Pinglist Etiquette and Usage Guide
How to ping lots of people without making anyone mad
Hi there! I'm Coela and welcome to my guide on how to use pinglists. Since I founded the Old Dragon Collectors Association, a large organization with many buyers and sellers, I see lots of people who become nervous or confused when they need to ping a large amount of people at once - especially in regards to what is polite or what will bother people the least. In this guide, I hope to pass on a better understanding of how pinglists should be used, what will happen when you use them in your sales thread, and how to be courteous when you're the one being pinged.
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How to ping lots of people without making anyone mad
Hi there! I'm Coela and welcome to my guide on how to use pinglists. Since I founded the Old Dragon Collectors Association, a large organization with many buyers and sellers, I see lots of people who become nervous or confused when they need to ping a large amount of people at once - especially in regards to what is polite or what will bother people the least. In this guide, I hope to pass on a better understanding of how pinglists should be used, what will happen when you use them in your sales thread, and how to be courteous when you're the one being pinged.
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Intro: Copy and Paste
Pinglists are a quick and efficient way for a seller to contact many potential buyers at one time. All you have to do is copy and paste, right? Well, yes, technically. But if you're nervous about making mistakes, then it's a good idea to pay extra attention until you are familiar with the process.
The first thing to remember is that the people who are on a pinglist have either asked to be there or have put themselves there. They want to be pinged, so don't worry about bothering them! There's no need to apologize for using a pinglist.
That being said, it's very important to make sure that you're using the correct pinglist in the right way. People tend to get crabby if they receive a ping for something they didn't ask for, and that will ultimately make the selling experience more difficult for you. For example, don't ping the Gen 1 Hoarders if your dragon is not First Generation.
On the same note, not all pinglists are for public use. The pinglists at large organizations like the Old Dragon Collectors Association certainly are, but the pinglists that individual users keep at their personal hatcheries or exalt rescue threads are usually not. If you're ever unsure if a pinglist is alright for you to use, ask that list's owner.
The first thing to remember is that the people who are on a pinglist have either asked to be there or have put themselves there. They want to be pinged, so don't worry about bothering them! There's no need to apologize for using a pinglist.
That being said, it's very important to make sure that you're using the correct pinglist in the right way. People tend to get crabby if they receive a ping for something they didn't ask for, and that will ultimately make the selling experience more difficult for you. For example, don't ping the Gen 1 Hoarders if your dragon is not First Generation.
On the same note, not all pinglists are for public use. The pinglists at large organizations like the Old Dragon Collectors Association certainly are, but the pinglists that individual users keep at their personal hatcheries or exalt rescue threads are usually not. If you're ever unsure if a pinglist is alright for you to use, ask that list's owner.
Doing It Right Starts With Reading
The first time you use any pinglist, check out the entire document and the forum thread you found it on. You will likely find some kind of instructions that are important for you to know about. To avoid making mistakes on your sales thread, take extra time to read the wishes of people being pinged. Even if you're feeling impatient or if you're in a rush, remember that these people might give you Treasure or Gems for what you have. It will literally pay off if you get it right the first time! Remember that pinglists for collectors organizations such as the Gen 1 Hoarders are typically large and when you make a mistake, you're not just bothering one or two people. You might be bothering many!
It's just as important to always use updated pinglists. Pinglist documents are edited constantly with people being added or taken off, and these edits can happen multiple times a day. To avoid pinging people that don't want to be, or missing out on a new buyer who just got their name on the list, always copy/paste from the original document rather than a forum post you found.
Some people will provide a link back to the document to prevent the circulation of outdated lists, which is a courtesy that all sellers should consider. Many organized pinglists, such as those for the Gen 1 Hoarders and the Old Dragon Collectors Association, provide a linkback code with each pinglist so you can always find your way to the original document through a recent relevant sales thread. If you still can't find your way to the original document, you can open Google and search for the collectors organization you're trying to ping. They will come up in the search results! Ex: "Old Dragon Collectors Association Flight Rising"
When you use a pinglist at your own sales thread and you've provided a link back to the original document for others to find, there's one last thing you can do to prevent the circulation of outdated lists. After clicking "Submit" and sending out the pings, you can edit the post and delete all of the pings from it. This prevents other people from copying the list off of your sales thread to use on their own, further ensuring that outdated lists don't get used. Don't worry, the people you pinged will still get directed to that post when they click their notification! You can even add a blurb when you go to remove the pings, saying something like this: "Pings have been deleted to prevent copying," to prevent any confusion.
