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Original poster

Step forward everyone who thinks that the way webchats currently work (where the sleb ignores most of the questions and is roundly barracked for so doing) is FINE.

7 replies

AitchTwoOh · 24/06/2009 22:33

... i'm not sure i do.

i can understand why some people have misgivings about the way that we have treated people on here, the jeering etc can't be that nice to be on the end of. otoh i feel that the schlebs are too able to skitter off the hook and treat us like dafties.

does the problem lie with MNHQ?

what are Justine etc saying to people?

are they advising them to look at MN first, or are they hopeful that they don't?

why on earth are we asked to waste our time coming up with questions that MNHQ then doesn't get them to answer?

are they even in the same room as MNHQ? cos if DG for example was just logging on from her home office (i imagine it a pale farrow and ball green, with floating shelves stuffed to the gills with byron - not tanya) then why all the 'oh she can give us a few minutes more' etc etc. why can't they just come back adn answer questions later?

and WHY do they think we're stupid?

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MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 25/06/2009 17:34

What the heck is Oprah NOT DOING???

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 25/06/2009 17:55

More seriously...

Thanks for raising it Aitch - we are, like some of you, pretty depressed about the way the DG chat turned out (as indeed she was).
These are the guidelines we always send out to folk who do webchats - assuming they can't come into the MN Towers - and which were sent to DG. (We always try to encourage them into the Towers as obviously it seems some don't read the guidelines.):

MN webchat guidelines

  1. The answers will be typed up live on your own computer. We will set up your registration details (a chat nickname and password) and send these over in advance. These will enable you to chat. Please test the registration details in advance of the live chat by typing ?testing? in the ?add your message here? box and posting. If there are any problems we need to know a good hour before the chat starts so we rectify them.
  1. Approx four or five days before the live chat we will open a thread and start collecting questions. These are usually from people who can?t make the live chat, and there will also be a few who just can?t resist making a comment/asking a question! We will send over the URL of this live thread in advance, so you can pick up the tone of the discussion as well as see what people are asking. Almost inevitably there will be some trivial questions and jokey comments, but sometimes it?s just as useful/fun to pick up on these comments as on the more serious questions. If time is tight and the thread is already long, we?re happy to sift through in advance, separate the wheat from the chaff and send over the most crucial questions in a word document.
  1. In an ideal world you would prepare answers to most or all of these advance questions. If you type up the answers in a notepad or textedit document, you can then cut and paste each answer into the 'add your message here' box once the chat has gone live. This gives you the chance to focus on the live questions as they come in and gets the chat off to a good start. If it?s not possible to prepare answers to all the questions in advance, then just choose a few ? but it really does work best if you can prepare as many as possible.
  1. Please begin each answer by addressing the person you are responding to, eg ?Soupdragon, you ask about xxx?. It makes it easier for everyone to follow the chat and gives the chat a personal touch. Sometimes a few people have asked the same question and in those instances it?s fine to just write one answer to a group of posters, just use all their names at the beginning of the answer.
  1. We will be watching over the chat and at the other end of the phone /on email if you have any difficulties. If it?s really busy, it can get quite difficult to follow (there are often lots of references back to previous questions). If at any point you need help ? please do just call or email.
  1. We'll give you a call 15 mins or so before the chat is due to end. It may be that you have to leave after the allotted time, or that you want to extend your visit because you're having such a ball/there are so many questions you?d like to answer - it?s up to you. Once you?ve had enough, let us know and we?ll post drawing the chat to a close and thanking you. It?d be great if you could make a final post saying thanks and goodbye.
  1. Mumsnetters are a bright, savvy and irreverent bunch. If we were to give one top tip it would be to be as up front, honest and ?human? as you can. If you don?t know the answer to a question, just say so, or say you?ll find out and let them know at a future date. We can always get back to them for you.

We share your pain re the ones that don't work, believe me. In the case of DG she was understandably reluctant to come on and a certain amount of arm twisting had to be done to get her. But it was on your request, she gave up her time for free, knew you didn't like her/ she'd get taken to task and still came on. We can't force people to answer questions, we can only advise them to prepare well - as you suggest we should and as we do.

So what to do... I can see the rationale behind panels but instinctively they seem undemocratic and not v mn (I can't imagine deleting folk who want to join in) and with advance questions you lose the spontaneity that is often part of the charm of the thing.

Maybe we should collectively agree a code of conduct and strictly enforce it - e.g. no snidey comments, no badgering, no insults, only one question each - after all these people are our guests? And we can certainly re-write our guidelines to make them clearer about the consequences of not engaging/preparing well. We could also try to insist folk come into the Towers so we can press them on questions but with the best will in the world, not everyone will be able to I suspect - so it will mean missing out on some folk who we would like to come on. Maybe there's something we can do technically too - which might make them work better...

When they work well I think everyone gets something out of it - when they don't, no one does.

Do please continue to let us know what you think. Thanks.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 25/06/2009 17:58

Aitch some folk come in - we always suggest they do. Fiona Millar did, and the maternity Tsar and Alan Johnson. DG didn't and nor did Waitrose guys.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 25/06/2009 18:08

Yes I think that's right Tiktok - it was mutual . I rather blame myself for twisting her arm and not spelling out the consequences of lack of preparation tbh...

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 25/06/2009 19:12

I don't geddit

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 25/06/2009 20:14

I think a pre-chat thread is a good idea - we'd just have to get pre-answered questions typed with both q&A at the beginning of the live thread. Think we'd struggle to get Dave Cameron types to stay 2 hours but some undoubtedly would, so we can try...

Anything else? What do folks think about a guidelines for MNetters re webchats - ie watch out we're going to actively moderate these and not let snidey stuff pass?

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 25/06/2009 22:22

Wow - how do they decide who gets what? [why don't I know about this - I'm on twitter and everything emoticon]

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