Ranting on Service Part II

Midnight Auror (Kilt): A user affected by the incompetent handling of Pottermore cases

You know, I honestly do hope that I will never feel like writing another one of these, but I know better than that.  I honestly know better, and that's sad.

As I said in the last piece, its kind of difficult as a user to really get a feel for why people would even be upset at moderation. These are just digital accounts after all, most of which someone may not visit after a month or so because there's nothing to keep people on the site. However, to anyone that was dedicated enough to spend more than a cup's worth of time on Pottermore certain things begin to wear on the user. First it's a comment on the common room that seems out of place. Then it's being reported when the  user believes they were behaving well within moderation guidelines. Dueling lagging and glitching more often than it used to. Potions not behaving the same way they did yesterday.

Yes, this is going to sound like whining, and really, it is. It's whining in the same way a grandparent may criticize the "youth" today, or how we all look upon the cartoons and stuff of our youth with rose-colored glasses and say how it's sooo much better than what kids today have. On Pottermore, this happens most to the group of users known as "Betas," users that formed their account during August of 2011, and are usually identified by a screen name with 3 or less numbers. Back then, it was encouraged to send out emails saying when things didn't work, and when glitches happened, because as it was, Pottermore wasn't "ready" for the public yet. Beta went on for a while, and during that time, while Betas would be used to pre-fabricated responses, it was more likely than it is currently that an individual MIGHT get a personalized message. I know why it doesn't happen anymore too. There is a multitude of users. Massive waves of users probably have issues each and every day, and people want timely responses, but that's precisely the problem. They're too similar, and just like in Beta, users that stay on Pottermore tend to find groups to talk, and interact with each other outside of Pottermore. We do talk about moderation. We compare notes. We see each and every time someone gives us "canned spam," and even the smallest detail of difference is called out.

This is truly the thing that ruins Pottermore as a site. Yes, there are multiple problems on the site. The games are repetitive after 3 times. Duels are unballanced. Potions are slow. Nothing built in to the site really encourages users to return to the site day after day. Exclusive content can be found in a day. Collecting items gets done quickly as well. The only thing that makes Pottermore truly worthwhile is the lightning-in-a-jar that lead to fandom-oriented sites, the fans. Fans are what makes Pottermore, the people in the common room, the camaraderie between duelists, portioners, housemates and house rivalries. So why is it that Pottermore treats its best asset so poorly by depriving them of answers they need to continue using the site without worry? Yes, there are users that cross the line, but users have been harassed by trolls and unfairly punished due to inept moderation. It used to get to the point that users believed that there was a report limit, afterwards suspension would hit. Things that would be considered to be "acceptable" by moderation are simultaneously approved and denied. Users trying to get clarification and a bit of understanding as to the bizarre logic are unable to do a thing on their behalf. In my long time on Pottermore, I haven't seen much worse interaction between two parties. Yes, users need to understand that Pottermore's response team is probably stuck to a variety of automated responses, however, at this point, Pottermore needs to throw it's users a bone. Personalize responses, attempt to be useful, because if not, fans will leave.  The best of your fans will leave you if you do not treat them well, and this is something that Pottermore should really take the time to understand.

"This isn't that common. This won't happen to me. These aren't important." I understand how easy it is to think that, to dismiss rants and complaints. But this has already been happening. Slowly and surely, in every house. I've seen members of the leaderboard quit after Pottermore unjustly wiped points believing everyone on the leaderboard at the start of the second cup was cheating. I've seen the top of Gryffindor's boards leave because of being harassed through at least three accounts due to trolls. I've seen friends have their accounts deleted because Pottermore thought they requested it, and even when it was made clear that they did not, no apology was given, and the account, though still present on the site, was not returned or re-activated for the user to have. I've heard stories from users that left their houses due to harassment upon even commenting in the common room in a way that offended someone.

It's a sad, and sorry state, especially as a user that really wishes the site would improve beyond expectations. They may have been highly placed: a working site, multiple games, a reason to come back day after day, and to be treated like a reasonable human being by housemates and moderators. I will still wait for this time to pop up, and till then I'll keep dueling, I'll still brew a potion or two and I'll still send letters to moderation. Not because I necessarily like to, but for the other people on the site. I want to contribute to my house because I like the people there. I want to make the site better because that's where some of my friends are. Not just other Betas, but those of us that were determined enough and made a family of sorts that wanted to stay, and be held together through our bonds on the site that brought us together. While it may be the "Pottermore Experience" now, it should still be treated like it's in Beta, because just like the fandom itself is an ever-changing and growing beast, Pottermore should grow and change with it, to satisfy the tastes of the fandom and really become that ideal gift to the fandom that Rowling wanted it to be.