Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Question?
Hello friends. Is anyone else disturbed about the fall-out resulting from the addition of the free app? I'm not at all upset about paying for cookie bonus solitaire. Tom and his team have worked hard and deserve compensation for their efforts. I guess my problem is the sheer number of new peeps. Many have questions and we have always tried to help and make newbies feel welcome in the past. It isn't possible to answer all the questions, much catch up with friends with all the newbies joining. Not to mention hurt feelings and downright rudeness resulting from misunderstandings. It would be nice to have a seperate secure room for those of us who actually purchased the game. I wonder if that would be possible? Any other ideas? I'm sure things will calm down soon and this won't be an issue. Maybe we just need to sit tight and see what happens. Thanks for letting me vent. alice :~) PS: Please forgive me if I choose a quiet room or just keep quiet for the time being. I still love you all and will be silently cheering for all of you, but I can't handle the ugliness :)
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16 comments:
I'm right with you, alice. I have faith something will be done.
I'm right with you. Since I got into the app store and bought this game, I've felt completely ripped off. Gameplay went downhill for me (sorry, I just don't like landscape mode), things got buggy, and now the free app has more features than the version I'm currently using. I thought the free app was not only going to have plenty of ads (it has fewer than the web app, from what I'm told), but that it would not have the cumulative scoring or community features (which it does). Take deep breaths, and find a nice quiet corner to hide in :-)
Trilo
After tonight's experience in game and in chat, I've got to say that I'm probably done. Forget more than 6 disconnects in the span of a few hours. Forget all the 'tourists' and newbies and other game issues. I think I'm most offended that I'd be asked not to speak my mind. I didn't use offensive language in any way, just described the horrible experience. But apparently that's a no-no. People who dealt with hell all day and spent hours complaining earlier were all sunshine and rainbows to Tom/vexxed, and anyone who had anything else to say was asked to basically shut the hell up.
By almost any measure, the launch of the paid app and the follow-on launch of the free app (as well as apparent price drop on the paid app) was handled badly. If we as customers don't provide feedback to developers, how will they ever learn? How will anything ever improve?
I apologize if my honesty in chat this evening interfered with anyone's ass-kissing.
Trilo, I'm sorry you feel this way and I can certainly empathize with all of the problems you've had.
However, you misunderstood what we were all saying to you last night. Everyone is certainly free to offer their opinion and feedback--but the manner in which you expressed yours was more antagonistic and combative rather than constructive, and in my experience that is never a good way to enact change nor seek improvements with anyone, including Tom/Vexxed.
We offer criticism and feedback to Tom all the time and, trust me, it's not always favorable! But in my experience as long as you keep it constructive, he's been really responsive and open to considering all suggestions. All I asked from you was to be nice, and that's all I meant, it wasn't code for "shut up," or "don't speak your mind" it was code for "be nice."
Frankly, addressing Tom as "Mr. Sell-Out," accusing him of rushing to get the native app out without responsibly testing it beforehand, and alleging that he sacrificed quality control for the almighty dollar can't be viewed by anyone as either effective or fair feedback.
Not surprisingly, Tom didn't seem to take too kindly to being compared to a soulless, money-grubbing unethical Judas and became immediately defensive with you. Go figure.
And if you have a problem with anyone including me fawning over Tom when he comes around, then that's just too bad and I refuse to apologize for it.
The man immediately built a new restricted-access room (which was TC's brainchild originally, btw) for the group in fewer than two hours as the direct result of a plea from me to reconsider his original plan of wait-and-see if we really needed it. And he never fails to respond on a timely basis whenever I need assistance or an answer on anything.
As far as I'm concerned, fawning is the least of what Tom deserves for all that. To be quite honest, he probably deserves a few nights in Vegas with all the liquor he can drink and as many lap dances as he can handle.
