Block Specific Users From Offering on Trade Links

[lightningsky]

i think it is completely unnecessary to block people from offering on trades. clicking a decline button isn't too difficult, and if they are persistent and keep offering, i personally just let their offers sit there and rot - it's their loss, because they won't be able to offer their dragons elsewhere if they're in my trade already...

 

of course it could be irritating to get offers you didn't ask for/don't want but is it THAT bad of a reason to completely block someone? come on.

[chryse]

I am against this idea.

 

The decline button is easy enough to use, and just leaving the offer hanging is a viable option to bothersome offers.

 

I do think adding a comments ability on the trade link would be useful.

 

Sometimes people have offered me something that I wasn't interested in, but after checking their scroll, saw that they had very few dragons, or not many 'valuable' ones - & what they were offering was their only 'valuable' egg/hatchie. - I would have gifted them the egg, but couldn't contact them as they were not on the forums.

 

 

[Cecona]

Those aren't the trades we're talking about, though. We're talking about when someone puts up a specific want/don't want and people disregard it.

Those may not be the trades you're talking about, but those trades are trades just the same. It's not like only people that are specific with their trades will be able to block if this were to be implemented. The people who simply say "make an offer" without giving any great detail will be just as able to block offers too. Just because that may not be how you do your trades doesn't mean they shouldn't be considered when discussing something that would block offers on any trade. Your reason would not be the only reason people would use to block.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Cecona

[Cecona]

I am against this idea.

 

The decline button is easy enough to use, and just leaving the offer hanging is a viable option to bothersome offers.

 

I do think adding a comments ability on the trade link would be useful.

 

Sometimes people have offered me something that I wasn't interested in, but after checking their scroll, saw that they had very few dragons, or not many 'valuable' ones - & what they were offering was their only 'valuable' egg/hatchie. - I would have gifted them the egg, but couldn't contact them as they were not on the forums.

This ^

 

This so much.

[eritated]

Those may not be the trades you're talking about, but those trades are trades just the same. It's not like only people that are specific with their trades will be able to block if this were to be implemented. The people who simply say "make an offer" without giving any great detail will be just as able to block offers too. Just because that may not be how you do your trades doesn't mean they shouldn't be considered when discussing something that would block offers on any trade.

Yes, but the people who say "offers" are generally more open-minded about offers, therefore they most likely won't use the block feature, as they'd have no need to, since they were the ones who said "offers".

 

Double posting is fine as long as it's not abused.

Edited August 13, 2013 by SockPuppet Strangler

[Cecona]

Yes, but the people who say "offers" are generally more open-minded about offers, therefore they most likely won't use the block feature, as they'd have no need to, since they were the ones who said "offers".

You don't know that, you only assume that. I've had to deal with people putting up non-specific trades and refusing everything I try to put up because they don't like what I have. And I don't think I double posted, did I? I thought a double post was when someone posted the same thing twice, while what I did was post something regarding you, and then saw a new post which I quickly replied to as well. If that is double posting then I'm sorry.

 

Double posting is when your post shows up two times in a row with no posts in between it. It's absolutely fine as long as you don't abuse the feature. With a post you just want to agree with, that would be better to edit into your first post, but since you didn't post fifty times or anything, what you did is fine.

Edited August 13, 2013 by SockPuppet Strangler

[eritated]

You don't know that, you only assume that. I've had to deal with people putting up non-specific trades and refusing everything I try to put up because they don't like what I have. And I don't think I double posted, did I? I thought a double post was when someone posted the same thing twice, while what I did was post something regarding you, and then saw a new post which I quickly replied to as well. If that is double posting then I'm sorry.

How is it their fault that they don't like what you have?? Just because they put "offers", doesn't mean they'd accept anything

 

Double-posting is when a user makes two consecuative posts in a row. You don't need to make a new post, just edit what else you want to say into your previous post.

[Cecona]

How is it their fault that they don't like what you have?? Just because they put "offers", doesn't mean they'd accept anything

 

Double-posting is when a user makes two consecuative posts in a row. You don't need to make a new post, just edit what else you want to say into your previous post.