Pretty much, this section is about taking your time. You should also avoid copying and pasting pinglists from mobile. If you know that the browser or app you use to access pinglists is a little finniky, it's best to set up your sales thread and ping people to it before heading away from your computer. Pinging a large amount of the wrong people can happen this way by accident.
It's just as important to always use updated pinglists. Pinglist documents are edited constantly with people being added or taken off, and these edits can happen multiple times a day. To avoid pinging people that don't want to be, or missing out on a new buyer who just got their name on the list, always copy/paste from the original document rather than a forum post you found.
Some people will provide a link back to the document to prevent the circulation of outdated lists, which is a courtesy that all sellers should consider. Many organized pinglists, such as those for the Gen 1 Hoarders and the Old Dragon Collectors Association, provide a linkback code with each pinglist so you can always find your way to the original document through a recent relevant sales thread. If you still can't find your way to the original document, you can open Google and search for the collectors organization you're trying to ping. They will come up in the search results! Ex: "Old Dragon Collectors Association Flight Rising"
When you use a pinglist at your own sales thread and you've provided a link back to the original document for others to find, there's one last thing you can do to prevent the circulation of outdated lists. After clicking "Submit" and sending out the pings, you can edit the post and delete all of the pings from it. This prevents other people from copying the list off of your sales thread to use on their own, further ensuring that outdated lists don't get used. Don't worry, the people you pinged will still get directed to that post when they click their notification! You can even add a blurb when you go to remove the pings, saying something like this: "Pings have been deleted to prevent copying," to prevent any confusion.
Pretty much, this section is about taking your time. You should also avoid copying and pasting pinglists from mobile. If you know that the browser or app you use to access pinglists is a little finniky, it's best to set up your sales thread and ping people to it before heading away from your computer. Pinging a large amount of the wrong people can happen this way by accident.
Courteous Pinging
When you use a pinglist, some users will stick around to express interest and others will close the tab and move on. There are a few things to keep in mind moving forward from the initial ping, and there are some social faux pas to avoid.
Even if you use a pinglist, it's no guarantee that you'll sell what you're trying to. Sometimes you'll go through all the hard work of setting up a sales thread and pinging people to it, only to have no one respond. I know from personal experience that this can be frustrating, and you may even wonder if your pings were received. However, it's important to accept when there's not a buyer this time. In this event, you should not re-ping a list if no one acknowledges your sale. Doing so right away will annoy people on the pinglist. Keep bumping your sales thread and be patient. Even if you're getting desperate to sell something, it's more important to be considerate. It's usually acceptable to try pinging again once a few weeks have passed if you still need to.
You may include dragons you've tried to sell before with new dragons you're selling now. This is usually not considered an annoyance since there is something new for potential buyers to look at. Just try not to pile on lots of new dragons that need additional pings in short amounts of time, especially not in the same day or week. Decide what you're selling first and aim to ping the appropriate list once.
A note about auctions: After alerting a pinglist to your auction, some people will ask for a "last day ping" (abbreviated as LDP), meaning that they want to be pinged on the last day that bidding is allowed. Remember to ping only the people who want to be, not the entire pinglist again, at this time. Last day pings are asked for on an individual basis, not given out by default!
Even if you use a pinglist, it's no guarantee that you'll sell what you're trying to. Sometimes you'll go through all the hard work of setting up a sales thread and pinging people to it, only to have no one respond. I know from personal experience that this can be frustrating, and you may even wonder if your pings were received. However, it's important to accept when there's not a buyer this time. In this event, you should not re-ping a list if no one acknowledges your sale. Doing so right away will annoy people on the pinglist. Keep bumping your sales thread and be patient. Even if you're getting desperate to sell something, it's more important to be considerate. It's usually acceptable to try pinging again once a few weeks have passed if you still need to.
You may include dragons you've tried to sell before with new dragons you're selling now. This is usually not considered an annoyance since there is something new for potential buyers to look at. Just try not to pile on lots of new dragons that need additional pings in short amounts of time, especially not in the same day or week. Decide what you're selling first and aim to ping the appropriate list once.