Trilo, all that being said, it would be great if you would reconsider sticking with the game and the group. I like you--I think you're witty, funny and really talented from what I've seen from your work. You make a fine addition to the chat group, and I really hope that it's not the last that we see of you.
As always, Jazz
alice- I totally agree and am so happy with our new room. Trilo we got the room so fast because we use constructive comments and help with making the site and game the addictive drug it has become. Hate to see you bail but if you would like I will take up a collection to repay you for your large investment. As frustrating as some of the bugs are, I really believe it was worth giving up that one grande latte!
I really appreciate the special room. It's a great addition and I'm glad I'm a part of it! Thanks vexxed, and great idea TC!
I think the new room is a great idea! And as far as Trilo's comment, well, you can't please them all! I do think that Jazzy said the right thing regarding Trilo's comment, and I do hope to see him in the game sometime, as he is another fellow San Franciscan!
I don't think there are any other apps out there that have chat with their games for the iphone/itouch devices, and we are lucky we have a great group!
Wow. I'm both flattered and taken aback. First and foremost, thank you for the kind words, and until yesterday had thoroughly enjoyed the company of the people I've interacted with in the in-game chat. Then taken aback by the words/actions you are assigning to me. I never called anyone money-grubbing, unethical, or Judas. Your words, not mine.
As for my interaction with Tom, it was brief. After I got a single line tapped to him (and probably spelled poorly), I had you and two other people telling me to either be nice or downright stop it. I opted to leave the room, since the whole dumb thing is hardly worth getting bent out of shape over. Get a good night's rest, fire off the email to Tom, and let him figure out whether or not he's interested in constructive criticism and feedback regarding some of the issues regarding the game.
Jazz, I'll forward you a copy of the email I sent to Tom, I see no need to post it here.
Well, the past day or so was quite an uprising, but I just want to say I am thankful for all of you. I'd especially like to point out TC and Jazzbore that really didn't have to do anything, but you both went out of your way to make our little chat family happy by creating another room. (I love gingerbread, by the way). I know there are bugs in every program, and I think much of it is an Apple issue as well, as I am seeing it in other apps too. So, Tom can't soley be blamed for it all. Honestly, The worst thing that could happen as a result of all of this, is we lose some of our dear friends that are members of this blog. It's not worth crying over spilled milk! (Just soak it up with a cookie!)
Tom created a great game, otherwise we all wouldn't be here and wouldn't want everything to work out for the best for everyone. I have had a blast meeting you all, and frankly am very open to adding more people to our family, so a private chat room would be hard to meet wonderful and exciting new people, and from what I gathered, Tom is not too keen on the idea. That being said, there should definitely be some restrictions, as the current room has helped tremendously so far. We can just ignore the few misbehaving stragglers that get in for now. There is no wristband keeping anyone from moving to another room, ya know?
SO... I am just going to keep playing, try to not get too personal with anyone, except for surfy and mas when they need a time out...lol.. and just enjoy my little stress relieving, time-killing insomnia helping game.
Trilo, I think you're being deliberately obtuse in your interpretation of my comment.
1) I'm drawing a parallel: your comments to Tom is the EQUIVALENT OF or making him out to be a soulless, money-grubbing unethical Judas. And yes, they are my words. Why the heck would I credit you with those? Probably one of the best phrases I've come up with yet!
2) you're misreading what I meant when I said "be nice." You need to learn the art of diplomacy and tact, how to offer someone criticism or feedback without offending or ticking them off from the get-go.
That's what I mean by being nice. The fact is, you get more results with honey than with vinegar. And in gauging Tom's terse reply to you, I can see I wasn't the only one who didn't want to drink down any of your vinegar.
For someone who is quick to level some pretty unfair allegations, you don't seem able to be able to take constructive criticism at all and would rather twist my words to mean something else entirely.
Do us both a favor? Try to set aside your blinders and read my message for what it is and not what you want to see.
Jazz
Wow. Work heats up, keeping me out of the game for any length of time and look what happens. Unreal.