Is it always "your fault/their fault" with you? I never said anything was anyones fault, but they could at least contact me through PM or something and tell me instead of wasting my time and trapping my babies in an offer so I can't do anything with them. Tehy are on the forum, I am on the forum- it's not like communication is impossible. Hell I've even messaged a person asking what it was she was looking for since none of my dragons seemed to please her and I got nothing back. If they could block they probably would, it would allow them to avoid confronting me and just pretend I don't exist. That's what this idea is all about, avoiding what you don't want/like. And you know what? You can't avoid everything.

[pinkgothic]

*sidles in with a presumably unpopular aside*

 

Can you also imagine the amount of people who'd do it simply out of spite because of a disagreement on a thread or some other silly reason?

 

Honestly, this reasoning is why I might like this feature.

 

I personally would have no use for it in regards to offers I don't like - decline works great for those and I greatly prefer encouraging people to be bold and give it a shot - but there are a select few people who've treated others so appallingly and abusively on this forum* that I'd honestly prefer having a way of blocking out their trades, too, ideally before they even make one, since I plainly don't want to interact with them, and I probably genuinely run risk of doing so by trading, since I'm terrible at remembering names and just as terrible at checking who is offering a thing rather than tunnel-visioning on what thing is being offered. ._. Chances are by the time I notice what I've done, it's 'too late'. (I'd be happy just having a way to mark the names in red and/or them be sorted to the end of the offers list, and still have to hit 'decline' myself, mind you. Just something helping me with my notes, basically.)

 

I admittedly don't 'get' the 'it could be abused' arguments. Sharing warnings about users already happens amongst the player-base, just not openly on this forum; it doesn't seem to be a problem to me, and this suggestion looks like it would be handled in the same way... I doubt you'd be allowed to talk about who you blocked on the forum proper, and it's good that way. From what I can tell it takes a very serious infraction against common courtesy for names to start propagating between people; and there's a healthy scepticism to all "be careful about ..." claims as far as I've seen. I doubt that would change.

 

I think what might make a "ban from my trades" option less scary for some people is if it wasn't right next to the "decline | accept" buttons, but maybe an account setting. That way, people who really want to block specific people can do so, but it's nothing that's considered part of the normal trading process - which makes additional sense to me since it pertains to all trades, not just that one.

 

But, ultimately, I am totally okay with it if this isn't implemented. I just wanted to toss the above into the ring.

 

* in my case, I'm talking about situations when drama happens and the mods get involved, some (very few!) of the sort of posts that are removed by the mods can be seriously evil, like telling people very harshly that they're 'selfish jerks who need to get a life'... and if I spot those before they're wiped, I just... don't want anything to do with that person. It takes a lot of venom to trip those wires for me.

[eritated]

Is it always "your fault/their fault" with you? I never said anything was anyones fault, but they could at least contact me through PM or something and tell me instead of wasting my time and trapping my babies in an offer so I can't do anything with them.

Yes, it is. That's just how I think. Why would someone just PM you out of the blue basically saying "Sorry I don't like your offers, please stop offering"? I must admit, I've done this once, but that was because they offered multiple times on multiple trades, so I wanted to let them know I wasn't interested in their offers, so that they could stop wasting their time. But most people wouldn't do this if someone offered on only one trade a few times. That would just be silly and unnecessary.

 

Tehy are on the forum, I am on the forum- it's not like communication is impossible. Hell I've even messaged a person asking what it was she was looking for since none of my dragons seemed to please her and I got nothing back. If they could block they probably would, it would allow them to avoid confronting me and just pretend I don't exist. That's what this idea is all about, avoiding what you don't want/like. And you know what? You can't avoid everything.

 

Some people don't reply to PMs like that because they get so many PMs, it's hard to reply to them all. I know I've done it (and if I say "please PM" in my trade post, I also let them know I can't/won't reply to them all), so I do understand why people do that.

