Cold Calls

[Fruit]

I've received the exact same message Pittooey had xD

There also this message this guy sent to me once,

Hello. I'm looking for someone to roleplay between a human and shifter. The shifter is always an animal and cannot turn into a human. They are intelligent and able to speak. They can turn into any animal they want. I wanted us both to have a human and a shifter but you play both females and I play both males.

I said I didn't like it. Within 24 hours he created another account and sent the exact same message. Again, I said no. A while later, he deleted his two accounts, created a third account and sent a paraphrased request;

Greetings. I have an idea for a fantasy rp. There is a supernatural creature called a forest guardian. They have several magical powers since they are protectors of nature. They are able to shift into any animal. Real or mythological. But they can't turn into a human. I was wanting to pair them with a human. Would you be interested?

*facepalms*

 

[DeRe]

Cold calls are my mainstay! You meet such wonderful people that way. Typically I cold call for three reasons:

1: I love their avatar
2: They have a cool username
3: I read one of their RPs and it was great

Should they meet the trifecta, as more than a few do, I will send off a query. Being well-mindful of how much one-liners suck, I make every effort to pitch myself in an interesting way. Each query is tailored specifically to the person in question; I mention why they caught my eye, discuss their request thread/roleplays, and put my cards on the table regarding kinks. I certainly don't believe in harassing people over it; no reply means no go and I accept that. But I have had some great responses and met some truly loyal, literate and lovely partners completely "out of the blue". So I staunchly recommend the practice, but insist that prospective "cold callers" make every effort to convince their prospective partner WHY they should accept them. Some people put such exquisite effort into their request threads and so forth, and that effort should be reciprocated.

Conversely, I don't get cold calls myself that much, and typically have mixed results when I do. But at least, it seems, I am not beset by the host of obnoxious bores that bedevil much of the female userbase here.

 

[Squishypink]

I had a similar incident with a guy constantly creating new usernames and asking me to do foot fetish stuff. Like, I'm not against foot stuff but I don't see the appeal really, so I politely refused at first. But then there were dozens of this same guy, same bad grammar, same basic request, and so I just started blocking anyone who cold called for a while. May have blocked a couple random people in that but eventually it got him to stop bothering me.

Oh, I have a new favorite bad cold call. Random guy messaged me and wanted to do this RP idea that was, at first, intriguing. It's best summed up as lethal pussy-grinding orgasm serial killer. So, unique. Unique often gets my attention. So I relented and fired back with some ideas of how we could flesh this out, and a few ideas for scenes, but then he became super crazy belligerent and demanded that I do everything exactly how he wanted it, down to my character's name and appearance, basically using me to write a story for him because he couldn't punctuate worth a damn. I politely refused, and then he starts spamming me every hour to see if I've seen the light and decided to write his story for him, and it just went downhill from there. I think this one actually beats the Preying Mantis Senpai Sitcom, just because of how he went from zero to psycho at the drop of a hat.

So happy that this thread is still going. Cold calls can be so ridiculous

 

[November]

It looks like you can avoid all these issues by being a male.

I wonder why. :|

 

[Alvis Alendran]

Not entirely. I don't get them as often as I used to, but I still get them now and again. Usually either ignore them or politely tell them no.

 

[Mr Quixotic]

It looks like you can avoid all these issues by being a male.

I wonder why. :|

So true, I've had three female partners tell me they're constantly inundated with foot-fetish cold calls, but I haven't received even one of those, in over two years!

Not really an issue for me, though a cold-call poem did land in my inbox a week or so ago.

 

[Rudolph Quin]

It looks like you can avoid all these issues by being a male.

I wonder why. :|

So true, I've had three female partners tell me they're constantly inundated with foot-fetish cold calls, but I haven't received even one of those, in over two years!

Not really an issue for me, though a cold-call poem did land in my inbox a week or so ago.

Well your eyes are poem worthy. No brainer, there.

The frequency of male vs female cold calls, if there is a definite difference, can probably be explained by men taking more initiative and bolder risks than women. It's a confirmable stereotype that men will pursue women and take more chances in interactions with them in order to win favor or garner attention.

 

[Star Pupil]

I don't really cold call anyone because I don't like rejection, for anyone's reference.

I might try to talk to them first politely before going for a roleplay with them to get an idea on who they are and if they are even looking for more partners. But that is only through chat or thread, I don't PM.

 

[Zeth]

I used to get PMs like this a lot. Now nothing, Everyone found out I'm no fun.

