FORUM ETIQUETTE 101

If you spend any time on forums, then you will have been introduced to the everyday "noob". If this person didn't either a) get on your nerves, or b) strike you as a rude or inexperienced person, then you are probably a "noob" too. The reason I am writing this is not only to decrease the noob population, but to increase the polite forum-goer population as well. Do you want to be a respected member of the forum you attend? Well, here are some tips on how to do just that.

Act Your Age

Nobody likes immature people that ask a lot of questions and get into all of the little flame wars. The way to avoid this is to, of course, be mature. Being mature means:

:: Don't argue with other members all of the time. If you have a different viewpoint on something, and you have a good reason for that viewpoint (which includes logic and proof) then you may debate with people that have an opposite viewpoint. Debating is not calling them names and insulting their mothers, it is saying something like "Well, you may think that, but I think this because..." It is a clean and semi-educated argument.

:: Use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Don't talk like you would on an instant messenger, take a moment to actually try to speak properly. Put periods on the end of all of your sentence, capitalize the proper nouns and the first words in sentences, etc. Also, please refrain from using anything such as "ur", "cuz", "wut", "dun", "y" (why), etc. Now, a lesson in words that sound the same:

They're --they are
Their--belongs to them
You're--you are
Your--belongs to you

And, if you use Mozilla Firefox (I dont' know if IE does it) then you have no excuse for misspelling anything. (excluding slang and things such as Pokemon names, etc.) Firefox now has an automated spell checker, so when your making your posts and you misspell something, it will have a red line under it. Right click, and viola! Click the correct spelling of your word!

:: Don't use advanced words that you don't know. Yes, you can also try to be too old. If you use a lot of words that are larger and more advanced than you can handle, you'll probably misuse a few, and that makes you look a bit stupid. It's like saying "I refrained her from looking at me." Refrain generally means to stop yourself from doing something or to avoid the impulse to do something, and looks kind of silly used in this manner.

Know Your Status

A major problem, which occurs in life in general as well, is acting like you are authority when you're not. Bossing other people around, constantly correcting others, and other behaviors are examples of this. In the forum world, this is known as mini-modding.

The Lock Notifier If a thread is unneeded or has served it's purpose, and you come and post "Ok, mod lock this please." It is mini-modding, especially if you're not even in the conversation taking place in the thread. By doing that, you are also spamming, which makes it twice as bad.

The Category Know-It-All Say there is a thread that is posted in the wrong section, and you go to that thread and post "This doesn't belong her, it belongs (insert forum and link) here." If that is all that you post, without even contributing to the topic of the thread, then it is also mini-modding and spamming.

Reviving / Bumping Threads

In most forums, there is a rule about reviving really old threads. The limit is normally a month or two old. If the thread is older than that, and you post in it, then you are bumping it, and therefore breaking the rule. Some forums have an exception to this, which is that if you are reviving your old thread with a useful post, it is okay. This does not mean that you can bump your thread up if it is falling down on the list! (unless you have some truly useful information to add)

Words of Closing

So, now you know the basis of what it takes to get some respect at a forum. Of course, along with what I just stated, you also need to follow the rules of the forum that you are posting at. Just be sure to follow these guidelines, and you will have a happier forum life, and other people will thank you for it.

:: CHIKORITA :: Fuzzball of the Week

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