[Troubletail]

Is it always "your fault/their fault" with you? I never said anything was anyones fault, but they could at least contact me through PM or something and tell me instead of wasting my time and trapping my babies in an offer so I can't do anything with them. Tehy are on the forum, I am on the forum- it's not like communication is impossible. Hell I've even messaged a person asking what it was she was looking for since none of my dragons seemed to please her and I got nothing back. If they could block they probably would, it would allow them to avoid confronting me and just pretend I don't exist. That's what this idea is all about, avoiding what you don't want/like. And you know what? You can't avoid everything.

There was another thread recently suggesting some way to give more detailed feedback on trades aside from the forum- perhaps some of the suggestions over here might be of use? I could see the kind of pre-set menu of 'reasons for declining' options being proposed in some of the comments there coming in handy for players on both sides of the trading issue.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Troubletail

[Cecona]

Yes, it is. That's just how I think. Why would someone just PM you out of the blue basically saying "Sorry I don't like your offers, please stop offering"? I must admit, I've done this once, but that was because they offered multiple times on multiple trades, so I wanted to let them know I wasn't interested in their offers, so that they could stop wasting their time. But most people wouldn't do this if someone offered on only one trade a few times. That would just be silly and unnecessary.

 

 

 

Some people don't reply to PMs like that because they get so many PMs, it's hard to reply to them all. I know I've done it (and if I say "please PM" in my trade post, I also let them know I can't/won't reply to them all), so I do understand why people do that.

It's called common courtesy, something that is apparently forgotten nowadays.

 

There was another thread recently suggesting some way to give more detailed feedback on trades aside from the forum- perhaps some of the suggestions over here might be of use?  I could see the kind of pre-set menu of 'reasons for declining' options being proposed in some of the comments there coming in handy for players on both sides of the trading issue.

I definitely like the idea of comments on trades, at least that way I would actually get an answer if I ask why.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Cecona

[Syphoneira]

One thing is that when people are asking for offers, they're looking for something that they can use or that would appeal to them, which may vary from a common lineage to something considered rare.

 

Many people will accept a pretty lineage - and breeders DO need specific CBs/pretty lineages, as the appearance of lineages is a big thing on this site and in some cases approaches an art form - but most people don't want messy lineages, or, due to personal taste issues, may not want certain sprites even if only in a lineage.

 

Or they may regretfully turn down a pretty lineage they can't continue.

 

This site consists of people collecting dragons that they want, and, at least in typical cases, no insult is intended in a trade rejection.

 

There may be many potential dragons/lineages that they want, but they'll wait until they get an offer they like, rather than accepting the first one they get because it's there.

 

If somebody doesn't care about lineages and tries offering ones that most people don't want, they'll encounter many more disappointments than if they seek out CBs or nice even-gens on the AP as trade fodder and keep and refrain from breeding sprites that have what most people see as ugly lines but that aren't a problem for that person.

 

The trading threads are a marketplace, and just as whole, just-ripe produce sells where battered and limp won't, CBs and pretty lineaged dragons are often desired by somebody who might have something to offer that would appeal to you, but people don't go looking for what they don't want - there's lots of that in the Cave and AP, lol.

 

While trade threads now are often filled with exchanges of/for Shimmers, Golds and other dragons out of the reach of many people, some people do take common (typically CB) hatchies and it might be an idea to look through the threads and see the sort of things people are asking for and try to snag those when you can, as all sorts of things do pop up on the AP - I caught two incuhatchable CB Lumina the other day and have another pair I can use myself, but something like that might form part of a trade offer somebody might be able to use, if you have enough of whatever breed yourself.

 

Because sometimes people want even quite common hatchie ASAP, typically as mates for something they're eager to start trying to breed, and are willing to trade more than usual for them.

 

You never know what someone might want, and often neither do they, until they see it.

[tjekan]

I've had to deal with people putting up non-specific trades and refusing everything I try to put up because they don't like what I have.

Well, of course. Just because they say they're interested in "any offers" doesn't guarantee they're going to choose yours. They're probably getting offers from multiple other people as well, and liked one of those better. That doesn't mean they'd use blocking on you, just that they're not obliged to choose your trade if someone offers something better. :-)

 

I fully understand the frustration of not being able to catch the rare dragons, but if you don't care if a dragon is CB or not, then why does it even matter to you? You can get a high-gen prize or metallic egg for a couple of common hatchlings. If a dragon's lineage is irrelevant to you, then your success rate in trades will go up if you start offering on the ones with long messy lineages instead of the CB ones that lineage enthusiasts keep outbidding you for. :-)

 

they could at least contact me through PM or something and tell me instead of wasting my time and trapping my babies in an offer so I can't do anything with them.

