i don’t think the issue is solely with “less popular” shops, it could just be with testers in general, or even the designers.
before signing up for testing, a lot of testers don’t even know what they’re doing, or perhaps don’t read the full instructions. they also may not know how to create a journal, and what a group chat is and what to post in there.
some designers may also post a tester call, hastily choose testers (without looking at karma/makes/skill level, as there are a lot of beginners who apply to tests above their skill level) and not even make a group chat!
you’d be surprised at the increasing amount of designers who make a group chat. some testers are used to this, so they dm the journal/pic to the designers, but the other testers may be confused as to where the group chat is or how to get the finished pics/journals to the designers. the designers then proclaim they were ghosted. this is a situation where it is the designer’s fault.
i hope i explained everything clearly, forgive me if i didn’t!
I fully agree with @peachyxtulips ! When posting a tester call, that is why a lot of designers have application requirements such as the applicant must leave a comment, leave a specific emoji in the comment, or leave photos of previous makes. If someone can’t follow instructions for applying to test, will they be able to follow your instructions during the test?
This does effect larger designers too, including myself, ive straght up been ghosted a few times.
But you do understand that you are responsible for managing your testers and keeping them updated as they are for doing their job too.
You have to be fairly selective with who you pick to test, and if someone isnt sure on how to nagivate the site, then help them.
Be strict about your testing requirements, if someone doesnt follow them, then reject their application.
There was a point in time where i went to test something, but i wasnt not aware I was even selected to test. I wasnt notified that the pattern was in my testing menu, nor was I added to the testing group chat. I had just assumed that i wasnt accepted. I only noticed it because I had applied for another test that was happening at around the same time. While I did reach out about the issue, Im not sure many would have. I had a very specific set of circumstances that let me catch this error and notify the desinger. but i have little to no doubt that this has happened to other testers.
If you notice a tester isnt responding at all, you should message them privately about it. If they still dont respond in like a couple days, then just boot them honestly, its on them at that point. You did your job by letting them know.
I also wonder if there are bots… I just started doing tests recently and noticed the initial ‘thanks for inviting me…’ then it’s like me and two other folks communicating with the creator. Boo for bots
I totally agree with you. Applying for being a tester and ghosting afterwards is an absolut no-go no matter your skill level etc. Sometimes something can happen irl but then tell the designer. And also maybe it is a mistake of both parties sometimes.
However I disagree in one point with you. Choosing only based on karma or makes could be a disadvantage for people who are new on Ribblr. There might be people who have a lot of experience crocheting or knitting but have just recently joined the community. They want to contribute and support the community but aren’t selected as testers just because they haven’t been able to build up enough karma or post enough makes yet. Yes, I guess it is a gamble to give people a chance but in many cases it is also really worth it.
That is true. However, that still doesn’t solve the problem that you can’t say anything about the reliability of a person when they haven’t worked as a tester before and can prove it with their makes.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely agree with you that ghosting out of whatever reason is completely wrong. If you are not sure if you can fulfill the requirements, don’t apply as a tester first place. If you come across problems during a testing, talk to the designer and don’t just disappear. And not knowing how to handle the app is also no excuse since there are many ways to get help (the community, the help center or even ask an AI to explain a function to you).
CoralCrochet
