’s on the list, even if not enumerated above, and not being a huge issue, I’ll get around to it when I can” than dances’ interpretation of poor customer service. Even so, I can see how it might be misunderstood, and I think Tuba was also a bit trigger happy with the warning to her reaction there.
Sure doesn’t look like a warning to me. Official warnings include either a heading saying warning or official warning or text to the effect of “this is an official warning.” We try not to leave people in doubt about whether or not they are being warned, as opposed to being asked to stop doing something. Seems to me all Tuba did was ask you, politely, to stop telling Jerry how to do his job. People have been doing that quite a bit, and while we apparently have a lot of people with vBulletin experience, it just isn’t necessary or productive.
Except for mods, nobody has characterized Tuba’s response as “polite.” It is the staff who took that thread off the rails, starting with Jerry’s response to cats.
Ed’s little hissy fit is priceless, though. I guess he’s feeling butthurt about how pathetic his new forum is.
EDIT: If it makes you feel any better, elmwood, this isn’t the first time Tuba has made up a rule on the spot in order to chastise/punish a poster on a whim, nor will it be the last.
I wish what you wrote in the quote above was the response, rather than “knock it off” to a specific user.
Still, how do those with vBulletin experience answer questions from other users that are along the lines of “is this possible?” Do we just stay silent, fearing what we post might be interpreted as “Jerry, here’s how you do it?” Sometimes, I’ll see a post in ATMB asking for a feature that just isn’t available on vBulletin or any of its plugins. If someone answered “I own a vBulletin license, and can tell you it’s not possible”, is that junior ITing?
