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Let’s work together to make Virily a better site!

One of the things that I know, remember from my helpdesk days is that the flood of calls about issues was sometimes really difficult. I started in the helpdesk world in the days before high-end phone systems. A phone system allows you to record messages for users (yes, we know this system is down currently). That reduces the number of calls, the noise, the helpdesk has to deal with overall. The fewer calls on the same issue, allows other issues (much smaller call volume) to move forward faster. (The image is of my gifted Rune PeorD, the gift coming from another Virily user Anastasia Vsplyshka.)

As a technologist, and former helpdesk person, I would like to personally offer to help consolidate some of the technical issues we have here on Virily and present hose (with numbers of users impacted) to the Virily team. This will help them, the editors and technologists of the Virily team to respond to the issues faster. Fewer requests make the responses less and hopefully allow for better interaction between us, the content creators, and the Virily team the content curators.

Based on that, please respond to the issues that impact you the most here on virily. I will compile the issues, and post them as a technology blog. I will also share them directly with the Virily team so we can start the process of coordinated site improvement. My grandfather used always to tell me “if you ask who owns a problem, it is probably your problem,” I am no longer asking about problem ownership, I am thinking about ways we can improve the situation. Please comment and share the issues you have. I will compile them and to Virily. If I reply to your comment with a number simply note that represents the number of that comment you are (1 means you are the first, 22 means you are the 22nd with that issue).

Thanks, folks! Let’s make the site the best possible!!!

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What do you think?

19 Points

Written by DocAndersen

One fan, One team and a long time dream Go Cubs!!!!!!!!!!!!!

39 Comments

  1. My biggest issues are slow loading, frequent unpredictable downtime, lack of documentation and explanations about how each post type works and what is required for each. It bugs me that we have no idea what the ranks mean of what you do to get to the next one Just what is a “mentor,” a “hero,” or a “legend”? What’s the difference between them and the other ranks or designations? If there are going to be differences, they should be explained so people can understand what they mean and how to move up. If they don’t mean anything, why not get rid of them?

    I could also do nicely without the little reaction icons. Only “Love it,” LOL, and CRY mean much, and why not just let people put their reactions into words in the comments, instead? I think they should keep the site simple — at least until major issues that people care about are solved.

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  2. My main problem with the site is that the value of virils is very low…and a lot of the content people post is actually decent so I expect higher revenue…

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  3. I’ve been on here long enough that I have had a word with the staff or
    whoever it is you talk to in the chat box when there’s a problem on here
    & my complaint was editing a post not 1 time but 3-4 times cause it
    seems like when you 1st post something it comes back eveything
    is on top of each other where you have to separate it to sound right.

    Then there’s your videos that do go in place either so you have to REDO
    them all over again & I say they need to either fix the problems or just
    re think the WHOLE thing & start over or just shut it down all together.

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    • not only that but I read the other comments on here & I think
      someone needs to do something about it cause with this many
      complaints that’s NOT good for a site & they should think about
      what they can or need to do before it goes up in smoke POOF.

      that’s why so many people or going to the other sites like mylot
      or fourmcoin or beermoney & I’m on 2 of them I enjoy a LOT better.

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      • Thanks – adding your feedback to my list! Technology is hard, at some point when you reach the tipping points of users, what happens next can change everything.

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        • you right, but it seems like they should be considering the members on here
          that make THE SITE & to accommodate the problems their having right?
          I just wrote a post on here & it didn’t take like the NORM 3-4 try’s to get it right
          this time thank god so MAYBE that’s a sign??

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        • I noticed something else too that the icons at the
          bottom of all the post’s, being they really don’t get used
          that much why have them there? & the upload arrows
          if they not really doing anything then take them off
          all we’re really interested in is what HELPS us make
          some money the rest of the stuff is a waste of space I think.

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    • I agree. It is bad enough that we cannot publish ourselves and have to wait till they get around to approving it, but when you have to send it back because their system has scrambled the format YET AGAIN, you have to wait an additional 24 or more hours to get it back, that is just ridiculous. I don’t want to wait for days after writing a piece to promote it.

