Please Don't Ask NowNow technical questions about the Kindle

rocky1938 · 02-01-2008, 10:06 PM

I'm one of the people who responds to the various questions posed on nownow. We have just been advised that we are now forbidden from responding to any question that can be construed as being of a technical support nature (regarding Kindle) and we can be banned if we ignore this edict. So you're advised to refrain from asking any support questions of us, and must now contact Amazon customer support directly for any problems or concerns you have with Kindle.

Here's the pertinent portion of the email that some of us received (their email system is somewhat "broken" so many people don't receive any correspondence from them). We already knew their policy regarding solicitation of votes from persons asking question, so that part isn't a surprise.

Quote:

"Message from Amazon Requester Inc. (turk-nemo-requestor@amazon.com)
---------------------------------
Dear MTurk worker,

It has come to our attention that Kindle users are seeking Kindle customer support by asking these questions through the MTurk HIT "NowNow Research Question for $1695 Weekly Reward. "

We appreciated that some of you have tried to answer Kindle customer support questions, but we have decided it is more appropriate that our own Amazon customer service support these users to ensure they have a great experience. Therefore, please do not work on any HITs for "NowNow Research Question for $1695 Weekly Reward. " that could be Kindle customer support questions. If you submit a HIT on any Kindle customer support question, we will be forced to ban you from working on future NowNow research questions.

It has also come to our attention that some workers have been soliciting "Great" votes from our users. Soliciting votes from our users is against our rules and will result in your account being banned from working on any future NowNow hits.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

NowNow Team"

To add some further information, we were taken by surprise last November when the group of questions originating from users Kindles was added with little fanfare. Matter of fact, we had absolutely NO training of any sort from Amazon themselves regarding the Kindle ("they sprang it upon us" is a mild way of putting it), and any information we did find, we located on our own. For the record, we have no more knowledge of it that any of you could find on the internet on your own...there's no "inside" or "secret" information that any of us know (which is why all those "how many Kindles has Amazon sold" questions only received guesses--we really don't know either).

Amazon should've made a decision back then how to deal with Kindle support--either send the questions to us, but actually provide information on the product for us to work with, or have actively filtered out support questions from day one. They did neither.

xianfox · 02-01-2008, 10:18 PM

I hadn't heard of that service. Sounds kinda like Mosio, only not as cool.

Patricia · 02-01-2008, 11:13 PM

Was any reason given for this curious instruction?

rocky1938 · 02-01-2008, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patricia

Was any reason given for this curious instruction?

Here's the pertinent portion of the email that some of us received (their email system is somewhat "broken" so many people don't receive any correspondence from them). We already knew their policy regarding solicitation of votes from persons asking question, so that part isn't a surprise.

"Message from Amazon Requester Inc. (turk-nemo-requestor@amazon.com)
---------------------------------
Dear MTurk worker,

It has come to our attention that Kindle users are seeking Kindle customer support by asking these questions through the MTurk HIT "NowNow Research Question for $1695 Weekly Reward. "

We appreciated that some of you have tried to answer Kindle customer support questions, but we have decided it is more appropriate that our own Amazon customer service support these users to ensure they have a great experience. Therefore, please do not work on any HITs for "NowNow Research Question for $1695 Weekly Reward. " that could be Kindle customer support questions. If you submit a HIT on any Kindle customer support question, we will be forced to ban you from working on future NowNow research questions.

It has also come to our attention that some workers have been soliciting "Great" votes from our users. Soliciting votes from our users is against our rules and will result in your account being banned from working on any future NowNow hits.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

NowNow Team"

rocky1938 · 02-02-2008, 12:04 AM

To add some further information, we were taken by surprise last November when the group of questions originating from users Kindles was added with little fanfare. Matter of fact, we had absolutely NO training of any sort from Amazon themselves regarding the Kindle ("they sprang it upon us" is a mild way of putting it), and any information we did find, we located on our own. For the record, we have no more knowledge of it that any of you could find on the internet on your own...there's no "inside" or "secret" information that any of us know (which is why all those "how many Kindles has Amazon sold" questions only received guesses--we really don't know either).

Amazon should've made a decision back then how to deal with Kindle support--either send the questions to us, but actually provide information on the product for us to work with, or have actively filtered out support questions from day one. They did neither.

maggotb0y · 02-02-2008, 10:31 AM

Does this post really amount to much other than an advertisement for nownow? How many mobileread members have used this service before?