 

They shouldn't have to do this. Declining your offer should automatically un-trap your eggs so that you can do something different with them. However, there's a well-known bug with the system that sometimes causes "phantom trades" that have already been declined to keep appearing on your scroll until you manually click on or refresh them. If that's the problem you're having (that the trades seem to sit there forever), just refresh them periodically and you should be fine. :-)

Edited August 13, 2013 by tjekan

[eritated]

It's called common courtesy, something that is apparently forgotten nowadays.

Would YOU want to reply to 10+ PMs declining someone's offer? I very highly doubt it. And if you say "Nobody gets that many PMs", you'd be incorrect. I've had 3rd gen Shimmers up for trade before, stating PMs are welcome. My gods, I got so many PMs it was insane. I couldn't possibly reply to them all. I felt bad, but that's just how it is. I'm sure other people trading similar things have experienced this, too ^^'

 

Well, of course. Just because they say they're interested in "any offers" doesn't guarantee they're going to choose yours. They're probably getting offers from multiple other people as well, and liked one of those better. That doesn't mean they'd use blocking on you, just that they're not obliged to choose your trade if someone offers something better. :-)

 

I fully understand the frustration of not being able to catch the rare dragons, but if you don't care if a dragon is CB or not, then why does it even matter to you? You can get a high-gen prize or metallic egg for a couple of common hatchlings. If a dragon's lineage is irrelevant to you, then your success rate in trades will go up if you start offering on the ones with long messy lineages instead of the CB ones that lineage enthusiasts keep outbidding you for. :-)

Thank you so much for summing up my exact thoughts in a much... nicer... way.

[Tehpikachu]

Okay, some of you are making (or have made) the argument that "oh, it's easy to click 'Decline' and oh, it's different on the forums."

I don't see how? I mean, imagine if you couldn't block users sending PMs to you. Now imagine you're being spammed by someone over and over for whatever reason. Would you not like to stop that person from doing so? You'd be asking to implement a "Block" option on PMs, wouldn't you?

But then I say, "Oh, we don't need this! It's too easy to just delete annoying messages."

[love_HP]

Okay, some of you are making (or have made) the argument that "oh, it's easy to click 'Decline' and oh, it's different on the forums."

I don't see how? I mean, imagine if you couldn't block users sending PMs to you. Now imagine you're being spammed by someone over and over for whatever reason. Would you not like to stop that person from doing so? You'd be asking to implement a "Block" option on PMs, wouldn't you?

But then I say, "Oh, we don't need this! It's too easy to just delete annoying messages."

This is very different.

If a PM is annoying, it is very likely to be hostile/include inappropriate content/other things that can be reported to a mod. But offers contain only information of eggs and hatchlings; they can't be inappropriate or not PG13 or whatever.

[Pokemonfan13]

Also, the PM spammer could, with enough patience, fill up your inbox, preventing you from getting PMs you want. An annoying trade offerer can only offer one at a time, and you can shut him down by just leaving the offer and ignoring it.

[whitebaron]

I've had 3rd gen Shimmers up for trade before, stating PMs are welcome. My gods, I got so many PMs it was insane. I couldn't possibly reply to them all. I felt bad, but that's just how it is. I'm sure other people trading similar things have experienced this, too

Of course you can. You just dont want to.

And it still would be common courtesy to do so, something people like to forget nowadays. Last time we had a job opening, there were 47 applicants. Everyone got the same no letter, thats true, but they got a letter nevertheless.

 

So go and copy/paste those replies, people wont care about that as much as being not replied to.

[Cecona]

Of course you can. You just dont want to.

And it still would be common courtesy to do so, something people like to forget nowadays. Last time we had a job opening, there were 47 applicants. Everyone got the same no letter, thats true, but they got a letter nevertheless.

