Mistakes in Requesting - A log of what not to do.

[Setsuna]

I figured I'd post various mistakes by people when requesting. If others want to share their stories or frustrations, feel free. It's a bit of a requester's bar, where people who fill requests can share how they handle requests, and the people behind them.

I do ask if you intend to post someone's request that you strip their name and username from the corrispondence. They're free to respond and object, but by doing so they lose their anonyminity. I can't hold people responsible for that.

For those who aren't familiar with the process, you're generally asking someone else to do something that they're not obliged to.

So here's a piece of advice - DON'T get on the wrong side of the person you're asking for a clear favour. This isn't just a 'Applies to me' thing, but generally good advice, since people who don't like you are far less inclined to handle your work on their own time or money for free for you.

You'd think the above might be obvious but...


In my case, I'm fairly amicable to requests - However, I generally like ground rules, mostly because well, if you've been here any amount of time, you'd have known that I'm fairly busy, get a million requests and do a lot of other stuff rather than idolm@ster. I work in my own particular fashion, and since you're not paying me to do it any other way, would it surprise you to find out I won't?

If you didn't know, I can't actually read Japanese with any degree of reliablity (Why else do you think I'd make a compendium based on numbers and pictures, not words?) so making an assumption that I can is actually a very, very bad idea.

The ONE thing that will tick me off is people making assumptions I can magically forecast their needs without telling them, and when I tell them 'No, it really doesn't work that way' get offended because it APPEARS that I can magically do it.

I also don't respond as well as you might think to platitudes. I'm a nice person but being sucked up to isn't my thing, to be honest. Being cordially polite is one thing (I'm not a fan of a shouting match), but if you're here for something, you'd probably do better to get to the point.

Generally speaking, I appreciate people who have at least a little understanding of how the background works.

I also make statements when you're nearing that line, and when I say "I'll actually post the entire conversation to make a point" I really do mean it. Lessons are to be learned, and I'm not actually that concerned how I'm seen, since I'm an ex-journalist, and EVERYONE hates journalists. (Then again, most people who deal with me know that if I'm not passing time via chitchat, I'm focused on the next objective.)

In any case, below will be an exerpt. Fortunately we've haven't had anything this bad here.

[Setsuna]

Comments will be made in italics. Comments will be made on my reading of the text only, and I will not comment on the requester directly. I'm fairly sure they're nice people, although I do request that they learn from the experience.

Initial Contact - via youtube:

Hello.
I read that you make request.
Can you please make Vampire kyun with Iori and Yayoi in duet ( Iori as main)

stage:indoor schwarz
Costume:
マイディアヴァンパイア
Accesories:
ハートオブヴァンパイア
ブラッディネイル
ゴシックヘッドドレス
ゴシックローズコサージュ

This names from the catalog of the official web
http://www.bandainamcogames.co.jp/cs/list/idolmaster/im2/xbox/dlc/catalog4.php


But, please can you upload this request, in this page?
http://www.mediafire.com/
When an video is uploaded in Youtube the picture become bad, because not is good proccesing.
But, this page take the details of the original picture.
Therefore please dont upload in youtube, only in this page.

So, if is possible that you upload my request in mediafire, and send me this, please.

There's nothing too wrong here, but if you've read anything on the pages where the videos exist, they all link to the compendium, and state that nothing will be accepted without one.

Reply by me:

I'll advise the following:

See this this board.

http://forum.project-imas.com/index.php/board,18.0.html

You'd want the request engine (Because not everyone can read Japanese particularly well, and you can spec out exactly what you want) and I suspect you want the MAD and Special thread for the request due to your specific requirements.


This is mostly because of the fact that there's a lot of work involved, and well, there's a lot of people asking for video. You may find that someone else can help you, since it's more than just me handling various requests.


This is a fairly standard reply these days (Although I don't copy and paste this) because of, well, the reasons stated above. I will testify that all the above is true, and that (apart from some off bursts) that I'm usually very busy with something. One thing I should have made clear is that I'm actually one of the people who can't read Japanese particularly well. Ah well, mistakes.

Reply from requestee:


Yes, i read and i know about this page.
But, i noticed the program that you use for record the game is better.
So, i mean your picture of the game have an better an Nice details
Therefore watching your videos, i discover that you have an clear picture.

And I dont make MAD PVs. only that i collect videos of my favorite idols. as for my specific request of costume and accesory is only because i think they looks Great with them. and i make effects for that the picture looks beautiful.

