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Supporting The Masses (without losing your mind)

Supporting The Masses (without losing your mind)

WordCamp Chicago, 2012

Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

August 26, 2012
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Transcript

  1. How to Support The
    Masses

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  2. Without losing your mind
    Tips and tricks to keeping it
    all in perspective, while still
    giving people the best
    experience possible when it
    comes to support.

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  3. Who Am I?
    Mika A. Epstein
    (a.k.a. Ipstenu)
    Over a decade of
    supporting technologists,
    programmers ...
    and grandmothers

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  4. I have the
    BEST IDEA!
    It starts with you and your
    dream (or desire).

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  5. I assemble my code

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  6. And it’s awesome!

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  7. YAY! Version 1.0.0!!!!!

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  8. Wow! People are
    using my plugin!!!

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  9. Not everyone likes it...

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  10. http://wordpress.org/support/
    view/plugin-committer/YOURHANDLE

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  11. Do I want to
    help them?
    Do I want to spend my time
    doing support?
    You don’t have to!
    But....

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  12. What’s in your README?
    • Are there alternate support methods?
    • Email, other forums, UserVoice?
    • Is there no support?
    • Is there only paid support?

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  13. Unless you clearly state
    otherwise on your plugin
    page, users have a
    reasonable expectation
    that you will provide free
    support in the
    WordPress.org Forums.

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  14. Is it really
    my problem?
    Valid complaints?
    Reasonable requests?
    Not RTFMing?

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  15. Okay, I’m going to help!
    • Can I reproduce it?
    • Have they tried
    turning off other
    plugins?
    • Have they tried
    using the default
    theme?

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  16. Oh! It’s a conflict!

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  17. Should I fix it?
    • Is it a security hole?
    • Is it in the scope of
    your plugin?
    • Is the other plugin/
    theme behaving
    badly?

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  18. •Be honest
    •Be direct
    •Consider patches from users
    •Ask for help
    If you can’t fix it...

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  19. What about
    requests?
    My users want special
    features.
    Well ... Okay.

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  20. It totally
    needs a
    unicorn!
    Yeah, I know it’s an
    RSS plugin, man, but
    think about it!
    UNICORNS!

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  21. JUST
    SAY
    NO!

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  22. Keep sight of your scope
    • What problem did I want to solve with
    this plugin?
    • What logical extensions can be added?
    • What can be easily added?
    • What can I add and still support?

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  23. But I want the unicorn!

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  24. You can still say no.

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  25. It’s okay to ...
    • walk away
    • say no
    • get mad
    • give up
    • ask for help

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  26. It’s not okay to...
    • blame them (even if it’s
    their fault)
    • be mean
    • accept abuse
    • ignore them*

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  27. Tips
    So what should I do?

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  28. Document It
    What it does
    What it doesn’t
    How it works
    Support options
    Known/common errors

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  29. If you make a
    BIG change ...
    DOCUMENT
    IT!!
    REMEMBER!

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  30. Take Time
    Think before you answer
    Study the error reports
    Test possibilities
    Take time for yourself

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  31. Be this
    guy!
    Walk away from the
    computer once in a
    while

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  32. I have a life! It’s ...

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  33. Don’t Attack!
    They’re not attacking you
    Don’t bite the users
    Passion makes people seem
    aggressive
    Strong opinions can be
    misread easily in text!

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  34. Don’t be
    this guy
    http://xkcd.com/386/
    What do you want me
    to do? LEAVE? Then
    they'll keep being
    wrong!

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  35. EOL
    What if I’m just done with this plugin?

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  36. Warn them!
    “This is no longer
    supported.”
    Push a final version to
    notify users.
    Alerts in the admin screen

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  37. Hand off?
    Give it to someone else.
    Ask someone to take it
    over.
    Email wp-hackers.
    Post in the forums.

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  38. The End

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