Staff:HelpServ Guide

Current revision as of 08:12, 14 February 2011

In This Guide:

1 How HelpServ works
- 1.1 Help mode
- 1.2 Command mode
2 Statistics

How HelpServ works

HelpServ is a service bot designed to help with queues of questions (e.g., support requests). It is designed to work seamlessly in multiple channels at one time.

There is one-to-one mapping between HelpServ bots and the channels they act in; this is to allow private messages to work without having users specify a channel, making it easier to use. For example, HelpServ might be in #support, and Interview could be in #counterstrike; both would be bots of this kind, but would have completely separate user lists and data sets.

Each HelpServ bot has a set of "helpers", defined by the channel admins(s). For the remainder of this document, we will use "helper" to indicate someone on the help list for a channel, and "user" to indicate all other users. There are also "managers" and one "owner" for the bot.

There are two primary modes: "command mode" and "help mode." Helpers default to command mode, and other users default to help mode. Command mode uses a command parser similar to the standard services (i.e., NickServ, ChanServ, etc.). Help mode queues each user's messages into a virtual folder for later perusal by a helper. A helper who is actively using help mode may issue command mode lines by prefixing them with a "command word" for the channel (normally, "@").

Help mode

When a user joins the channel, a customizable greeting is sent. This greeting usually informs the user to private message the bot for assistance or to queue a question. It is recommended that this include a URL to a FAQ. The bot then shuts up until the user messages them again.

When a user messages the bot for the first time after joining, it opens a virtual folder for them. The time of the request is filed, and they're added to a queue. The virtual folder is kept active until a helper closes it, or the user is "lost"; when the virtual folder is closed, it is written out to a file along with some statistics (e.g., when it was opened, closed, when/if it was picked up by a helper, etc.).

A user is "lost" when:

For QUIT-based queues, the user disconnects.
For PART-based queues, the user parts the channel.
For ACCOUNT-based queues, the account is unregistered.

The default mode for queues is CLOSE-based, which behaves as ACCOUNT-based if the user is authenticated and QUIT-based otherwise.

Command mode

The following commands are defined:

LIST

Usage: /msg HelpServ LIST

Provides a list of currently open requests, listing unassigned requests first, then assigned.

PICKUP

Usage: /msg HelpServ PICKUP <reqid|nickname|*account>

Assigns the specified request to yourself.

REASSIGN

Usage: /msg HelpServ REASSIGN <reqid|nickname|*account> <helpers_nickname|*helpers_account>

Reassigns the specified request to another (online) helper.

CLOSE

Usage: /msg HelpServ CLOSE <reqid|nickname|*account> [reason]

Closes the specified request, along with a reason if given (which is stored with the request log)

ADDNOTE

Usage: /msg HelpServ ADDNOTE <reqid|nickname|*account> <message>

Appends a note to the specified request, which may be seen by other helpers.

Statistics

The following statistics are currently kept for all helpers:

Time in channel (total, this week, this month)
Number of requests "picked up"
Number of requests closed
Number of requests handed off (i.e., reassigned)
Number of requests received

