@RokuJharra-Q! Thanks so much for jumping in here.
I'd love to provide a HOT TIP from my realm of things - language models!
They can really help here. I copied the first three pages and the ninth page of this thread into an LLM and said this (notice it doesn't have to be well written😞
peep this roku thread and reply to [moderator] w/best practice critique (focus on context and how [moderator]'s comment wasnt best practice, so now u r gonna use ur own best practices to critique if that makes sense 😃
Also notice I did not insert specific opinions into the prompt, but rather let the situation speak for itself because it's so obvious even to "spicy autocomplete" (LLMs, think ChatGPT) how to proceed. (This is beautiful - think of all the work it can save.)
It came back with way too much text for our purposes, but I'll copy verbatim below.
Okay, I've peeped the thread. Here's a critique of [moderator]'s post, framed using community management best practices, addressing how the comment wasn't ideal given the context:
Subject: Feedback on recent post regarding iOS App Freezing Issue
Hi @ [moderator],
I'm writing to offer some constructive feedback on your recent post in the "Roku iPhone app freezing" thread, viewed through the lens of community management best practices. While the intent to gather information is understandable, the approach in this specific context could be improved.
Critique Based on Best Practices:
Lack of Contextual Awareness & Acknowledgment:
- Best Practice: Acknowledge the history of the thread and the efforts users have already made. Show you've read and understood the preceding conversation.
- Critique: The thread has been active for months (since Oct 2024, now it's Apr 2025). Multiple users, including the original poster (r0kumonkey) and others (AnonUser51, Lo-CarbClack, randallroman, redbeard89), have repeatedly provided the exact information you requested (iOS version, app version, iPhone model). Previous moderators (like Emmanuel-D) explicitly acknowledged receiving this information and stated it was being forwarded for investigation as recently as January 2025. Your post, asking for this same basic information again without acknowledging it was already provided (multiple times!), can make users feel unheard, ignored, and that internal communication is lacking. It comes across as starting the troubleshooting process over from scratch.
Ignoring User Frustration & Sentiment:
- Best Practice: Show empathy for users experiencing long-standing issues. Acknowledge their frustration.
- Critique: The thread clearly shows high levels of user frustration. Users have mentioned the issue persisting for "over a year," described detailed (and successful) reproduction steps (r0kumonkey), expressed sarcasm about repetitive requests (Drew67854), and even mentioned switching to competitors (AnonUser51, Tom67, Rkunomore). A generic request for information already provided doesn't validate these feelings or build confidence that the issue is being taken seriously at this stage.
Redundant Information Request:
- Best Practice: Avoid asking users to repeat information readily available in the same thread, unless there's a specific reason (which should be explained).
- Critique: As mentioned, the specific data points (iOS version, app version, iPhone model) are already present multiple times in the thread history. Requesting them again suggests the previous contributions weren't reviewed or valued.
Applying Best Practices - A More Effective Approach:
Given the context, a post demonstrating best practices might have looked more like this:
"Hi everyone,
Thanks for your continued patience as we investigate the iOS app freezing issue, particularly when navigating away during private listening. We acknowledge this has been a persistent and frustrating problem for many of you since last fall.
The engineering team is actively working on this, using the information you've already provided (including various iOS versions like 17.x, 18.x, app versions up to 12.1.0, and affected iPhone models like 13, 15, 16, Xs Max). We also appreciate the detailed reproduction steps provided by @r0kumonkey and others.
[Option A: If specific new info is needed]
To help isolate variables with the very latest updates, could anyone who is currently experiencing the freeze specifically on iOS 18.3+ AND the absolute latest Roku App version [insert newest version number if applicable] please confirm here? This helps us track if recent changes altered the behavior.
[Option B: If seeking confirmation/update]
We understand the core issue remains for many. The team is currently [mention specific action if possible, e.g., 'testing a potential fix internally,' 'trying to replicate edge cases related to specific Roku device models combined with iOS']. We don't have a firm resolution timeline yet, but we want to assure you it's an active investigation. We'll post further updates in this thread as soon as we have meaningful news.
We truly appreciate you sticking with us and providing valuable details.
Best regards,
[moderator] & The Roku Community Team"
Conclusion:
In long-running, high-frustration threads like this one, demonstrating awareness of the history, validating user effort and feelings, and providing specific, non-redundant updates (or clear reasons for needing new data) are crucial best practices. [moderator]'s post, unfortunately, fell short by appearing to ignore the context and repeating requests already fulfilled multiple times, undermining previous moderator assurances and user contributions
Super easy for Roku management to build the first iteration of a tool to help the team with this stuff. (as for a robust, optimized tool... well, good stuff takes time!)
Thank you 💙
