Comments on: Amazon’s Mechanical Jerk http://blog.dreamhost.com/2005/11/21/amazons-mechanical-jerk/ Tales From the Inside! Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:18:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: tcdad http://blog.dreamhost.com/2005/11/21/amazons-mechanical-jerk/comment-page-1/#comment-2160 tcdad Sat, 24 Dec 2005 21:57:13 +0000 http://blog.dreamhost.com/?p=55#comment-2160 Josh wrote: You see, support is a huuuuge cost in web hosting. For us, our monthly support team costs are over three times as much as our entire data center (including bandwidth)! Put another way, the breakdown of our ongoing cost to provide web hosting with support is about 25% the web hosting and 75% the support. ---------------- Since I have subscribed to your hosting service and have now got 3 domains (out of 10) registered with you, I must think you're doing something right --- and you are. Now for the other stuff that generates support requests. 1. Required reading: The Humane Interface by Jeff Raskin. Everyone in the place should master the points Jeff makes. 2. apply aforementioned points. 3. Test: Your mother or grandmother should be able to do anything without you at her side. 4. My biggest gripe: too many frigging identifier: webid, username for account, username for FTP etc. etc. 5. Second gripe: hierarchical structure is too vague and uncertain. {I've got 10 domains, 4 hosting sites - and I've made more errors and gotten more confused on DreamHost than on any of the others. I should add that this is my 40th year wrestling with computers and technology and I'm no idiot). I am figuring it out and if I was starting over I think I'd get it right ... but you also don't have a way to start over do you? Other than the above, I find a lot to like about the site, the support people, and (in general) the performance. I just hate this learning curve crapola. Josh wrote: You see, support is a huuuuge cost in web hosting. For us, our monthly support team costs are over three times as much as our entire data center (including bandwidth)! Put another way, the breakdown of our ongoing cost to provide web hosting with support is about 25% the web hosting and 75% the support.
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Since I have subscribed to your hosting service and have now got 3 domains (out of 10) registered with you, I must think you’re doing something right — and you are. Now for the other stuff that generates support requests.
1. Required reading: The Humane Interface by Jeff Raskin. Everyone in the place should master the points Jeff makes.
2. apply aforementioned points.
3. Test: Your mother or grandmother should be able to do anything without you at her side.
4. My biggest gripe:
too many frigging identifier: webid, username for account, username for FTP etc. etc.
5. Second gripe: hierarchical structure is too vague and uncertain. {I’ve got 10 domains, 4 hosting sites – and I’ve made more errors and gotten more confused on DreamHost than on any of the others. I should add that this is my 40th year wrestling with computers and technology and I’m no idiot).
I am figuring it out and if I was starting over I think I’d get it right … but you also don’t have a way to start over do you?

Other than the above, I find a lot to like about the site, the support people, and (in general) the performance. I just hate this learning curve crapola.

]]> By: Jonathan http://blog.dreamhost.com/2005/11/21/amazons-mechanical-jerk/comment-page-1/#comment-1885 Jonathan Tue, 13 Dec 2005 20:19:27 +0000 http://blog.dreamhost.com/?p=55#comment-1885 I personally think 75% of what we are paying for IS the support. We (at least I) need our hands held a little bit now and then, especially if it's a back-end server issue and not a "how do I post pictures of my girlfriend online" question. I personally think 75% of what we are paying for IS the support. We (at least I) need our hands held a little bit now and then, especially if it’s a back-end server issue and not a “how do I post pictures of my girlfriend online” question.

]]> By: Seumas Hyslop http://blog.dreamhost.com/2005/11/21/amazons-mechanical-jerk/comment-page-1/#comment-1784 Seumas Hyslop Sat, 10 Dec 2005 00:21:33 +0000 http://blog.dreamhost.com/?p=55#comment-1784 LiveJournal has had a very interesting system of support, where the started where any user could view the support queue and write answers to support questions, or write back comments and request for further details, but they were not approved until a moderator looked at the writing and saw that it was inkeeping with a professional writing style and was indeed correct. The benefit to the user that wrote the answer was merely "points" which have no value whatsoever. The longer a request has been open, the more points it was worth. Putting a monetary value on it might help to improve Dreamhost's situation, or running up points which can be cashed in for reductions on webhosting fees. Over time, someone that writes good answers, gets moved up to Moderation status and can moderate other user's answers. There are a lot of support resources for people that want to help in support on LiveJournal. Here's some places to start looking: http://www.livejournal.com/support http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=helpscreening http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=lj_support Would something like this work at Dreamhost? LiveJournal has had a very interesting system of support, where the started where any user could view the support queue and write answers to support questions, or write back comments and request for further details, but they were not approved until a moderator looked at the writing and saw that it was inkeeping with a professional writing style and was indeed correct. The benefit to the user that wrote the answer was merely “points” which have no value whatsoever. The longer a request has been open, the more points it was worth. Putting a monetary value on it might help to improve Dreamhost’s situation, or running up points which can be cashed in for reductions on webhosting fees.

Over time, someone that writes good answers, gets moved up to Moderation status and can moderate other user’s answers.

There are a lot of support resources for people that want to help in support on LiveJournal.

Here’s some places to start looking:

http://www.livejournal.com/support
http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=helpscreening
http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=lj_support

Would something like this work at Dreamhost?

