Private messages - good or bad idea?
Private messages for the whole sg(like a live chat everywhere) or just for the giveaways part to talk with the winner/creator?
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Well I think both would be useful but there also should be option to disable it in the settings if someone really does not want to talk to anyone.
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At first it logically sounds good, but when you think about it some more, it's not as great. Start off with a PM system, then one might get spam, so a blocklist or a whitelist, but that might mean needing to add people as friends so more work writing that system, and maybe more drama behind closed doors might happen with the extra safety peeps think they have without it being "public". There are some threads about SG mods getting flamed in various places, can you imagine what their inbox would be like. If you really want, you can post under one of the closed discussion OP's GA and they can see what you write that way, I've done so before.
If the winner doesn't check the GA description, that's on them. Give it to someone better or more active who wants it in the discussions!
When a winner say thanks, I usually reply with something like what you said, "Enjoy the game" "Grats!..." etc, or an opinion on it if I played it. Not everyone says thanks so it's a good compromise for not having to always say it, only now and then.
In the end, I don't think it's useless but I think we don't need it, the cons outweigh the pros.
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You made a good points but what if we could just disable private messages in the settings?
Like mods would do it to not get spam. And if someone would spam you can disable private messages or even better you could just disable private messages from one person but you don't have to add them to BL?
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+1
I think PM sounds good but would in the end bring more drama and definitely a shitload more work to a group of already overloaded admins...
Might even make the site as whole less interesting;
Instead of discussions; PM:s;
Instead of comments on GA's; PM's;
ETC, so the place would look dead and be even more inaccessible to new users.
Yes, I see your point though, there have been times where I wished I could PM someone directly here, but in the end I don't think it would be worth it, it'll do more harm than good.
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Your cons are quite easily put to ease by just having PMs follow the same rules as public comments. They'd still fall under the SG guidelines since they're using this site so both spam and harassment could be reported and dealt with. Since new account creation is restricted on SG, penalties hit hard and most people would automatically think twice before posting controversial stuff in PMs.
I do agree that the time spent on developing such functionality could be better used elsewhere though.
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I mean, there are multiple solutions here to your problems too.
Start off with a PM system, then one might get spam, so a blocklist or a whitelist
Add a setting that basically allows you to choose who you receive messages from (the creators of the giveaways you won, the winners of your giveaways, those on your whitelist, everyone, etc.)
but that might mean needing to add people as friends so more work writing that system
I mean, yeah, but this site isn't simple anyways. I sympathize that it's not easy. That's why it's a suggestion. If it's impossible or too difficult, then it'll just stay a suggestion. But right now we already have discussion systems, giveaway comment systems, flexible URLs, Steam API integration, key and gift sending systems, report ticket systems and so on. Were those things easy to implement? I doubt it.
more drama behind closed doors might happen with the extra safety peeps think they have without it being "public".
So? This isn't high school. If there are some people here who really are that cringeworthy, isn't it better that they keep their cringe behind a wall, away from others? If they really are that immature, then they'll communicate privately regardless. Currently people just use old giveaways for messaging. Plus, Steam accounts still exist, so they can just add each other.
If anything, this reduces public drama. Who cares what people say behind closed doors. It's a semi-public forum.
There are some threads about SG mods getting flamed in various places, can you imagine what their inbox would be like.
Which is why we should have options on who can send us messages. Plus, say it's public. If they harass the mod, then they break the site's rules, which means that they can just suspend them. Or add a PM ban option (or shadowbanning from your own chat, so they can keep yelling into the void).
If you really want, you can post under one of the closed discussion OP's GA and they can see what you write that way, I've done so before.
But let's be honest here, a proper system would be way more convenient than having to go all Indiana Jones on people and stalk around for their invite-only giveaways or just go into a public giveaway of theirs.
