Every now and then we all have computer problems. It’s a bummer. You can’t get onto the Internet and you need to ASAP. Sometimes, the screen gets wiggly or gives you a message that it is shutting down and you scream, ’NO, I didn’t save my writing’ Aghhhh. Why didn’t I save it? Bang head against computer. It may turn it on again, or you may have increased a more serious computer problem. We all know how we feel when we can’t get to a site we need to right away OR you have someone on the phone–and the computer, for the first time in weeks, decides to s-l-o-w-l-y t-u-r-n o-n and slug along while someone is waiting on the other end tapping their fingers while you say the cliche, ‘my computer is really slow today.’ Not fun for the nimble fingers itching and ready to pound the keys that won’t let them. So imagine, a website with many, many writers waiting to submit articles, check their views, answer questions or do all the things they do on this site and they - can’t. The server is down; the system is having problems; the views are not working right — imagine the consternation on THEIR end trying to placate everyone and make things right again.
What do you do when these problems come up and the administrators are trying their best to fix them? Plus their knowing and/or hearing or reading that the writer family is getting frustrated. Here are some suggestions for those days when the inevitable happens to everyone, even Factoidz.
1. DON’T vent your frustrations out in the Q & A forum. The public can read these not-so-nice messages as it is open to all, and can be read by all. In the scheme of proper and improper, let’s not ’bite the hand that feeds you’ and or ‘don’t air our dirty laundry’ to the public. They may be amused at first, but that gets old quick.
2. DO "keep in Factoidzland what happens in Factoidzland". Otherwise, it starts to sound like "As the World Grumbles" or "Factoidz Family Feud".
3. Try to be patient. No one likes to have to wait for things or not be told what is going on. I’ve been watching along like everyone else and have noticed that when things aren’t quite up to par technically, some of you want to hit the Panic Button, and do; others wait patiently for the air to clear and haven’t said a word. Shalom.
4. Read any article that explains systems problems, especially those dealing with adding on servers and LAN’s and how traffic is intricate and inter-related. You will see that they take time to develop, time to test and time to implement. Plus, time to get the bugs out. We all know about bugs; we’ve all had them - the computer kind, that is.
5. Try to imagine the worst thing that could happen - like Factoidz could put us totally in the dark, and we could get ERROR messages on everything that is out there. All of our articles could be frozen somewhere forever. We could run out of channels. See, things could be worse. If we can get some screens, although that isn’t warm and fuzzy, it should be somewhat comforting.
6. While you’re pounding the keys harder than what they were made for, remember that you have the advantage of having your articles being published on Factoidz and it is - except when the server is not working right {yes, I do hear you and validate you} - it is a pleasant experience. Come on, admit it, or you wouldn’t be so frustrated. That’s better. Now try to smile a little. That’s a smile?
7. Do not give in to the urge to sweep the computer off the desk onto the floor. Big mistake. Think of something pleasant like you are working amidst some of the most user-friendly people on this site that I have encountered on the internet from the technical staff to the moderators to the authors themselves. They are supportive and wonderful people. A super ++. Go back and read some of the comments they’ve made to you. Look at all those votes you got. Wow, you got lots of hits on THAT one.
8. Don’t put any more messages on the Q & A or User Forum. They’ve already been asked and re-asked. Our readers will start to think they are Factoidz articles. Breathe in and out and think about how The Factoidz staff, with rare exceptions, allows you freedom of thought and speech in your creative works and that is an A++.
9. You look better. Uh Oh, your eyebrows are knitting together again. Relax. Think happy thoughts; remember, our wonderful public who support us by reading our articles and hey, what about our good reputation. Factoidz is doing its part and its authors should do the same. We have a family rule at home never to talk about members of the family outside of the house. And that’s a good rule. Factoidz is family-like and should have the same kind of unspoken rule. You want to bring the ‘family’ up so others want to join, not the opposite.
10. Whoops, you’re pounding away again in the User Forum. You already ‘aired’ that annoyance twice already. Delete it. Yes, delete it. Go into Q & A and answer some of the questions. That will keep you busy and maybe when you are done, you will have helped someone and maybe the ‘glitch’ is fixed. If it’s not, originate and ask some new questions. No, not those kind of questions - we went through all that already. Ask some channel forum questions that will help someone write a new article.
Oh, look, the system is up now. And they have fixed the glitches. Now, admit it, wasn’t it nice to take a little break? OK, OK, I’m out of here.
