Sure I'll just drop what I'm doing....

I've had some moments like these. Sometimes its a random invite to a group,other times I see them ask for help in gen chat and I occasionally go help them out with something.
I guess I'm one of those peeps who didn't have many bad moments with these random people asking for help. I help some of them and they say thanks and we split after that.
I also 1 time was gonna help this guy on tatooine with his mission to kill a boss and I traveled to that boss area. He then invited someone else to help out and then told me he didn't need my help anymore. That surprised me and got me a little frustrated since I traveled quite a long way to that boss,but minutes later he gave me like a few thousand credits thru mail for the trouble and he said he was sorry. After that we went our separate ways and that was it.

I had a similar experience. I don't play much on the Republic side, first one to get off the starter planet was a Trooper. I'm stomping around on Coruscant having a high time shooting baddies and pissing off Gen. Garza... you know, the usual. I rolled a healer btw, so I see another trooper having a heck of a time. I throw out some heals and buffs and go about my business. I see him again later, same thing. This time he sees me and throws me an invite. I decline and move on. Later again run across him and same thing, this time he whispers me pleading for help. I accept this time and help him out a bit, and just like you say I have a new bestie and he doesn't want to let me go. For a few weeks it seemed like every time I logged in he was there whispering or sending group invite. I ended up just deleting and re-rolling to get off his friends list. I was still under 20 so no big deal, but lesson learned.

Its not republic sith specific

Depends who you run across, when, and how you approach them.

I know I helped a stranger on Ilum do the storymode flashpoint just other day (And Id only just came back myself) because she was struggleing to find help and wasnt being rude or ignorant about looking for help (and wasnt named fuzzy'nut'**** or something equally idiotic). So I finished up my Daily run and had a hour to blow so said sure and took her through the flashpoint.

Both sides can be very helpful and very idiotic,
Just depends who you happen across and what they doing at the time

Ive also answered a book full of class questions on Troopers and Healer sages for new players when they ask on fleet for help (in a polite and respectful manner) on Harbinger Server.

Ive also put an amazing number of names on ignore for demanding help and going about it the completely wrong way.

Not saying you did any of that.
Just saying there is lots of folks that will help on both sides
And a ton of folks that wont or will tell you that old and unfunny Alt F4 nonsense

Hahahaha! I rerolled my bounty hunter because of a similar thing once! It got so I didn't want to play the character anymore because I knew as soon as I logged in this guy that I had friended would be all over me.

Iyt happened again with a sith warrior I had made. I purposely didn't play the character for weeks so this "friend" I had made on Korriban would outlevel me and have no use for my help.

The problem with being helpful is that people take advantage of it or are simply out to trick you (usually for credits ). If I knew that everyone was genuine I wouldnt have a problem with handing someone 50K every now and then. The thing is just that I might give it to either a credit seller or experienced player who has made a system out of it.

It's even challenging to give away crap you don't need/want. I'm constantly accumulating CM stuff, which I on one hand want to get rid of but on the other don't want to simply hand to someone who already has a bunch and is just out to increase its wealth. I want it to go to someone who actually could make some use out of it. At this point it's all of a sudden turned into a workload where you have to formulate yourself in chat in a way that excludes everyone who isnt new to the game. Asking for new players in chat is on the other hand raising peoples eyebrows because now they're starting to think that I'm trying to rip off some poor bastard.

Oh I agree and bolded part I really agree on.
Im sure everyone has their own code they follow

For me to help a stranger comes down to
- Do they ask politely or with respect (not the demanding gimme gimme gimme attitude so often seen today)
- Is their name not idiotic. Im no naming crazy (unless RP server with agreed upon nameing rules) but some of the names out there are so beyond stupid that I actually put them on ignore the minute I see them. I figure they had to know the name was stupid and did so anyways, so thats enough forwarning for me)
- I NEVER give out credits. Ill tell them (oir even show them) how to earn credits but I NEVER give out credits unless personal friends.

Those the guildlines I look at in helping people physically
Advice wise on fleet or zone, Ill answer any question if I know the correct answer and person isn't coming off as a *well we all know where I'm going with that one*

I just hate needy high maintenance players and sadly there seems to be a rise in those types ever year.

Just ask, be polite or at least reasonable, and dont expect others to do it for you

Course Im the type that has a max crafter in every craft (in every MMO I played) and refuses to take stuff from guild vault, even though Ive been told to do so.

I completely dont relate to the now now now, gimme gimme gimme, faster faster faster crowd.

If you are looking for new people to give fun things to, you can ID their achievements since they are legacy wide.

I think you and I have a lot in common.

That's great way to role play level 50+ Smuggler/Bounty Hunter!

I like to walk when I'm on starter planets or capital world and I ignore any requests. They usually get the idea at some point.

This thread makes me wonder - how many times have you all been blind invited in a row? When I was new to the game, I rolled a sith marauder. On Balmorra I got blind invited by two different players. I was stood by a med centre, crafting. One did it about six times, the other around 12. One of them kept dying, and every time he rezzed there he invited me. I had no idea how to whisper people, how to ignore someone... I was a real noob. I did google how to decline invites automatically after that though.