Being a Chess.com greeter is fun and I will continue to do it. But I have noticed that people joining the site think that I am on-line when the game starts. Some of them get a little testy when I wont make my move immediately after they make theirs.

 

But again bring a greeter is fun because I like being a help and answering questions. Anyone else running into this problem?

that will make it a lot nicer, than me having to explain why I am not on the site at the time the game starts

I will continue to greet though

I have played a couple of games against new members and experienced the same, though I am not a greeter.  It seems that it should be more clearly stated that chess.com is currently a primarily correspondence chess site.  This could be accomplished with a brief, bulleted list of 'expectations' new members can have of chess.com - and vice versa...

 

Chess.com may not want to over state the fact that this is still a correspondence chess site - seeing the growth potential in the LiveChess platform...but it appears to me that the initial 'bad' experience may discourage new users from ever logging in again.

 

As always, thanks chess.com for such an amazing site.

The only problem I see with matching new sign-ups with people that are online is that it might be misleading. I'm "online" a lot more than I am actually using the site. I may have walked away from the computer and not closed my browser (happens ALL the time), and I may not actually look at the site again till the next day. So if someone got matched up to me based on that it might be worse. Maybe instead we should just change the default message that is in these games with a reminder that the other player might not be here right then. That's what at least one other site that has a greeter program does.

Baseballfan, I would bet that a future feature will be the ability to break down one's online status into at least a couple of categories, such as "online and ready to play" versus "online but not available to play", etc. I know I've been wanting to make such a distinction, particularly when I plunge into studies via Chess Mentor or Tactics Trainer. 

 

It's easy to forget that Chess.com is still in beta, isn't it? It's already the best chess site on the Internet, in my opinion. 

Folks, this is exactly why the greeters are required.  Show them how to tell if their opponent is currently on line.  Gently explain to them that even if their opponent is on-line that they're only obligated to move as often as the move frequency associated to the game and may not necessarily do so every time they log on.  If they're still champing at the bit for a faster paced game than you're able to provide, direct them to the live chess beta.

The idea is to have representitives from the community diffuse these frustrations before they become a reason for new members to abondon the site.  Ease them into chess.com gently and ensure a soft landing when they get here.  This way, hopefully a higher proportion of them decide to stay and we all get that much more an active, engaged and robust community in return.

" God Cipher Divine, as I build on an incline
Quick to help another, 'cause I know I'ma get mine"

I was quick to sign up for Greeter status and think it's a great idea.  However, I say get rid of the default opening message that the Greeter sends at the start of the game.  for 1 it's cheesy as hell and 2, it does seem to give the impression to those who don't know better that the greeter is online.  I kind of agree with Grobe.  I'd rather give my own introduction and answer their questions/ clear up their misconceptions/ direct them towards the appropriate features to match their tastes as it arises in the conversation.  

I'm with you on attaching my name, well, my pseudonym anyway to the cheesy default greeter message.

tbierig wrote:

" God Cipher Divine, as I build on an incline
Quick to help another, 'cause I know I'ma get mine"

I was quick to sign up for Greeter status and think it's a great idea.  However, I say get rid of the default opening message that the Greeter sends at the start of the game.  for 1 it's cheesy as hell and 2, it does seem to give the impression to those who don't know better that the greeter is online.  I kind of agree with Grobe.  I'd rather give my own introduction and answer their questions/ clear up their misconceptions/ direct them towards the appropriate features to match their tastes as it arises in the conversation.  

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 If that's the opening message, then it may mislead people to think that it's okay to talk about religion here.

The opening message from greeters is :

kohai: Hi! Nice to meet you. I'll be your Chess.com Greeter - let me know how I can help you, and good luck! (To reply, just type in the field below and hit Enter.)

kohai wrote:

The opening message from greeters is :

kohai: Hi! Nice to meet you. I'll be your Chess.com Greeter - let me know how I can help you, and good luck! (To reply, just type in the field below and hit Enter.)

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 Oh ok. It doesn't seem that bad, except like Tbierig pointed out, the greeter may not be online. 

True sunshiny, but as TheGrobe said:

Folks, this is exactly why the greeters are required.  Show them how to tell if their opponent is currently on line.  Gently explain to them that even if their opponent is on-line that they're only obligated to move as often as the move frequency associated to the game and may not necessarily do so every time they log on.

Another thing may be to point out that we're greeters rather than chess mentors? I'm happy to help people, feel a bit cheeky about offering advice on someone's game.

I would think that if I was starting a game of chess the other person would at least be online and ready. Of course this is a special circumstance due to the fact we are offereing our help to guide the newbies through the site.

I wonder if you can include something in the greeting to smooth that over right from the gate?

Make them aware that this chess game is to put them in contact with someone that is willing to help them

around the site and to hopefully give them a good game of chess, but the contact is the main

issue I think. 

Ah, ok. I misunderstood and thought the greeter wasn't online to greet the person.

I think the main problem with the greet message when the game comes up is that your name is listed as the sender.  If Chess.com was listed as the sender and you were introduced as the greeter, hopefully this would reduce the confusion.  The message could read something like this.

Chess.com:Hi! Welcome to our site.  Your Chess.com greeter will be (insert username).  Let (insert username) know how they can help you, (To reply, just type in the field below and hit Enter.)  (insert username) will get back to you when they see this game.

While my icon might say I am on-line, I could be surfing else where on this site on on the web for that matter, and I might not be checking my games.

seuss68 wrote:

I think the main problem with the greet message when the game comes up is that your name is listed as the sender.  If Chess.com was listed as the sender and you were introduced as the greeter, hopefully this would reduce the confusion.  The message could read something like this.

Chess.com:Hi! Welcome to our site.  Your Chess.com greeter will be (insert username).  Let (insert username) know how they can help you, (To reply, just type in the field below and hit Enter.)  (insert username) will get back to you when they see this game.

While my icon might say I am on-line, I could be surfing else where on this site on on the web for that matter, and I might not be checking my games.

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 I love it!

When a newcomer signs up, he/she is given a game with their allocated greeter. Sometimes that greeter, [me for example] will be online, sometimes i'm not.

Assuming i am offline when the welcome game starts,  the newcomer gets an automated welcoming message in their games chat window, they think i am online and chatting with them. Then they can't understand why i am not replying or making a move in the game.  

  Newcomers don't necessarily know about the green icon that shows users on/offline status.

I am not sure how to play but i am willing to learn and anybody out there who can teach me  i am more than ready to learn from them. I look forward to hearing from somebody in the near future.

Seuss68, has a good idea to add information about the possible greeter's status instead of leaving the newcomers wondering and possibly angered until it is explained to them.