      I also really dislike their sorting system for posts. No top image for polls, and no summary paragraph at the end. Some of the types of posts they offer I have no idea what they are for, and there is no explanation. This site was unprofessional and annoying to use when it used to work. Now that it doesn’t, it’s just not worth my time. Very unfortunate.

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      • I hear you & I’m just waiting to see what they do next
        IF they do anything at all that’s why so many of us or on
        mylot like we are they have everything just like it needs to be.

      • I have to agree with the waiting issue, although my approval last night only took nine minutes, so maybe things are getting better. I am currently only publishing stories because I seem to have more control over how they will look, and the formatting is more predictable than other types of posts.

        If the wait times for publication don’t improve for those who have showed they can write well and follow the rules, the good writers will just stick to publishing on their own sites and forget this one. I like the flexibility, but I also like to plan. If I have free time to publish on Friday night, I don’t want to have to wait until Monday for the post to be visible on the site. As Jadelynx said, we consider promotion as part of our plans, and it helps to have posts quickly approved so we can promote them while they are most relevant.

    • … and there are no limits to the amount of posts you can posts each day. Absurd! We should all be limited, just to be respectful of the other users. My opinion.

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      • Communication is a pretty consistent theme throughout the remarks. Clarity of what a viril is and how to earn them also is another theme.

        Thanks Carol!!!

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  4. It’s a great pleasure for me that you mentioned my modest gift in your marvellous article! As for some technical problems, I will also note the slowness. And I think that it will be good to have a possibility to use “Edit” function after publising posts on Virily cause sometimes it’s necessary to add some new facts in them.

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    • Openness in communication is a high ask will add it to the list!

      The virils explanation sounds like it needs to be an official post from the editors.

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  5. This is a very good idea! Regarding the technical issues and all the errors, I understand that they are working on them and it takes some time. However, it’s frustrating that the site gets on and off constantly, I was wondering couldn’t it be closed temporarily (I don’t know the correct technical term) and lead to a page saying that “we are under maintainance” or something like that. I believe that people will feel calmer this way, instead of having a crash every other minute or while they are creating a post, etc. Most people don’t know what all the error messages mean and whether it’s something on their end.

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    • From an ITIL perspective (ITIL is the base for how companies operate technology) the ideal case for a site would be the announcement of outage windows. IE the site will be down from 1 am gmt to 2 am gmt every monday.

      Great suggestion Ellie!

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  6. Alexander responded to Norman in the facebook group that they were trying to solve the problem. I want to copy the reply and publish it. But unfortunately I did not find it.I suggest that all innovations be shared with us by the Administrators. Have an open discussion. For people like you to be able to help them. So we will all be more relaxed.

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  7. I am sorry to disappoint you Doc. I do not have any issued with Virily so far as I have first not reached the pay threshold and second because I have not posted a lot so far. I also never checked their facebook page. But there is one thing I might point out. At times (I do not know if it is because of high traffic or whatever), it might take a long time for Virily to load if at all. As I am certainly not a computer whiz, I am not sure if it, at the risk of repeating myself, is because of high traffic, or my internet provider or my router or even my laptop. But that is about all I con contribute. I hope the other members will help you and Virily put this wonderful writing site in shape.

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  8. I love the idea of making this a better site. My questions and concerns go unanswered. My followers are frustrated because they can’t view my work. I don’t know how to fix all the technical issues. I do know that the total lack of communication says to me “We don’t care.”

    I tried joining the Facebook site, but when one of the long standing members attacked someone with the “f bomb” I left.

    If they can’t even talk about the issues I don’t have a lot of faith they are trying to solve them. In a word, I am discourage. Do I want it to work? Certainly. Am I afraid to share a link because 9 times out of 10 the site is down? Yes.

    If you have answers by all means I hope they listen to you and take your advice.

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    • First, the facebook group issue is huge. Sorry about that – there are a number of facebook groups that I promise don’t have that issue!

      Can you send me the issues you are having or comment on them here and I will start the list (since you are the first to read and comment) with your comments!

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