Nate the great · 02-02-2008, 10:43 AM

I thought it was interesting, as well as something that Kindle owners need to know.

Before I moved it to the frontpage, I looked into Amazon Mechanical Turk, HIT, etc. This thread is legit.

P.S. Since Kindle owners don't pay for NowNow, this could hardly be called advertising.

rocky1938 · 02-02-2008, 01:16 PM

There's the possibility that some support questions will be answered on nownow, but by workers who either never got the email or aren't aware of the threads around in various places stating it's now forbidden. Unfortunately, they'll likely find themselves banned next week, so remember that before you send us support questions (everything I pick up hereafter is returned and otherwise ignored--hate to do it, but have no choice...sorry!).

Just for record, Amazon isn't (yet?) filtering anything as I've thrown several dozen back unanswered this morning alone.

montsnmags · 02-03-2008, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maggotb0y

Does this post really amount to much other than an advertisement for nownow? How many mobileread members have used this service before?

Just an unsolicited suggestion for such things as the above...

To the right of the "Karma" button on each person's post is a little exclamation mark ("!"). If you press this, you can "Report a post", adding some info as to why you are reporting it. I have reported two items, one that I was pretty certain was spam (a brand new member with a single post) that was confirmed by the moderators, and the other one just a "Heads up" to the moderators on someone that, from research elsewhere, I suspected was using the forum to drum-up business elsewhere (note, I haven't seen them post since, so please don't needlessly suspect any current folk).

Both times I have done this, one of our very pleasant moderators has very quickly and nicely responded to me that they had looked at it (which is more than enough for me).

So, I humbly suggest folk use that "Report post" button ("!") if they believe something inappropriate may be occurring. It will avoid the needless possiblity of causing insult or hurt to what is potentially, as here, an innocent party. maggotb0y, I realise you posed the above as questions, so please don't think I believe that insult was your intent. As I said, this is just a suggestion, and one that may better serve the answers you were seeking (If it doesn't answer your question, you could always ask nownow

).

(I'd say "IMHO", but, hell, I'm not humble; I'm right dammit!

)

Cheers,
Marc

dboggny · 02-03-2008, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maggotb0y

Does this post really amount to much other than an advertisement for nownow? How many mobileread members have used this service before?

I have used it, and to tell the truth, I asked a Kindle support related question. I got the answer I needed in minutes. I think it stinks that nownow wont be able to answer support questions. You see, it is easy to ask a question directly from the kindle while actually using the kindle. Further, This is not the only forums where this information was posted. I believe teleread.org also has a thing about this.

maggotb0y · 02-04-2008, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dboggny

I have used it, and to tell the truth, I asked a Kindle support related question. I got the answer I needed in minutes. I think it stinks that nownow wont be able to answer support questions. You see, it is easy to ask a question directly from the kindle while actually using the kindle. Further, This is not the only forums where this information was posted. I believe teleread.org also has a thing about this.

Sounds like nownow is available directly from the Kindle. I wasn't aware of this. The post (and the fact that it got bumped to the front page) make a lot more sense now. Thanks!

maggotb0y · 02-04-2008, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

So, I humbly suggest folk use that "Report post" button ("!") if they believe something inappropriate may be occurring. It will avoid the needless possiblity of causing insult or hurt to what is potentially, as here, an innocent party. maggotb0y, I realise you posed the above as questions, so please don't think I believe that insult was your intent. As I said, this is just a suggestion, and one that may better serve the answers you were seeking (If it doesn't answer your question, you could always ask nownow

).

Fair enough- I was actually more questioning the decision to bump this to the front page than the post itself, but I was unaware that this was a service that people were using from the Kindle itself. All makes a bit more sense now...

badgoodDeb · 02-04-2008, 03:33 PM

Yeah, it's a built-in tool on the Kindle. I did send a support question there just yesterday, so this explains why it wasn't answered. I figured out my own answer so I don't need support now, but if NowNow isn't allowed to be asked such questions, perhaps the Kindle should have an obvious place where they CAN be asked.

Just4Fun · 02-10-2008, 08:04 PM

I haven't used the Kindle NowNow option, but I feel kind of sorry for those Amazon NowNow workers who didn't get the company email.

