This document provides tips for plugin developers on how to support users without losing your mind. It suggests documenting your plugin clearly, taking time to understand issues before responding, saying no to unreasonable feature requests, and knowing when it's okay to stop supporting a plugin by announcing end of life. The key is being polite, testing problems before accusing users, and walking away from support conversations when needed to avoid burnout.

1. How to Support The
Masses

2. Without losing your mind
Tips and tricks to keeping it
all in perspective, while still
giving people the best
experience possible when it
comes to support.

3. Who Am I?
Mika A. Epstein
(a.k.a. Ipstenu)
Over a decade of
supporting technologists,
programmers ...
and grandmothers

4. I have the
BEST IDEA!
It starts with you and your
dream (or desire).

5. I assemble my code

6. And it’s awesome!

7. YAY! Version 1.0.0!!!!!

8. Wow! People are
using my plugin!!!

9. Not everyone likes it...

10. http://wordpress.org/support/
view/plugin-committer/YOURHANDLE

11. Do I want to
help them?
Do I want to spend my time
doing support?
You don’t have to!
But....

12. What’s in your README?
• Are there alternate support methods?
• Email, other forums, UserVoice?
• Is there no support?
• Is there only paid support?

13. Unless you clearly state
otherwise on your plugin
page, users have a
reasonable expectation
that you will provide free
support in the
WordPress.org Forums.

14. Is it really
my problem?
Valid complaints?
Reasonable requests?
Not RTFMing?

15. Okay, I’m going to help!
• Can I reproduce it?
• Have they tried
turning off other
plugins?
• Have they tried
using the default
theme?

16. Oh! It’s a conflict!

17. Should I fix it?
• Is it a security hole?
• Is it in the scope of
your plugin?
• Is the other plugin/
theme behaving
badly?

18. If you can’t fix it...
•Be honest
•Be direct
•Consider patches from users
•Ask for help

19. What about
requests?
My users want special
features.
Well ... Okay.

20. It totally
needs a
unicorn!
Yeah, I know it’s an
RSS plugin, man, but
think about it!
UNICORNS!

21. JUST
SAY
NO!

22. Keep sight of your scope
• What problem did I want to solve with
this plugin?
• What logical extensions can be added?
• What can be easily added?
• What can I add and still support?

23. But I want the unicorn!

24. You can still say no.

25. It’s okay to ...
• walk away
• say no
• get mad
• give up
• ask for help

26. It’s not okay to...
• blame them (even if it’s
their fault)
• be mean
• accept abuse
• ignore them*

27. Tips
So what should I do?

28. Document It
What it does
What it doesn’t
How it works
Support options
Known/common errors

29. REMEMBER!
If you make a
BIG change ...
DOCUMENT
IT!!

30. Take Time
Think before you answer
Study the error reports
Test possibilities
Take time for yourself

31. Be this
guy!
Walk away from the
computer once in a
while

32. I have a life! It’s ...

33. Don’t Attack!
They’re not attacking you
Don’t bite the users
Passion makes people seem
aggressive
Strong opinions can be
misread easily in text!

34. Don’t be
this guy
What do you want me
to do? LEAVE? Then
they'll keep being
wrong!
http://xkcd.com/386/

35. EOL
What if I’m just done with this plugin?

36. Warn them!
“This is no longer
supported.”
Push a final version to
notify users.
Alerts in the admin screen

37. Hand off?
Give it to someone else.
Ask someone to take it
over.
Email wp-hackers.
Post in the forums.

38. The End