Forum Etiquette
by Charabis
How many times have you gone into a forum to find it a total mess? Flame Wars, Trolls, and downright rude people all contribute to making a mess of even the most well-run forum. So what's a respectable person to do?
Learn how to behave, of course! Let's have a quick look at a few of the things you may want to keep in mind before you decide to start posting to a forum.
For starters, take the time to find the right section of the forum for your post. If you want to tell a joke that has nothing to do with the main content of the forum, then you should be looking to the off-topic section. Yes, it's pretty trivial for a moderator to move it where it belongs, but it's so much easier to just put it where it belongs in the first place. Remember that most moderators aren't paid. Don't give them excuses to not want to moderate ;)
Second, think about what you're about to post. If you simply want to agree with someone by saying, "Me too!" or something similar, you're better off not posting. Make sure you actually have something to say or add to the conversation before posting. Those who don't quickly get a reputation as a forum troll, and most people won't take a troll seriously.
Also make sure what you're planning on posting isn't designed to hurt someone else or incite an arguement. Both of these types of posts often lead to flame wars, and no good ever comes of those. Be wary of the feelings of others, as flamers often get a cooler reception than the trolls.
So you've decided you have something worth posting and have it all typed in. You're ready to submit it, right? Not quite yet actually. Take a second to reread what you typed. As silly as it might sound, check it for spelling and grammar. You'll also want to make sure you can read it easily, and separate your thoughts into paragraphs. The commonly accepted way of doing that is to hit enter twice at the end of a paragraph, leaving a blank line between them.
In the end, the best way to judge what you're doing is to take a look at it yourself and try to imagine how you'd react if someone else had posted it. If you realize it would just make you angry, hurt, or bored, you're better off not posting it. Forums are designed for people to converse in a civil manner. Doing so will ensure that people want to continue to converse with you for as long as you're on a given forum, and possibly beyond.
Now come on down to our forums and practice what you've learned!