 

[darkangel76]

Awwww.... Some cold calls work out, others do not. I'm of the sort where if the cold call I receive seems well thought out and it's clear that the person contacting has actually taken the time to read my request thread and perhaps look over my F-List or read some of my other RP threads to get an idea of me and my style, etc then I'm game to give that person a chance. I mean, why not? If an effort is put in to learning about me as a writer, then I say it's worth reciprocating and seeing what transpires. If I get the impression things won't work based off my own 'research' then such is. But more often than not, if I have the room and the idea proposed seems cool...I'll try. If I'm full, I might rain check. XD

But anyway, I ramble. Point is, not all cold calls are rendered equal. Some are fantastic. Some are trolly. And some are just plain baffling. Honestly, the worst ones ever are when I've gotten PMs telling me that they personally plan to tie me up and rape me. Ummm...no. Just stop Mr Creepy-Pants. Firstly, lets oust that cyber shit. Secondly, let's drop the first person. Thirdly, how about more substance upon first contact and something that isn't, well, rude. Fourthly, just...ugh. Etiquette. X_X

Thankfully such things are rare. >////<

 

[Trygon]

You probably get a ton, huh DA? I used to, and I swear people reading old threads still PM me over it. I saw a sharp decline when PVP was removed~

 

[darkangel76]

I still get my fair share. Yes. Though I'd say it's not quite as rampant as it used to be. Not that you'll see me complain about that. I don't mind getting cold calls and propositions, but the trolly ones and creepy ones? Yeahhhhh...those can go away. >.<

Most of the ones I get that I wish I didn't tend to be from the 'over eager RPer' as opposed to the troll nowadays. These are the RPers who border on stalker/harasser because once they've hit that comfort zone they suddenly either become possessive OR they become paranoid if I need to breathe and don't respond quick enough for their tastes. As such, they end up spamming my inbox and causing overwhelm. So I end up ceasing contact for like a solid day to clear my head before telling them to back off. Sadly, that usually doesn't work with those sorts so they end up dropped. But even then some of these sorts don't fully register this decision and push regardless. Makes you wonder sometimes as to which is the lesser evil--the over eager RPer or the troll. =/

Anyway, I digress. A lot. >/////<

Point is, cold calls are always a risk. Most of the time they are worthwhile though. At least when it's clear that the PM you get is well thought out and truly tailored to YOU as an individual (not one of those mass PMs because yeahhhh you can tell when you get those too). Lol!

 

[Alvis Alendran]

I got a lot more traffic back in my myth-writing days, and that was a double edged sword to be sure. But then again, some of my best current partners were cold-calls. Then again again, some of my worst ex-partners were cold calls...eh, I do think that as Dark said, if they put some effort into the request, I treat it like any other request.

 

[Kilani]

I really don't mind cold calls.
If it interests me, I message back. If it doesn't, then I ignore it. Simple.

I feel like I'm missing out on some hilariously bad ones though!

 

[Lurker]

I wish they would create a request board that required some sort of authentication to be able to post in.

- Players in this board posses average-to-above average literacy. Because let's be serious, other than the few actual authors that float around, if any of us were experts we would have published works.
- Players in this board have well fleshed out kinks, pairings, cravings, and a minimum of 2-5 amount of plots available.
- Players in this board state equivocally in their thread title where they write. (Boards, PM's, IM)
- Players in this board have been recommended by previous board members. OR Players in this board have passed a review of 3 previous board members.

Elliquiy has an application process, so every approved member will have at least a couple of writing samples in their application thread.
BMR does not have one, I guess that they decided that the drawbacks outweigh the benefits.

I really don't mind cold calls.
If it interests me, I message back. If it doesn't, then I ignore it. Simple.

Just to clarify, if a stranger approaches you on the street and asks if you could tell them how to get to city hall, and for some reason you don't feel like giving them directions, do you completely ignore them as if they do not exist?

Or is politeness only practised in person now? Perhaps it was deprecated online and I didn't get the memo...

I never mind cold calls from potential partners as long as they accept "no" graciously. And I confess that I do send out my own cold calls from time to time [...]

Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. So far, everyone has been very polite in turning me down and I appreciate it.

Unfortunately, my experience has been different. There is little more frustrating than digging through request threads, finding interesting ones sending a polite PM expressing interest with an offer to provide writing samples and/or plot ideas, together with a courtesy bump to the thread, only to have it completely ignored (and the recipient bump the thread again on the next day).