Now, it appears that one reason Rocky may have posted here is in hope that we users wouldn't send Kindle support questions to the NowNow workers and get them banned.

So, what happens, people here send some support questions right away, and a few get answers. I sure hope that these user questions didn't get good, innocent people with children and other worldly responsibilities fired.

rocky1938 · 02-15-2008, 12:38 PM

Just for the record, the actual support people behind Kindle actually wanted for us to forward questions onto them (refer those questions to them, as we can't actually forward them), but the people behind Nownow again told us not to touch those questions or risk being banned (and supposedly, they've already banned a few workers). One hand really doesn't know what the other is doing where Amazon is concerned.

02-02-2008, 01:16 PM	#8
rocky1938 Member Posts: 12 Karma: 201 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: potential Kindle user	There's the possibility that some support questions will be answered on nownow, but by workers who either never got the email or aren't aware of the threads around in various places stating it's now forbidden. Unfortunately, they'll likely find themselves banned next week, so remember that before you send us support questions (everything I pick up hereafter is returned and otherwise ignored--hate to do it, but have no choice...sorry!). Just for record, Amazon isn't (yet?) filtering anything as I've thrown several dozen back unanswered this morning alone. Last edited by rocky1938; 02-02-2008 at 01:16 PM. Reason: grammatical mistake

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02-01-2008, 10:18 PM	#2
xianfox Ebook Addict Posts: 225 Karma: 2136 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Appleton, Wisconsin, USA Device: Onyx BOOX Note Air 4C, Palma	I hadn't heard of that service. Sounds kinda like Mosio, only not as cool.

02-01-2008, 11:13 PM	#3
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	Was any reason given for this curious instruction?

02-02-2008, 12:04 AM	#5
rocky1938 Member Posts: 12 Karma: 201 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: potential Kindle user	To add some further information, we were taken by surprise last November when the group of questions originating from users Kindles was added with little fanfare. Matter of fact, we had absolutely NO training of any sort from Amazon themselves regarding the Kindle ("they sprang it upon us" is a mild way of putting it), and any information we did find, we located on our own. For the record, we have no more knowledge of it that any of you could find on the internet on your own...there's no "inside" or "secret" information that any of us know (which is why all those "how many Kindles has Amazon sold" questions only received guesses--we really don't know either). Amazon should've made a decision back then how to deal with Kindle support--either send the questions to us, but actually provide information on the product for us to work with, or have actively filtered out support questions from day one. They did neither.

02-02-2008, 10:31 AM	#6
maggotb0y Connoisseur Posts: 84 Karma: 1166 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New Jersey, Outside of Philadelphia Device: Sony Reader	Does this post really amount to much other than an advertisement for nownow? How many mobileread members have used this service before?

02-02-2008, 10:43 AM	#7
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	I thought it was interesting, as well as something that Kindle owners need to know. Before I moved it to the frontpage, I looked into Amazon Mechanical Turk, HIT, etc. This thread is legit. P.S. Since Kindle owners don't pay for NowNow, this could hardly be called advertising.

02-04-2008, 03:33 PM	#13
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,574 Karma: 64462893 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	Yeah, it's a built-in tool on the Kindle. I did send a support question there just yesterday, so this explains why it wasn't answered. I figured out my own answer so I don't need support now, but if NowNow isn't allowed to be asked such questions, perhaps the Kindle should have an obvious place where they CAN be asked.

02-10-2008, 08:04 PM	#14
Just4Fun Enthusiast Posts: 40 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Amazon Kindle/iphone/ipad/Pocket Entourage/MacBook/Windows	I haven't used the Kindle NowNow option, but I feel kind of sorry for those Amazon NowNow workers who didn't get the company email. Now, it appears that one reason Rocky may have posted here is in hope that we users wouldn't send Kindle support questions to the NowNow workers and get them banned. So, what happens, people here send some support questions right away, and a few get answers. I sure hope that these user questions didn't get good, innocent people with children and other worldly responsibilities fired.

02-15-2008, 12:38 PM	#15
rocky1938 Member Posts: 12 Karma: 201 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: potential Kindle user	Just for the record, the actual support people behind Kindle actually wanted for us to forward questions onto them (refer those questions to them, as we can't actually forward them), but the people behind Nownow again told us not to touch those questions or risk being banned (and supposedly, they've already banned a few workers). One hand really doesn't know what the other is doing where Amazon is concerned.

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