Please understand, i know there is that page for request.
But, i had search the videos of it, and is not good pictures.
I think your picture of the game better.

I can wait for when you can do my request. i read you channel and i know you have maybe many requests and you are busy.
But, please when you have time of do my request.


Well, this is an interesting reply, simply because well, from my point of view, what the requestee has said, and what has happened are two very seperate things.

The reason for this is fairly simple - If the person actually had looked at the compendium tool, I would have strongly suspected after just a little bit of playing around, they'd have realised what it actually did.

If they looked closer at the threads there (They're this board, in fact!), they'd have realised what the threads here do. If not, I couldn't tell, because no questions were ASKED.

(If questions were asked, I could answer them. All I have here is a series of statements to go on.)

All the sucking up is nice if I needed an ego stroking. (And I don't thank you) It's also very useless in this case. I mean, it's basically the equilivant of writing on your exam paper "You're a really nice teacher and I love how you teach and I hope you're going to do well next year" when the exam paper asks you "So who was the 40th President of the United States and what was his defining events during his presidency?"

... If you expect the above response to get more than zero (and probably a laugh from the marker) you've probably gotten lucky. If you pass, I suspect money changed hands during the marking process. Now, I'm open for a bribe like every grubby little freelancer, but no one's offered one to me yet. It's almost disappointing actually.



Second reply from me.

I'm going to state this. If you don't consider this, then I'm going to assume you want me to enact what is in this statement.

-----

If you don't have the time, or the consideration to actually read what I say and realise what I'm trying to tell you...

Why on earth should I give YOU the time of day for anything, since you clearly don't care about anything I have to say about it, particularly when it relates to something you want out of me?

-----

If you've gotten past that, and you've actually paused, read it twice and stopped, then I might have your attention.

I advise you read the rest below (and read it twice, considered it, mulled it over and thought about it BEFORE replying) and listen to what I have to say.

The request engine is for the fact I can't speak Japanese, and it's designed so you can pick out what you want. It's so I (or anyone else) DOESN'T fumble through the japanese web pages and make a mistake.

It doesn't automatically render the game, or anything of the sort. It's so when you ask for something, I KNOW what you want, in a format you and I understand. How do you THINK I know what other people ask for otherwise? It's not through vague requests.

You don't want me to screw up your request do you? If you REALLY feel lucky, I suppose I can try do the catalog search manual thing and let you suffer the consequences.

I will gurantee you that I will get it wrong 9 times out of 10, and considering I warned you, I'm not going to do a reshoot in that case.

You're also asking for a compressed footage type. That's a special request. You don't do MAD work. Fine. You still want something that's a youtube request. That's fine. THAT makes it a special request and pop it in there for tracking and fulfillment.

As well your definition of 'nice' is not defined. Did you actually want the raw footage? Do you have a SAS and/or SSD to play back a video at 180 megaBYTES per second? Did you actually want 20mbit/s stream? A 10? Something better than netflix HD? Something worse?

I don't know what you have, and my advice is this - I don't know who you are, or what you're thinking or what you need or what you want.

So stop assuming I can look into a crystal ball and magically figure it out for you.

I'm not, because a) I can't, and b) I'm doing this for free, and you're not paying me to do it for you either.

Now if you made it here, I suggest before you hit that reply button, to sit down and READ IT OVER AGAIN and think about it.

Particularly the first bit, because it will determine if I post this on the forum as an example of what happens when people don't read and put you on a permament ignore list.

There's a mistake here - What I should have said was 'Since it's NOT a youtube request' as I was referring to the , but I will stand by what I said. Communicaton CAN'T happen if one side isn't being listened to, and from what I could tell he or she was clearly trying to ram things in their way without considering what I said previously.

And I think I mentioned before - I may be able to forecast a lot (Working in mailrooms and offices sort of teaches you the fine art of clairvoyance), but I don't like using it, because most of the time it reveals that the other person is lazy and I personally believe lazy people deserve consequences.

If nothing else, I REALLY dislike people who try to make me forcast what they want because I don't get paid most of the time to do it!

My advice - if you're trying to gun for an exception, chances are you're not going to get it unless the person REALLY likes you when you're asking for a favour.

Since well, I didn't know the person, it's no coincidence what's going to happen this time.

I also don't tend to pad around topics - If you ever see me throw a threat that is conditional on an action, it usually means that I will in fact do it, when that condition is met. (Sometmes I forget, but to err is human)

It's in fact why I wrote up this thread.