]]> By: DreamHost Tech Support http://blog.dreamhost.com/2005/11/21/amazons-mechanical-jerk/comment-page-1/#comment-1634 DreamHost Tech Support Sat, 26 Nov 2005 21:07:43 +0000 http://blog.dreamhost.com/?p=55#comment-1634 OMG JOSH IS PLOTTING TO REPLACE US! PANIC! PANIC! GET OUT WITH WHAT YOU CAN! OMG JOSH IS PLOTTING TO REPLACE US! PANIC! PANIC! GET OUT WITH WHAT YOU CAN!

]]> By: matttail http://blog.dreamhost.com/2005/11/21/amazons-mechanical-jerk/comment-page-1/#comment-1626 matttail Fri, 25 Nov 2005 19:13:40 +0000 http://blog.dreamhost.com/?p=55#comment-1626 Why not have an application process for customers to help out with support? Have anyone interested fill out an application to kinda verify who they are, and that they have the appropiate skill set for the job. You can then verify that this person is a customer, and check out any other stuff that person has done on the forum or in the wiki. Then if they're approved (and this number might be limited) you can grant them access to some of the customer data so they can do the simple things like setting the httpd conf to be re-written, and re-installing front page extensions. Any question that a customer comes along that's over their heads could easly be passed on to your regular support team. For the first couple of weeks you'd want to review a majority of responses the customer went out - but as their track recored goes up, you'd revie less and less. You might even set it so that the first 10 or so messages had to be approved by the regular support staff before it goes out, just to make sure. The customers recieving the response would then have a chance to rate the quality of this response, or flag it if for review by regular support if they think somethings inappropiate or whatever. This might require a re-working of the support system, but if you were confident that it would be benificial, it could well be worth the investement of time and trouble. A system with some thought out fail safes, and interested customer base (I'm sure there is) could work out very well. Just my little ole' opinion. Why not have an application process for customers to help out with support? Have anyone interested fill out an application to kinda verify who they are, and that they have the appropiate skill set for the job. You can then verify that this person is a customer, and check out any other stuff that person has done on the forum or in the wiki.

Then if they’re approved (and this number might be limited) you can grant them access to some of the customer data so they can do the simple things like setting the httpd conf to be re-written, and re-installing front page extensions. Any question that a customer comes along that’s over their heads could easly be passed on to your regular support team.

For the first couple of weeks you’d want to review a majority of responses the customer went out – but as their track recored goes up, you’d revie less and less. You might even set it so that the first 10 or so messages had to be approved by the regular support staff before it goes out, just to make sure. The customers recieving the response would then have a chance to rate the quality of this response, or flag it if for review by regular support if they think somethings inappropiate or whatever.

This might require a re-working of the support system, but if you were confident that it would be benificial, it could well be worth the investement of time and trouble. A system with some thought out fail safes, and interested customer base (I’m sure there is) could work out very well.

Just my little ole’ opinion.

]]> By: Larry Gilbert http://blog.dreamhost.com/2005/11/21/amazons-mechanical-jerk/comment-page-1/#comment-1614 Larry Gilbert Wed, 23 Nov 2005 16:35:26 +0000 http://blog.dreamhost.com/?p=55#comment-1614 I've been playing with MTurk and finding that my approval rating is only 75 to 80 percent. That'd be like getting a C+ if I was still in high school. Sheesh, what am I doing wrong? Apart from spending time on MTurk, I mean. :-) I’ve been playing with MTurk and finding that my approval rating is only 75 to 80 percent. That’d be like getting a C+ if I was still in high school. Sheesh, what am I doing wrong? Apart from spending time on MTurk, I mean. :-)

]]> By: Kelly http://blog.dreamhost.com/2005/11/21/amazons-mechanical-jerk/comment-page-1/#comment-1612 Kelly Tue, 22 Nov 2005 18:22:31 +0000 http://blog.dreamhost.com/?p=55#comment-1612 Re: Helge http://wiki.dreamhost.com/ Add to it as you see fit! Tell your friends and loved ones! Re: Helge

http://wiki.dreamhost.com/

Add to it as you see fit! Tell your friends and loved ones!

]]> By: TB http://blog.dreamhost.com/2005/11/21/amazons-mechanical-jerk/comment-page-1/#comment-1611 TB Tue, 22 Nov 2005 17:12:17 +0000 http://blog.dreamhost.com/?p=55#comment-1611 Yeah, the Google one is great. They've got some real smart folk answering the questions there, very detailed responses. You can even give them an extra $ tip if you want. Yeah, the Google one is great. They’ve got some real smart folk answering the questions there, very detailed responses. You can even give them an extra $ tip if you want.

]]> By: Alison http://blog.dreamhost.com/2005/11/21/amazons-mechanical-jerk/comment-page-1/#comment-1610 Alison Tue, 22 Nov 2005 15:53:48 +0000 http://blog.dreamhost.com/?p=55#comment-1610 Umm... hasn't this been around for like a year or two on Google? http://answers.google.com/answers/ Umm… hasn’t this been around for like a year or two on Google? http://answers.google.com/answers/

]]> By: helge http://blog.dreamhost.com/2005/11/21/amazons-mechanical-jerk/comment-page-1/#comment-1608 helge Tue, 22 Nov 2005 13:26:04 +0000 http://blog.dreamhost.com/?p=55#comment-1608 have you ever considered organizing your support site as a wiki? the current comment-style organization IMHO does not trigger real user-generated value, and discussion forums cause a couple of other problems. have you ever considered organizing your support site as a wiki? the current comment-style organization IMHO does not trigger real user-generated value, and discussion forums cause a couple of other problems.

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