Ok, my two cents. Tom and the other guy (whose name I can never remember but others always seem to) built a nice little game as a web app when that was all that was available. This is Tom's career. Tom, like the rest of us, would like to retire a wealthy man. For some reason, there are those that seem to think that makes him a sellout. Well, I disagree. There's nothing wrong with this business model, and if you don't want paid apps, don't buy them. Use the free apps. Your prerogative.
Second, directed to Trilo, the concept that you don't think the word sellout is mean-spirited is laughable. You write extremely well, so let's stop pretending that you're taken aback by the fact that someone would call you on that. You are entitled to your opinions, but that doesn't mean they need to be accepted, and it doesn't mean that people won't have a problem with your methods.
Third, everyone is entitled to their opinions. Trilo doesn't like everything about the game. No problem. Trilo has a worldview on how he should make his opinions known. That worldview is his own, and whether we agree with it or not, he gets to use it. Other people have opinions about how Trilo went about it. Likewise, those people are entitled to their opinions. Let's not lose the message by concentrating on personal attacks being lobbed back and forth.
Fourth, different methods of making one's opinions known are effective with different people. Trilo, it has been our experience that Tom reacts very well to suggestions of approaches rather than lobbed insults about the game and him personally. (Again, calling him a sellout is an insult, and your disagreement with that concept damages your credibility, at least with me.) For example, once the free app was introduced, the rooms were inundated with people with a certain lack of a code of conduct. I emailed Tom and told him that the regulars were upset, and I suggested that he find a way to segregate those who paid for the app from those who didn't. Some tweaks of my idea on his end (and additional emails from regulars), and the restricted room was born.
Ok, so that was more than two cents. Trilo, I think you're a good addition to the group, as your perspective is different than many others in the group. Personally, I think that's great. Descartes said that his right to punch another man in the face ended where his fist ended and the other man's nose began. There is no need to keep your opinions to yourself, but perhaps keeping personal attacks out of it is in everyone's interest.
Most of all, I think we need to relax. Life is a process, and so is the evolution of this game and the other paid apps. Let it run its course, like it did the first time there was a big problem, and we'll end up with the application we want.
Hope I wasn't too preachy. Good luck all.
Kinda preachy, but very well said nonetheless :-)
Yes, I do suppose sellout is an attack (though it's often used as a term of endearment with friends who are achieving any measure of success). I suppose what I was trying to get across is that my words and language were no different than would be considered normal on any company's customer support line. And so to be clear, my comments about selling out were directed to the whole of the company, not just Tom specifically. I have no problem with him (or anyone else) making a fair profit, and I'll refrain from rehashing what I've said on or offline again. I've submitted my comments, feedback, and suggestions to him directly, and so for me the ball is in another court and the matter is more or less closed.
While my experience has been that the in-game chat is a terrible place to try and discuss bugs, problems and frustrations, I would encourage everyone to report problems and send feedback (positive as well as negative). It's a company, we're customers, and things don't get fixed or improvements don't get made unless someone knows it needs to be done.
There's a free app?
WTF...
Screw this. I'm done.
Hey long time no see hèhè. Ok well I got a question if it can be answered. Umm where can you find the free app of the new solitare game? I've been looking for it and I am unable to figure out where it is at.
Oh and if any were just wondering I'll be getting the paid app as soon as I get my computer working again so see ya all around and hope to see ya in the games
Bruce/greedscaller
P.S. If I'm not in the solitare game then I'm playing frozen lexicon with auntieclueless
See ya all around
Hey Greed... to grab the free version, I recommend going to iTunes on your computer. Then hit App Store and search for COOKIE BONUS. You should see two search results that have the same name (yeah, the names should have been different). One is the paid app, and one is the free app. Click Get App, then download/install and sync your phone. That should do it!
alright I'll get to that when I can thanks and see ya all around sometime
Bruce/greedscaller
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