 

So go and copy/paste those replies, people wont care about that as much as being not replied to.

You understand ;v;

[Ayelldee]

Would YOU want to reply to 10+ PMs declining someone's offer? I very highly doubt it. And if you say "Nobody gets that many PMs", you'd be incorrect. I've had 3rd gen Shimmers up for trade before, stating PMs are welcome. My gods, I got so many PMs it was insane. I couldn't possibly reply to them all. I felt bad, but that's just how it is. I'm sure other people trading similar things have experienced this, too ^^'

 

 

Thank you so much for summing up my exact thoughts in a much... nicer... way.

Oh come now, just how long does it take to type Thanks for your offer but it's not what I'm looking for. Good luck in your hunt.???? And how HARD is it to hit the decline button. People are not mind readers and tiny print in a sig - I don't read all sigs - isn't gonna cut it either.

 

Totally against the blocking thing.

 

But don't get me started on the whole 'fairness' thing when it comes to prize dragons given out - that can apparently go to people who already have one.

[Fuzzbucket]

I have a sick feeling I may have been one to offend the OP - Erica - and just because of this (bear with me !) I vote no to this.

 

I am on capped internet here. (indeed, last week I hit the limit and have not been able to be here for three days - thank heaven for scroll sitters who saw I was in trouble...)

 

Sigs use bandwidth. I had them turned off. I did offer a 7th gen bronze shimmer on a trade for another bronze the other day. It was rejected within seconds - fine. I went about my business. I did NOT see anything that said only 4th gen or anything - but if it was in a sig - I couldn't have anyway. No malice was intended. But these things can happen to any of us.

 

Decline is easy.

[Shala]

Of course you can. You just dont want to.

And it still would be common courtesy to do so, something people like to forget nowadays.

I'm going to play devil's advocate on this point. Most of my trade posts state clearly "Please no PMs". So, who's being discourteous: me for not replying (I do anyway, most of the time, since I don't want to appear rude), or the person who completely disregards my request and PMs me anyway?

 

Anyway, back to the point.

 

I disagree with blocking, because it's simple to decline or ignore any spammy offers. And if those offers annoy or upset you*, that's your* problem. Nobody can annoy or upset you* unless you* let them. (That's where PMs differ, as stated by Pokemonfan13 and love_HP.)

"Stupid" offers are easier for me to tolerate when I remember that people of ALL ages, languages and levels of interest play this game, and some don't trade that much or have the same idea of "value" that I do. (Dragon "value" is a whole other discussion, that really shouldn't be brought up here. >_>)

 

Anyway, that's my two fifty cents, and I hope it added something to the conversation.

 

Cheers,

Shala

 

*general "you", here - not addressing anyone in particular

[tjekan]

So go and copy/paste those replies, people wont care about that as much as being not replied to.

Just for the record, that's not always true. In my work I have to answer lots of emails, and when I give a prompt answer which is "no" or "I don't know," I sometimes do get a temper tantrum in response, including some explicit "Why did you bother me with a response at all if you were just going to tell me you don't know the answer!!!"

 

I've never had a response like that on DC, just wanted to point out that it's absolutely not true that everyone prefers a form-letter rejection over no response. *I* do, but there are obviously plenty of people out there somewhere who do not!

[skauble]

Wow, this discussion is all over the place.

 

The things people are talking about are really interesting, but I kind of wish they had their own threads in Site Discussion. Things like: "DC Etiquette - What's you opinion?", "Prize dragons - Helping or hurting the game?", "Moving up the DC economic ladder - Is it possible for everyone?". It would be nice to have things to actually discuss in that section. (is too lazy to go make them right now*

 

As for straight out blocking, I'm still not for it although, as pinkgothic mentioned, there are some users that I'd prefer not to have any dealings with.

 

When it comes to PMs, I have a note in my profile that, for various reasons, I'm terrible at responding to them and that people should take that into consideration when deciding if they want to contact me. I can't make people read that, but I feel like that's fair warning. That may mean I end up missing out on some nice things, but if someone will be hurt by my not responding (or responding late), then I'd rather they not put themselves in that position, even if it means I lose out on something.