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I think what rubs me the wrong way about this survey is how out of touch the wording is. Like the crafters lack a frame of reference for events over the past 9 months. https://twitter.com/magischzwei/status/1246732211224797184
I think I can articulate my feelings better on this now. At least, I will try.
The crux of the problem every single moderator that has resigned has mentioned is that @stackoverflow has stopped listening to its community or moderators (or both).
The crux of the problem every single moderator that has resigned has mentioned is that @stackoverflow has stopped listening to its community or moderators (or both).
What are some ways you can demonstrate you are listening in descending order of trust building?
1. One on one live-streamed conversations
2. Town hall forums
3. Asking engaging questions on meta and responding to the feedback directly
4. Private 1:1
...
100. Survey
1. One on one live-streamed conversations
2. Town hall forums
3. Asking engaging questions on meta and responding to the feedback directly
4. Private 1:1
...
100. Survey
All of these are possible right now and all of them would help to rebuild trust between the community and @stackoverflow the company... all of these except surveys.
Surveys are the least personal way to ask a person for their thoughts. You know who uses surveys? People who don’t have another way to talk to their customers. CVS uses surveys.
They’re meant for widespread impersonal data that can be molded into numbers for a beancounter.
They’re meant for widespread impersonal data that can be molded into numbers for a beancounter.
On the other hand, @stackoverflow is dealing with the fallout of losing trust in its most engaged users. It says “we want to rebuild that hard earned trust that took years of person to person communication”
By issuing surveys?
By issuing surveys?
If @stackoverflow was just another knowledge site, we wouldn’t ascribe personal care and trust in every action; and this wouldn’t matter.
Faceless, soulless companies use surveys.
@stackoverflow was built on something more. It was built on for programmers by programmers.
Faceless, soulless companies use surveys.
@stackoverflow was built on something more. It was built on for programmers by programmers.
. @stackoverflow was built on the trust that it was run by the community.
It spent years building that trust, and more years spending on that trust.
It is, to extend the metaphor, now in debt, and must pay off that trust debt before surveys would be accepted by the community.
It spent years building that trust, and more years spending on that trust.
It is, to extend the metaphor, now in debt, and must pay off that trust debt before surveys would be accepted by the community.
I can’t name everyone that works at @stackoverflow but I can and will say that to a person, everyone I know that works there cares. A lot.
That’s part of what makes this so hard to stomach.
These people care, and are good people, why is this response so lackluster?
That’s part of what makes this so hard to stomach.
These people care, and are good people, why is this response so lackluster?
Why is the effort @stackoverflow expended on rebuilding trust (or more likely, allowed to be expended) so... bland?
I can only assume the people who were fired or have left held that insitutional knowledge of how to build trust, and the people still around are learning it.
I can only assume the people who were fired or have left held that insitutional knowledge of how to build trust, and the people still around are learning it.
Empirical evidence shows that however community is set up at @stackoverflow, it is still failing in its most basic charge: build trust.
If the people are good people, and they care, then I can only assume it’s the makeup of the structure and leadership doesn’t know *how*.
If the people are good people, and they care, then I can only assume it’s the makeup of the structure and leadership doesn’t know *how*.
This survey is the latest example of @stackoverflow not knowing how to build trust.
Free advice is... well, you know. But here is some:
Look at the top of this thread and talk through those ideas. Try themes repeatedly. You want to re-earn the trust of your harshest critics.
Free advice is... well, you know. But here is some:
Look at the top of this thread and talk through those ideas. Try themes repeatedly. You want to re-earn the trust of your harshest critics.