Last reply from requester:

For you have sure, that i read your message carefully i copy and paste every paragraph and i res it.
But, sorry some sentences i had not res because the message become longer.

-- ´´Why on earth should I give YOU the time of day for anything, since you clearly don't care about anything I have to say about it, particularly when it relates to something you want out of me?´´

Therefore i had write ´´ when you have time of do it´´ Because i had care about your description of you channel, and i know an rendering or recording of the game is hard and maybe take long time.
So, the meaning of my sentence was that i can wait even weeks or months for when you be able of have ready it.
And i saw your videos, you had made an request of various users SO i thought you was able of do that service.


--´´The request engine is for the fact I can't speak Japanese, and it's designed so you can pick out what you want. It's so I (or anyone else) DOESN'T fumble through the japanese web pages and make a mistake.´´

So, you can not speak japanese. But you have the game and you make an game play hearing and reading the lines of the idols.
Therefore tell the true, i dont understand, This is an ´´visual novel game´´ So, an person that dont know japanese can not play and understand it well i think. because should get an level talking with the unit of idol that is choose etc..
This book is written in a style of novel. so, can see the kanji many many times in the game.
So, i wonder, how do you play this game if you can't speak japanese?

--´´You don't want me to screw up your request do you? If you REALLY feel lucky, I suppose I can try do the catalog search manual thing and let you suffer the consequences. ´´

Sorry, i dont understand the meaning of your sentences in this part and your last sentence i feel defiant and Rude.
Therefore, if you want say me that you dont like the way that i ask the request with the catalog, You should use other words.

--´´As well your definition of 'nice' is not defined. Did you actually want the raw footage? Do you have a SAS and/or SSD to play back a video at 180 megaBYTES per second? Did you actually want 20mbit/s stream? A 10? Something better than netflix HD? Something worse?´´

As for the deinition, i need HD 1280x720. And so, the weight of 180 is ok.
if its 20 mbts of more, is good because while more bits can have the video is clearer.

--´´I'm not, because a) I can't, and b) I'm doing this for free, and you're not paying me to do it for you either.´´

I know it very well. But, you made various request for many users, and as for me a way of pay you for it is hard, because i dont know the way of do it for a internet.
Only i would make an support to your channel for pay, the request that you make for me.

--´´Now if you made it here, I suggest before you hit that reply button, to sit down and READ IT OVER AGAIN and think about it. ´´

in the messages that i res, i always check it many times.
Only in the previous messages, i thought the second was so long, therefore i made an version summary of it.


Ok. i know this is an impossible request after all.
So, thank you for your reading.
I learn that this it not an channel that is able to make my request. so, was my mistake and my misunderstand about this channel.

Anyway,please care about some using of your words, i felt some sentences rude to me. so, please control it or use other words.

So, i will not make an request again here.


Things went south here. No surprises about that though. It was pretty annoying when I saw that reply (And this one) simply because of the fact they didn't reveal they understand and they pretended they DID.

(I'm a journalist. There's good money in scandal and in coverups. You think I COULDN'T tell when someone was lying to me without a decent hit rating?)

I don't mind being called rude, because being nice isn't the point here. You're trying to get something to happen, and being nice doesn't get you what you want if I don't have a clue what you want.

I also follow up on any threats with a condition attached to them if the condition goes off.

For most part, I feel that the person went on the full defensive, without realising they got caught one way or the other not actually reading what I said, or more likely glanced at it without actually doing anything I said.

Basically, I suspect the person DOESN'T speak English as their first language, but didn't want to declare that fact, or (if we want to be malicious) the person tried to ram things in their way and was surprised as all hell when I picked up a bat, took aim at the ball, and slammed the request back in their direction with a notice saying 'I can tell you didn't actually read what I said'. and the ball hit them directly in the face at about two hundred kilometres an hour.

I'm more inclined to believe the first, but without knowing the target language (And since I'm not inclined to use a crystal ball cause the other person didn't feel like disclosing the fact until I get paid to do so) there's nothing I can do about it.

[Byuusan]

Funny, i think it the same person who message me about the same request. IN FACT, that the same exact request. Course i shot it back down at him because i repeated so many times i cant do Kyun Vampire because it doesnt exist in the PS3 version. i blocked the person in the end.

granted i could have done the request since i understand the language he was talking in, but you cant do what you dont have.