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It isn't a necessary feature but I'd very much prefer sending a pm similarish to how the ticket system works then having to add somebody as a friend on Steam if there's ever an issue. That and being to add some kind of note next to who you wl/bl are the big two things I'd add if I knew how and it were up to me ¯\(ツ)/¯
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you will get the same kind of reply epic gives to their users: why would we implement forums when you can go to reddit? 😅
"use steam or a similar app with chat" 🤷
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Sometimes people ask questions but discussion is already closed and there is no way to reply to them.
Use a user's previous Public giveaway to contact them directly -> Through that, ask them to add you on Steam, for more sensitive matters
As far as site additions, previous discussion on the topic played around with the idea of adding a fake public giveaway to everyone's profile, so that contact could reliably be made with any user. Easy integration with the current site framework made it a less demanding option to implement than other suggestions.
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Not really needed when you can use Steam to privately contact someone. If they don't want to accept your friend request then they probably don't want your message.
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Yes it would be great to have at least the possibility to "question someone for a chat/contact".
If he don't opted out (each one can do that to block ALL contact requests) AND accepts you are able to write him the message.
After he close/delete the message window (one click at it) the talk ends.
Would be save that none will be contacted that doesn't want, both, in general and/or only from different/special people.
"Block all contact/chat requests" will prevent any possible spam with requests, "block XYZ contact/chat request" will prevent contact to people that you don't want to write something.
For all that are maybe max. 3 or 5 possible chats enough.
Or let it be only 2. I am sure, a lot, would be happy about such a option.
I am very sleepy, so sorry for my bad english right now.
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That's all I need ... people DM'ing me "where's my game?!"
No, thanks.
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Just say your name is ACE (Whatta guy) - captain delayed gratification, and you've come from the future to save the human race by starting with this giveaway. Feel free to mention random bullshit from the imaginary future to confuse them, cause why not. :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofibNrYDjdY (Ace reference for those who don't know it - not really pertinent to the discussion, but I remembered it and had a chuckle)
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Go to their previous giveaway and write comment there, chances of other people will come is almost 0, so basically only the giveaway creator will see your message there.
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Support already has enough to do. Introduce a PM system and they'll be flooded because people use it for insults, begging, trading scams etc.
And it also doesn't mean people will even bother looking at PMs. Which means you're back point 1 concerning gifting the DLCs etc.
If a discussion has been closed then whats the point of answering to someone? If it's really important message them on Steam.
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Nah.. I can just write a private message on a former giveaway.
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Everything has to be social media now? What about hate mail? I think we can dispense with those "pleasantries".
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you can send key through email, old fashioned style v1, with a congrats and all that
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Well, we can message winner by email, and I don't know why else we may need private messages... I mean, it would be a nice feature, but it requires a lot of efforts to implement, and cg can for sure do something more useful instead.
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I think it would be great if we have a "hidden message" option above the submit button. In that case, these messages and replies to them can be seen only by author and topic/GA maker. So we don't break conversation environment at all.
But honestly... whatever we wish, it wouldn't happen because the site owner either doesn't have time or tries to keep it all as simple as possible. Or both. A complex site will be broken more frequently, so x2 features is not just x2 more problems, but much more.
Well... a solution exists, but... it requires a lot of creator's work. I'm speaking about open-source. And there is the second problem: fear about clones based on open-source solution.
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Or you can join SG discord if you want to chat with people from this site. 🤷🏻♂️
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I think private messages would be great.
Sometimes people ask questions but discussion is already closed and there is no way to reply to them.
Sometimes we make GAs for a game but we also want to give the winner a DLC but many people don't read GAs description and it would be easier to just write to them on the site than to look for them on Steam and wait if they will add us to friend list to give them DLC. Commenting in the GA does not seem to haver any effect.
And also most of the time just clicking to send a key feels like I'm a bot and I think it would be nice to write to the winner something like Hey! You have won a game! Congratulations. I hope it is a good game and you will have fun with it or something along these lines.
EDIT: Also if someone does not like private messages there should be an option to disable it in the settings.
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