Request Etiquette
by Christopher Linton 
Jan 11th 2006 at 3:40PM
As I was running through Ironforge today with
my guild-less alt, without warning a guild charter opened in front of me. I was slightly annoyed by someone interrupting
my day without asking, so I declined to sign and kept moving. A few seconds later, the same document popped up again. I
declined and kept moving. After the third signature request, I yelled at the offending party to back off, and was
finally left alone.I find it extremely annoying when people open guild charter windows, invite me to groups, or trade with me without asking permission. I decline everything on principle, but some particularly forward individuals don't seem to get the message. Does everyone have these problems, or am I just hypersensitive?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kG Jan 11th 2006 4:28PM
Luckily, I was drafted into a great guild by friends early on, so that's not a problem. Though I do have to deal with the occasional spaz who wants into the guild. You know the kind who hop all over the place while they wait for your response.
Group invites are sometimes cool, if they have a purpose. There's nothing more annoying than confirming a group invite, only to ask what they're doing, then realizing they have no clue. Or worse, they are 10 levels below you and "need help."
Trade requests? Bring 'em on! Sure, I'll take your hand-me-downs for free. If I can't use them, I'll sell them at the nearest vendor. You didn't actually expect something in return, did you? Heh..
PodMonkeys Jan 11th 2006 4:31PM
I especially can't stand the web site spam I keep getting, but as far as stuff like guilds go, I see it this way:
No means No. Asking a second time is just plain rude.
Ask first, before sending the guild charter. Its like getting Web Pop-ups while in game. Nothing is worse than pop-ups.
More and more, in game and out, I'm starting to think that parents and teachers just don't teach good manners and polite behavior for interacting with society. Its all about getting what you want, with no thought of how it makes the other person feel.
Occasionally I accidentally open a trade window with people, when I'm trying to throw something away in a crowded area such as IF. For that I immediately close the window, feel like a doof, and appologize to the person.
RandomWhim Jan 11th 2006 4:37PM
I've never had a problem with random guild charters getting thrown at me, but I do get bothered by the ocassional trade-window-sell. If you want to sell me something, PST me with your details and ask if I'm interestd. Don't open a trade window and send me a price.
Crazy farmers.
rhys Jan 11th 2006 5:40PM
Have an addon.
http://ui.worldofwar.net/ui.php?id=1642
RighteousDork Jan 11th 2006 7:10PM
Party Invites! Man I hate getting unwanted party invites from people I can't even see. In City of Heroes, I would fly to the tallest places I could get to and when I got party invites, it made me want to scream. Do you think a guy sitting on top of a skyscraper really wants to be in a party right now? Sheesh
mk Jan 11th 2006 7:50PM
I encountered this my very first day in WoW. My human mage had just finished reading a quest proposal from Marshall McBride in Northshire, and as I was about to click the Accept button, a guild charter request popped up.
Did you know that in the basic WoW UI the Sign Charter button occupies the exact same screen space as the Accept button?
(Nowadays, my main is running around with an unsigned guild charter in her inventory. I don't know for sure if that affects anything, but I don't get any more requests...)
Wordman Jan 11th 2006 8:51PM
You can stop unwanted trade requests by turning on "Block trades" in the "Advanced" tab of the interface configuration panel.
Soymilk Jan 11th 2006 10:30PM
Blind Party invites and guild invites are pretty annoying. Imagine what I have to go though as guildless priest.
It's alright to get mad at things like that. I remember playing FFXI when you inspect someone, the game emotes " has checked you."
I used to get told off for checking, which is just gay.
j9speedo Jan 12th 2006 12:35AM
I can't say that I've ever been particularly bothered by others opening guild charter windows on me without fist asking my permission...perhaps you are just hypersensitive.
Carlo Zottmann Jan 12th 2006 3:58AM
It's a pain in the ass, yes. I especially love it when you whisper these people, telling them to back off, and they ask "why" (like this -- no question marks or anything, just "why").
Seriously, I have no idea what's going on in their heads.
Rob Jan 12th 2006 4:48AM
I have to admit it does grate on me a little, especially when I'm running along and suddenly a window pops up causing me to stop and check what it was.
That said I'm not totally guilty; Quite often I'll be feeding my pet in IF and accidently click on someone running past with some meat etc.
Also, ATM I just switched to Alchemy and Herbalist at level 58, therefore I'm generating a stack of useless potions. Rather than just vendor them / bin them I've taken to running around IF and handing them to the first low level character I find for free.
I guess that could be annoying to, but most people so far have been quite happy :)
boneyard Jan 12th 2006 6:52AM
yep, it's annoying and when you confront those people they seem to think it's normal. sure just pushing something into peoples face without a word is normal, not really in my opinion.
the mentioned addon is very nice for it.
lendas Jan 12th 2006 10:16AM
Rhys' comment about the UI addon reminded me that i would like to see more discussion/posts about UI addons for WoW...what people find useful, how they tweak them etc. i've installed cosmos and SORT'VE configured it and just recently added Titan Panel...but other reccomendations from the power users would be much apreciated!
Tryst Jan 12th 2006 1:01PM
My duo and I joined the guild, "Guildless" on Khaz'goroth just to prevent the constant, "Wanna join my guild?" requests. It's been working great so far! Although we do get some questions about what Guildless means....
Acceptable Risk Jan 12th 2006 1:38PM
As a priest I get no end to unsolicited guild/party invites. I decline pretty much every one just on principle. That said, I'll almost never decline helping out a few folks provided they ask *politely* and I'm not especially busy otherwise. I'll do quests seven or eight levels below me if the asker is polite and doesn't expect me to fly half way across the map. I feel my time is worth it to reward courteousy.
DevilMachine Jan 12th 2006 3:16PM
Last night, shorly after I had created my new shaman. I was in Bloodhoof Village and I got a blind invite. I declined, the other guy asked why I declined and I told him that I dont accept random invites, he kept asking why and couldnt understand that I didnt want to group with him if he didnt have a reason to do so.
And there was a 17 troll in Mulgore asking me for money, while I was only level 7. WTF was he thinking?
Aenara Jan 12th 2006 4:07PM
I dunno, for the guild I'd be annoyed - especially after you closed it the first time, but party invites (that actually have a point) don't but me, its just the random people who invite and then don't answer when you ask what they want. I invite people in my area (not people I can't see that I don't know) if it appears they are on the same quest.
As for trade, when I don't ask before a trade I always intend it to be just giving the item up. I frequently just give my higher quality meats to hunters. I figure I could get 50c back for them, or I could make someone's pet super happy. I've never had anyone say "don't give me that" (Maybe that's why I'm poor) But I hope it comes back to me someday- like I'll be in the LFG channel asking for help and they'll maybe remember I was nice and help me. Shrug - I may just be really naieve
Pelagof Jan 17th 2006 4:11PM
I was once roaming around in Gadgetzan, Tanaris on my lvl 54 NE hunter, one early morning and having left my guild a few days earlier to problems, some dorky gnome kept following me around and -demanding- that i sign his guild charter for a new guild he was forming. I declined about 10 times, before I ran off to do a quest; I returned about 45 mins later, and there he was again! then he tried/demanded me to fight him in a duel 0.0 Now mind you, this guy was at lease 6 lvls below me and a warrior.. Well, this guy must've been pretty stupid or something, or can't read at lease. I was a hunter cause the mintue I summoned my pet, he made a quick beeline for the hills!
I agree, no means NO!