Is it so hard to hit [reply], type "no thanks" and hit [send]?

There also this message this guy sent to me once,

Hello. I'm looking for someone to roleplay between a human and shifter. The shifter is always an animal and cannot turn into a human. They are intelligent and able to speak. They can turn into any animal they want. I wanted us both to have a human and a shifter but you play both females and I play both males.

I said I didn't like it. Within 24 hours he created another account and sent the exact same message. Again, I said no.

Thank you. My faith in the human nature is partially restored.

 

[Star Pupil]

You probably get a ton, huh DA? I used to, and I swear people reading old threads still PM me over it. I saw a sharp decline when PVP was removed~

That's because all the girls wanted to be up in that.

 

[Nature Girl]

I've had cold calls and, if I were interested enough, I'd cold call someone following in-depth research.

I always reply to any cold call and it's surprising how many thank me simply for replying. However, if there's one thing does get to me it's the general lack of politeness. Maybe I'm being picky and really old-school here, but I like a 'hi' or a 'hello', any basic form of initial salutation, but it amazes me how often it's missing. Without this basic acknowledgement/introduction, the cold caller's words feel like they're right in my face. And I don't like that feeling of invasion. Not one bit.

 

[Lurker]

I always reply to any cold call and it's surprising how many thank me simply for replying.

That's probably because you are old-school
Many people just ignore the cold call.

 

[Nature Girl]

I always reply to any cold call and it's surprising how many thank me simply for replying.

That's probably because you are old-school
Many people just ignore the cold call.

Well, of course it's up to the individual. I don't mind being old-school, and when I reply, I always use a salutation, wish each person good luck and keep it positive. That way, I believe, I'm setting a good example. If I just ignore folk then they may get the idea the site's generally unfriendly, especially if they're new, and behave accordingly. I'm not saying anyone should put up with repeatedly idiotic or offensive cold calls. Heck no. But a little good manners go a long way, and judging by the replies I get, I like to think at least a small percentage of folk re-think their initial approach after our interaction. Just my humble opinion

 

[Lurker]

 

[Absinthresher]

Eh, I've had a few of them, despite the rule in my RT basically saying "Hey, buddy, come with even the most basic idea".

I don't react as violently as I ought to, to these people. Then again, general sarcasm or pointing out why they're wrong is generally enough to get them to go away.

 

[greenandgold]

I don't mind getting a cold call, as long as this new person and I share some type of interest in common. When I first joined the board back in March, I had literally dozens of people messaging me a day with random fandoms and different types (genres?) of rp that they wanted to do that I knew nothing about, because they couldn't take the time to read my requests.

I don't think I'm asking for much, wanting us to have some of the same interests. I don't just do fandom rp's, though that's what most of my rp's are. I do a taboo rp or two.

Another thing, please don't use chat speak when you contact me. It drives me crazy and I hate it. I don't want to see any of this: Y r u ^(up)set? I c u have fandom rp, PM me? Type words out, please. I don't have all day to try and decipher what you're trying to say.

Correct spelling. How hard is it to use a damn spellcheck tool? Or even just type the word or phrase you want to use, in a search engine and it will correct you. You don't have to be a perfect speller, but damn, give me something to work with.

I am one of those people who incorrect spelling drives crazy. I feel like a teacher with a red pen correcting a kid's test, and trying not to rip my hair out.

 

[CassandraV]

Uck, that's obnoxious. I haven't been here long enough to invite any, but I've definitely had people on other sites send the same copy/paste idea repeatedly. Not so close together as that though! I don't mind cold calls in theory, but I prefer when it seems catered to my profile. When they've clearly gone down the list of female names and sent the same thing, it's no thank you goodbye.

 

[cobaltglass]

One of my most recent cold calls consisted of, "what rp do you want to do most," and I noped right out. I have a RT, ffs, and he was literally replying to a comment I'd made on the "What's a RP craving you want so bad but can't seem to make happen?" thread.

Like ... if you're going to cold call, put in some effort. Submissives are a dime a dozen, and if you're coming across as zero effort in the beginning, that is a huge red flag.

 

[Jables]

I usually RP through PMs, and I only message someone when I see their RT and like an idea. This is my actual only post that's not a RT thread of my own, which is pretty barebones, so I guess it's a problem when people want to check my post history and can't find any examples of my writing. I've been on this forum for a while but I only RP through PM, maybe I should do it in a thread sometime to give people some kind of reference.