I just got a message in a little Chatbox in the bottom corner of my Admin page.
And the person on the other end asked whether there was anything they could help me with.
So I ask who the person is.
Of course, I pretty much know it is someone from WordPress. And I am feeling slightly uptight.
And the reason for that is that sometimes WP seems to decide things that a lot of WP bloggers aren’t too happy about. I think that prevailing mood has affected me.
So when I see a chat box asking if there is anything they can help me with, I decide to be proactive and ask who the person is.
Me →Who are you?
Lisa – WordPress.com: Hi there! Anything I can help with?
Me →Who are you Lisa?
Lisa – WordPress.com: I’m a WordPress.com Happiness Engineer – we help with any of your questions about WordPress or getting your site set up 🙂
Me →I have been using WP.com for about seven years. I have several self-hosted sites as well – this is the first time I have seen this little popup. Is it a new ‘feature’?
Lisa – WordPress.com: Yep! We’re experimenting with live chat support.
Me →Aha
Me →Is it Qualaroo ?
Me →I mean, the popup system – is it Qualaroo
Lisa – WordPress.com: We’re trying this with Olark right now, but have a few systems we’d like to test.
Me →Which others are you looking at?
Lisa – WordPress.com: I’m not sure, to be honest, we have a team evaluating a few options.
Me →How may people are on the chat system? With so many WP.com users it must take a huge team, no?
Lisa – WordPress.com: Not yet, we’re just testing it with a few people for now to see how it goes 🙂
Me →My first reaction was egotistical. I thought ‘Why would I with all my years of WP experience want any help???? (sounds of indignation) – but it’s kind of nice chatting to real WP person.
Me →However,
Me →may I suggest
Me →that your teams has a ‘profile’ for the person you are chatting with – and that you tailor your opening line to that?
Lisa – WordPress.com: Meaning your name for instance?
Me →It was the “Is there anything I can help you with?” that kind of grated – for the egotistical reason I mentioned.
Me →Question: Is there a desired end game from your team’s point of view? Like that I would buy an upgrade? Sorry for being so blunt.
Lisa – WordPress.com: No end game, we’re just here to help with any questions a user may have.
Me →OK, good. Well, to answer your original question – I think the only thing that comes to mind is whether a comment or a like that is done via the WP Reader ‘counts’ as a view of the site for stats?
Me →Or does a person have to actually click to go in to the site in order for that visit to be registered as a visit?
Lisa – WordPress.com: The person has to actually click and visit the site for the visit to be registered.
Me →Thanks – that answers a question that came up on a site I like to visit.
Me →http://onecoolsitebloggingtips.com
Me →Timethief there is really helpful and gives advice to lots of bloggers.
Lisa – WordPress.com: Oh good to hear!
Photograph Works 
Was not aware of this feature and doubt I would ever use it. I’ve gained more help, information and tips from timethief than any one else on WordPress. In fact, I’ve contacted WordPress on two occasions and have yet to receive an email or response. I think they suck…LOL
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Your comment made me smile – so restrained, not… LOL
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Teehee -:)
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For two days only, Tuesday and Wednesday.
I’d like for this not to be a ploy for getting more users to upgrade to Business (where this is a standard feature), but like you, I’m a bit jaded.
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You mean that WP are running the chatbox idea for two days only?
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I have seen it. I really liked what you said.
The forums, I rarely, if ever, use, but I’m kind of fascinated by them; All these people working there for free?! WP should be ever so grateful.
I have a paid upgrade, so I’ve got answers right away from WP staff, when I’ve needed.
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Timethief gives her time as a volunteer. Not sure about ‘Happiness Engineers’
Glad you like what I said – I worry that I am being offensive – one of my perennial worries 🙂
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One of mine too.
Happiness Engineers are staff.
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Thanks – for both sentences. 🙂
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Hi David,
All I can say is thank you and then I must seal my lips, lest I let loose and publish a volley of rants.
Have you noted that Staff are promoting a warm and fuzzy post from a newbie in praise or reblogging? http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/03/25/reblogging
Here’s the comment they have in moderation:
1. I want the ability to control exactly how many words are reblogged as per my copyright policy. Why do users not have that ability now?
2. I want the ability to select exactly which image if any at all will appear in the reblog and appear in my Media Library. Why do users [not] have that ability now?
3. I want the ability to disable the reblog link in the Reader as well as the like link and the sharing links. Why do users not have that ability now?
4. I want a clear answer from Staff about reblogs and stats. When a reblog link, which I cannot disable from displaying in the Reader, is clicked does that create page view stat on the blog it was reblogged from? Why is that not made clear to us in the support documentation on reblogs and stats entries?
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Thanks for the link to the post on the daily post.
In the absence of the controls you would like to see in place, what are the censures against people who ignore sidebar warnings about reblogging content against the blogger’s wishes and who do not respect the wishes of bloggers?
Is there any censure at all? Is there even a way to complain to staff?
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We complain until the cows come home and it will do no good IMO. That`s because the ToS allows WordPress.com to promote our content and they determine how to do that we don`t.
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Personally, I don’t know why Automattic would want to clog up the internet with the wholesale re-blogging of content. It’s one thing for them to tout the wonderful creativity demonstrated by bloggers. It’s another thing to tout re-blogging.
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IMO this isn’t about sharing creativity at all. That can be done in any post we backlink to other content from.
I say: Stuff Staff for backlinking to a smaltyzy, smarmy post” on an important issue that has bearing on copyright and on pagerank.
What is the value of a reblogged post?
Does it pass on pagerank like a normal post with backlinks in it does?
Why is that not covered in any Staff reblog posts or in the support documentation?
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Good question. My understanding is that the page that Google pick up first is the one that is treated as the page with the ‘entitlement’ to page juice. And if that is so, then the re-blogged pages get no value.
If the curation is proper curation – with comments and some real purpose behind the curation – then I guess that the re-blogged articles become aspects of the overall evaluation of the site that does the re-blogging. Maybe…
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Maybe …
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🙂
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Enjoyed the post. Hopped over from Timethief.
(and reblogging…well, Timethief is better on that than I, so just “ditto”
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