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Do you really consider it as professional to verify an Account throug a Forum Post?

Question
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Hi!
Do you really consider it as professionel to verify an Account throug a Forum Post?
I am answering User Qestions on the German PowerShell Forum.
User allways asking how to verify his / her account.
I cannot provide a simple Link to the User because the Thread-Address allways changeVerify Your Account 1
Verify Your Account 15
Verify Your Account 36
Verify Your Account 3456789.....
This is NUTS!!!!
Do you really consider it as professional to verify an Account throug a Forum Post, where the Thread-Address allways change?
The user gets a Error message that the "Body text cannot contain images or links until we are able to verify your account."
I suggest to add a Link to a fixed verify Page into the Error Message!
This is something I would call real good customer care, not this sloppiness you present to us.
Alternativley do an Sticky Post with this information on all Technet Forums!
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- Edited by Peter Kriegel Monday, April 28, 2014 2:34 PM
Monday, April 28, 2014 10:27 AM
Answers
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Hi!
Do you really consider it as professionel to verify an Account throug a Forum Post?
I have long been unhappy about these "Verify My Account" messages.
First of all, if this has to be done by posting a message, it should not be in the Forums Issues forum. These messages have zero interest for anybody but the poster and the folks at Microsoft responsible for responding to them. But very often these messages dominate the recent posts list in the Forums Issues forum, making it inconvenient for people who are interested in looking at posts listing real issues in the forums.
Secondly, presumably the thread subject keeps changing because the threads would otherwise become extremely long. This could be fixed in a couple of ways:
(a) Once acted upon, the posts could be deleted.
(b) If there was a dedicated forum for these verification messages, then users could post to the forum rather than replying to a thread.
David Wilkinson | Visual C++ MVP
- Edited by davewilk Tuesday, April 29, 2014 12:15 PM
- Proposed as answer by Naomi N Tuesday, April 29, 2014 3:58 PM
- Marked as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Saturday, July 26, 2014 12:10 AM
Monday, April 28, 2014 11:17 PM -
I cannot provide a simple Link to the User because the Thread-Address allway change
I generally post a link to the Forums Issues forum and reference 'the sticky verification thread at the top':
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home?forum=reportabug
As for the professionalism question, I don't really see a problem with this method. I think there needs to be a much clearer message about how to find this thread when the 'you can't post links cuz we don't trust you yet' error is thrown, but I'd rather have a few frustrated new folks (I had to post in the first verify thread, it wasn't that hard to find IMHO) than tens of thousands of spam threads. I don't think adding a simple 'Click here to verify yourself' link or something along those lines would work, because spambots could simply be trained to click the link and verify themselves.
This view is my own, of course, as I don't represent Microsoft in any way.
Don't retire TechNet! - (Don't give up yet - 12,830+ strong and growing)
- Proposed as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Saturday, July 26, 2014 12:10 AM
- Marked as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Saturday, July 26, 2014 12:10 AM
Monday, April 28, 2014 2:31 PM
All replies
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I cannot provide a simple Link to the User because the Thread-Address allway change
I generally post a link to the Forums Issues forum and reference 'the sticky verification thread at the top':
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home?forum=reportabug
As for the professionalism question, I don't really see a problem with this method. I think there needs to be a much clearer message about how to find this thread when the 'you can't post links cuz we don't trust you yet' error is thrown, but I'd rather have a few frustrated new folks (I had to post in the first verify thread, it wasn't that hard to find IMHO) than tens of thousands of spam threads. I don't think adding a simple 'Click here to verify yourself' link or something along those lines would work, because spambots could simply be trained to click the link and verify themselves.
This view is my own, of course, as I don't represent Microsoft in any way.
Don't retire TechNet! - (Don't give up yet - 12,830+ strong and growing)
- Proposed as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Saturday, July 26, 2014 12:10 AM
- Marked as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Saturday, July 26, 2014 12:10 AM
Monday, April 28, 2014 2:31 PM -
Ok! I see the hassle with the Trained '<cite style="font-style:normal;">Artificial Intelligence</cite>' Spam bots.
An intelligent Spam bot can also post here with changing petition-messages.
I dont mean a Link to an Automatic verify Page or so.
I mean a link inside the Error message to the Forum or thread, where I can Post my verify message .
I generally post a link to the Forums Issues forum and reference 'the sticky verification thread at the top':
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home?forum=reportabug
OK will do that too!
(I had to post in the first verify thread, it wasn't that hard to find IMHO)
This Post-Limitations are only for Newbies! And Newbies are getting frustrated as the first impression of the Forum. Some User do not search or German User Search in German and they do not find the word "veryfy" ....
This problem is handled unprofessional. BEcause the user are informed bad
I stay with that, Threads with Numbers like that are not lookin professional.
I think there needs to be a much clearer message about how to find this thread
I agree 100% !
PowerShell Artikel, Buchtipps und kostenlose PowerShell Tutorials + E-Books
auf der deutschsprachigen PowerShell Community
Mein 21 Teiliger PowerShell Video Grundlehrgang
Deutsche PowerShell Videos auf Youtube
Folge mir auf:
Twitter | Facebook | Google+Monday, April 28, 2014 2:57 PM -
Hi!
Do you really consider it as professionel to verify an Account throug a Forum Post?
I have long been unhappy about these "Verify My Account" messages.
First of all, if this has to be done by posting a message, it should not be in the Forums Issues forum. These messages have zero interest for anybody but the poster and the folks at Microsoft responsible for responding to them. But very often these messages dominate the recent posts list in the Forums Issues forum, making it inconvenient for people who are interested in looking at posts listing real issues in the forums.
Secondly, presumably the thread subject keeps changing because the threads would otherwise become extremely long. This could be fixed in a couple of ways:
(a) Once acted upon, the posts could be deleted.
(b) If there was a dedicated forum for these verification messages, then users could post to the forum rather than replying to a thread.
David Wilkinson | Visual C++ MVP
- Edited by davewilk Tuesday, April 29, 2014 12:15 PM
- Proposed as answer by Naomi N Tuesday, April 29, 2014 3:58 PM
- Marked as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Saturday, July 26, 2014 12:10 AM
Monday, April 28, 2014 11:17 PM