Wow! It’s been a long time, it’s good to see you back here 
At first, I felt like it was harassment, too.
“Why do they always ask for subs?”
“The videos just got there?”
Some time ago, it made me really cranky to read some comments and reviews because in the managing position, you have to check reviews, comments and timed comments, talk with viewers, talk with moderators, talk with editors, talk with chief segger, tell this, tell that, make sure nothing is wrong, the scripts are there, when someone is not here and you can substitute, you spend a lot of short nights and you become really cranky not only towards viewers only, but even towards volunteers (sometimes, you even try to subtitle because there’s no one and sometimes, you dare not because you might have subtitled the first part of the sentence correctly, but the second part… but incredibly, I have found me progress better when I was thinking on how to sub it when I was indeed trying).
There were a lot of times where I felt helpless, but I don’t particularly say it to anyone.
There are lot things to do, you don’t always have the resources so if you don’t do it, no one else will do it for you, you have to invest a lot more of energy, time that you miss awfully and when you read comments of viewers saying that just ask this and that, only asking for more (and you’re already giving a lot, go through a lot but they don’t see it), you’re like, “hell, I just worked half of the day, slept 5 hours, spent my remaining time on fixing problems on Viki (and when the website is bugging) and why only new problems are adding?” A big moment of solitude…
A time ago, I know I might have communicated this crankiness to my editors, they must have felt it? When I realized that I was becoming someone I didn’t want to be, it made me really reflect on myself. I was not happy with myself, I was not happy with the way I was doing things. How I could better work with my team and editors? How I could better control myself and my feelings? How I could help in the most effective way in the team?
I don’t want to become someone I’m not or someone I don’t want to be or be like viewers, sometimes being not polite or be angry at viewers because they ask for what? (subs) I don’t want to be manipulated by anyone or that viewers impact my well-being. And I’m the most afraid to become someone I’d hate to talk to, or to be someone who can’t understand others. In short, someone without empathy.
Sometimes, when you invest yourself in projects on Viki, you begin to be more sensitive to some things and change for some reason. About sensitive, I think the most effective way to get on the bad side of any volunteer should be about the speed of subs. And some viewers really know how to push this wrong button…
So I’ve decided not to take anything personally, coming from viewers or volunteers.
If they want to ask for subs, then they can ask. I don’t feel like it’s harassment anymore.
One, it’s because I changed my view on this. Now, I use their comments to know if there are some people in a certain language who watch it, look for a moderator in this language, or to motivate moderators by telling them that they have an audience and their subs will be watched almost immediately and not be in vain.
I also use their comments to “educate them.” When I’m in a good mood (so I won’t regret it later), I want to make them discover how it works, why they have to wait, that we didn’t give up,…
Now, when I see comments asking for subs, I don’t see it as a threat but as an opportunity and a good sign that people are watching this drama and are really interested in this drama to be so impatient Quite reassuring, no?
So I take more pleasure in answering while having this in mind.
What I like also, is to share the same excitement with viewers, share songs, share the future dramas they will play in, share the book that inspired it… I really like to exchange with them about something else than just “asking for subs”, but hope they discover more.
I also use their comments to tell that we are recruiting volunteers to help us. And sometimes, it works
Same with pm about subs, I was really surprised when the French mod told me that the reviewer listened to her and removed her review, it just shows that some viewers can understand us or be more reasonable than what they seem in the first impression.
Same with pm, there was one person who always asked me about French subs.
I explained and I told him Happy New Year of the Pig!
And guess what, he was muslim… I really didn’t know! So we started to talk about something else than subs and it was nice to change the flow of the message and this change was coming from both of us.
I ended with “A demain !” = See you tomorrow! because I was waiting for his usual pm tomorrow and he said “A demain if you’d like to” but I didn’t get one… I’m kind of sad because I wanted to know more…
So that’s why, I want to say: take it as an opportunity.
Maybe, not everyone will listen to you or understand you, but some will and it will leave you with a big smile
I can’t find her Disqus username.