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Staff_header2|title=HelpServ Guide}}<br />
-<pre>Adapated from services-darenet/docs/helpserv.txt</pre>
 == How HelpServ works ==
-HelpServ is a bot designed to help with queues of questions (or support requests). It is designed to work well in multiple channels at once.
+HelpServ is a service bot designed to help with queues of questions (e.g., support requests). It is designed to work seamlessly in multiple channels at one time.
-There is one-to-one mapping between help bots and channels they act in; this is to allow private messages to work without having users specify a channel (which is much easier to use). For example, HelpServ might be in #support, and Interview could be in #counterstrike; both would be bots of this kind, but would have totally separate user lists and data sets.
+There is one-to-one mapping between HelpServ bots and the channels they act in; this is to allow private messages to work without having users specify a channel, making it easier to use. For example, ''HelpServ'' might be in #support, and ''Interview'' could be in #counterstrike; both would be bots of this kind, but would have completely separate user lists and data sets.
-Each channel/help bot has a set of "helper" users, defined by the channel admin(s). In the rest of this document, we will use "helper" to indicate someone on the helper list for the channel, and "user" to indicate all other users. There are also "manager" users and one "owner" for the bot.
+Each HelpServ bot has a set of "helpers", defined by the channel admins(s). For the remainder of this document, we will use "helper" to indicate someone on the help list for a channel, and "user" to indicate all other users. There are also "managers" and one "owner" for the bot.
-There are two primary mode: "command mode" and "help mode." Helpers default to command mode, and other users default to help mode. Command mode uses a command parser similar to the standard services (e.g., NickServ, ChanServ, etc.). Help mode queues each user's messages into a virtual folder for later perusal by a helper. A helper who is actively using "help mode" may issue "command mode" lines by prefixing them with a "command word" for the channel.
+There are two primary modes: "command mode" and "help mode." Helpers default to command mode, and other users default to help mode. Command mode uses a command parser similar to the standard services (i.e., NickServ, ChanServ, etc.). Help mode queues each user's messages into a virtual folder for later perusal by a helper. A helper who is actively using help mode may issue command mode lines by prefixing them with a "command word" for the channel (normally, "@").
-=== In help mode ===
+=== Help mode ===
-When a normal user joins the channel, a customizable greeting is sent. This usually tells the user to private message the bot for help (or to queue a question). It is recommended that this include a URL to a FAQ. The bot then shuts up until the user messages them again.
+When a user joins the channel, a customizable greeting is sent. This greeting usually informs the user to private message the bot for assistance or to queue a question. It is recommended that this include a URL to a FAQ. The bot then shuts up until the user messages them again.
-When a user messages the bot for the first time after they join, it opens a virtual folder for them. The time of this request is filed, and they are added to a queue. It also sends another customizable message. The virtual folder is kept active until a helper closes it or the user is "lost"; when the virtual folder is closed, it is written out to a file (with statistics on when it was opened, closed, if (and when) it was picked up by a helper, etc).
+When a user messages the bot for the first time after joining, it opens a virtual folder for them. The time of the request is filed, and they're added to a queue. The virtual folder is kept active until a helper closes it, or the user is "lost"; when the virtual folder is closed, it is written out to a file along with some statistics (e.g., when it was opened, closed, when/if it was picked up by a helper, etc.).
 A user is "lost" when:
-* For QUIT-based requests (or queues), the user disconnects from IRC>
+* For QUIT-based queues, the user disconnects.
-* For PART-based requests, the user parts the channel.
+* For PART-based queues, the user parts the channel.
-* For account-based requests, the account is unregistered.
+* For ACCOUNT-based queues, the account is unregistered.
-The default mode for queues is close-based, which behaves as account-based if the user is authed and quit-based otherwise.
+The default mode for queues is CLOSE-based, which behaves as ACCOUNT-based if the user is authenticated and QUIT-based otherwise.
-Helpers may also annotate an existing request, using the ADDNOTE command.
+=== Command mode ===
-=== In command mode ===
 The following commands are defined:
-'''LIST''' - shows currently open requests (unassigned first, then assigned).
+==== LIST ====
+Usage: <code class="scmd">/msg HelpServ LIST</code>
+Provides a list of currently open requests, listing unassigned requests first, then assigned.
+==== NEXT ====
+Usage: <code class="scmd">/msg HelpServ NEXT</code>
+Assigns the next unassigned request to yourself.
+==== PICKUP ====
+Usage: <code class="scmd">/msg HelpServ PICKUP <reqid|nickname|*account></code>
+Assigns the specified request to yourself.
+==== REASSIGN ====
+Usage: <code class="scmd">/msg HelpServ REASSIGN <reqid|nickname|*account> <helpers_nickname|*helpers_account></code>
+Reassigns the specified request to another (online) helper.
+==== CLOSE ====
-'''NEXT''' - acts as PICKUP for the next unassigned request.
+Usage: <code class="scmd">/msg HelpServ CLOSE <reqid|nickname|*account> [reason]</code>
-'''PICKUP <reqid|nick|*account>''' - Assigns the specified request to yourself.
+Closes the specified request, along with a reason if given (which is stored with the request log)
-'''REASSIGN <reqid|nick|*account> <helpernick|*account>''' - Reassigns the request to another (online) helper.
+==== ADDNOTE ====
-'''CLOSE <reqid|nick|*account> [reason]''' - Closes the request, with comment (stored in request log).
+Usage: <code class="scmd">/msg HelpServ ADDNOTE <reqid|nickname|*account> <message></code>
-'''ADDNOTE <reqid|nick|*account> <message>''' - Adds a note to a request.
+Appends a note to the specified request, which may be seen by other helpers.
 == Statistics ==
-For any helper (including managers), the following statistics are kept:
+The following statistics are currently kept for all helpers:
 * Time in channel (total, this week, this month)