A note about auctions: After alerting a pinglist to your auction, some people will ask for a "last day ping" (abbreviated as LDP), meaning that they want to be pinged on the last day that bidding is allowed. Remember to ping only the people who want to be, not the entire pinglist again, at this time. Last day pings are asked for on an individual basis, not given out by default!
Just Close the Tab
Being on a pinglist is great isn't it? You don't have to go digging through the forums or the AH. Sellers come to you and you won't miss seeing the stuff you're interested in! This can be a double edged sword, however. Depending on the way a pinglist is designed, you might encounter a few inconveniences such as getting pinged for things aren't exactly to your specification or getting pinged too often. But remember: Etiquette is just as important for those who are being pinged as it for those who are using the pinglist.
If you're on many pinglists or lists that are used often, it's possible to get overwhelmed while looking at every notification. Unfortunately, because of this, it is common for potential buyers to become angry at sellers who are trying to use a pinglist. You've probably seen many sellers have a meek and anxious attitude on the forums where they feel the need to apologize ahead of time ("sorry for any mispings"); irritated reactions from buyers is where this comes from.
Should anyone be made to feel bad for using a pinglist before they've even gotten any responses?
No.
Keep your perspective. If you're not interested in a thread you've been pinged to and are frustrated with how it is wasting your time, consider that typing out a complaint to the seller will take more of your time than that ping did. The fastest way to move on from it is to simply close the tab.
If you're unsatisfied with your experience on a pinglist, consider getting yourself removed from it and creating a "Looking For" thread on the forums so you can properly search for what you're looking to buy. If contacting the seller is truly necessary (it often isn't, let minor things slide), be positive and relaxed when you let them know they've made a mistake. It's just pixels being sold for fake money, none of it is a big deal at the end of the day. How you deal with these inconveniences is ultimately up to you, but consider finding a different solution before you reach the point of aggravation where you're lashing out at people on the forums.
If you're on many pinglists or lists that are used often, it's possible to get overwhelmed while looking at every notification. Unfortunately, because of this, it is common for potential buyers to become angry at sellers who are trying to use a pinglist. You've probably seen many sellers have a meek and anxious attitude on the forums where they feel the need to apologize ahead of time ("sorry for any mispings"); irritated reactions from buyers is where this comes from.
Should anyone be made to feel bad for using a pinglist before they've even gotten any responses?
No.
Keep your perspective. If you're not interested in a thread you've been pinged to and are frustrated with how it is wasting your time, consider that typing out a complaint to the seller will take more of your time than that ping did. The fastest way to move on from it is to simply close the tab.
If you're unsatisfied with your experience on a pinglist, consider getting yourself removed from it and creating a "Looking For" thread on the forums so you can properly search for what you're looking to buy. If contacting the seller is truly necessary (it often isn't, let minor things slide), be positive and relaxed when you let them know they've made a mistake. It's just pixels being sold for fake money, none of it is a big deal at the end of the day. How you deal with these inconveniences is ultimately up to you, but consider finding a different solution before you reach the point of aggravation where you're lashing out at people on the forums.
Fixed Bugs
Duplicate pings - When using more than one pinglist in a single post where usernames may be repeated, only one ping will occur per unique username! So even if you ping someone ten times in a row in a single post, they will only receive one notification. For newer players who are reading this, this was not always the case and it was a bug for a long time. So there is no need to apologize for duplicate pings anymore, or go rummaging to delete all the duplicates!
First post pings - In the past, pinging any number of users in the first post of a thread was broken on FR; the ping just wouldn't go through. This has been fixed to the relief of many players.
Pings from edits - When a post with any number of pings in it is edited, it used to send out an additional ping. At some point, a bug occurred that made that stop happening. FR fixed it, causing pings from editing to happen again. It turned out that an excess amount of multiple pings were being sent out from this fix, which annoyed many players. So FR fixed it again so that only new pings that were added to a post would go through while the pings that were already there would not.
First post pings - In the past, pinging any number of users in the first post of a thread was broken on FR; the ping just wouldn't go through. This has been fixed to the relief of many players.
Pings from edits - When a post with any number of pings in it is edited, it used to send out an additional ping. At some point, a bug occurred that made that stop happening. FR fixed it, causing pings from editing to happen again. It turned out that an excess amount of multiple pings were being sent out from this fix, which annoyed many players. So FR fixed it again so that only new pings that were added to a post would go through while the pings that were already there would not.
