Post by Xorren Hedrasii on Oct 26, 2005 14:19:25 GMT -5
The following are observations I have adapted from a book.
*Respect your privacy
It's nice to have a public e-mail address so people can contact you in private. It is not fun, however, to find some weirdo at your doorstep. Be sensible! Protect yourself with an anonymous email address if you feel you need to.
*Entertainment is provided by you
This is a place to have fun, so relax, and pull up a chair. We're a friendly crowd and we don't mind laughing at ourselves and each other. We are even amused when we're caught taking ourselves too seriously.
*Obey Goodwin's Law.
See explanation below
*Be polite.
As with all human reactions, courtesy is always welcome and surprisingly effective.
*Don’t type your whole message in uppercase.
It's difficult to read and feels like you're shouting. A short stretch of uppercase is SUFFECIENT to emphasize a point. Also try using capitals and punctuation.
*Pay attention to your grammar and spelling.
It's all about communication, and poorly constructed messages are confusing. If your words are important enough to write, they are important enough to write well. Write ideas that make us think, not Imperial Codes to break.
*Forgive the spelling and grammar mistakes.
Not everyone types easily, learned English at home, or has decades of practice.
*Review and reflect before posting.
What would be your reaction to this message if you received it? Convincing? Hostile? Rambling? Time spent on making a message clearer and more persuasive is always time well spent.
*Grammar Police strike without warning!
-Break your sentences into logical paragraphs.
-Restrict your sentences to sensible lengths.
-Don't double-space short sentences to fill space.
-Etc.
*Avoid flames.
DO NOT, under any circumstances, flame! Take time to calm down, and cool off. Messages sent in the heat of a moment tend to exacerbate a situation. Give constructive criticism.
*Pointed humor = sarcasm.
If you're not being sarcastic say so. Maybe you are being sarcastic without knowing it.
*Forums, immediate conversation sans body language.
The powers that be have bypassed this fault with emoticons. There are hundreds, some more common than others. This doesn't mean you should use them all in every message! Use sparingly and they will be more effective.
*Mind your manners.
Become familiar with a thread before tossing in your thoughts. In general, keep to the subject as much as possible, with an occasional brief detour. If you want to branch off into a new tangent, start a new thread.
*If you make a request , say please.
Please and thank you are under-used. It's amazing how much common courtesies will help you in the long run.
*Don’t expect an immediate answer
The lack of a quick response doesn't mean you are being ignored. Forums are visited at random times. Most of the time, a slow response means that either, everyone agrees, has a lack of knowledge on the subject, or isn't interested. The latter shouldn't be cause for offense, it happens to everyone.
Goodwin's Law
The longer a discussion becomes, the more likely it is to disintegrate into a flame involving a comparison with Nazis or Hitler. As the thread ages, the probability approaches one.
There is a tradition in many groups that, once this occurs, that thread is over, and the person who mentioned Nazis in the first place is the automatic loser of the argument. Also that thread is null and void. This is known as Goodwin's Law.
Goodwin's Law is a way to keep a thread from ruining a good message board and keep an upper bound on thread length. There is a codicil to keep the law in check. It states that any intentional triggering of Goodwin's Law in order to invoke its thread-ending effects will be unsuccessful and ignored.
*Respect your privacy
It's nice to have a public e-mail address so people can contact you in private. It is not fun, however, to find some weirdo at your doorstep. Be sensible! Protect yourself with an anonymous email address if you feel you need to.
*Entertainment is provided by you
This is a place to have fun, so relax, and pull up a chair. We're a friendly crowd and we don't mind laughing at ourselves and each other. We are even amused when we're caught taking ourselves too seriously.
*Obey Goodwin's Law.
See explanation below
*Be polite.
As with all human reactions, courtesy is always welcome and surprisingly effective.
*Don’t type your whole message in uppercase.
It's difficult to read and feels like you're shouting. A short stretch of uppercase is SUFFECIENT to emphasize a point. Also try using capitals and punctuation.
*Pay attention to your grammar and spelling.
It's all about communication, and poorly constructed messages are confusing. If your words are important enough to write, they are important enough to write well. Write ideas that make us think, not Imperial Codes to break.
*Forgive the spelling and grammar mistakes.
Not everyone types easily, learned English at home, or has decades of practice.
*Review and reflect before posting.
What would be your reaction to this message if you received it? Convincing? Hostile? Rambling? Time spent on making a message clearer and more persuasive is always time well spent.
*Grammar Police strike without warning!
-Break your sentences into logical paragraphs.
-Restrict your sentences to sensible lengths.
-Don't double-space short sentences to fill space.
-Etc.
*Avoid flames.
DO NOT, under any circumstances, flame! Take time to calm down, and cool off. Messages sent in the heat of a moment tend to exacerbate a situation. Give constructive criticism.
*Pointed humor = sarcasm.
If you're not being sarcastic say so. Maybe you are being sarcastic without knowing it.
*Forums, immediate conversation sans body language.
The powers that be have bypassed this fault with emoticons. There are hundreds, some more common than others. This doesn't mean you should use them all in every message! Use sparingly and they will be more effective.
*Mind your manners.
Become familiar with a thread before tossing in your thoughts. In general, keep to the subject as much as possible, with an occasional brief detour. If you want to branch off into a new tangent, start a new thread.
*If you make a request , say please.
Please and thank you are under-used. It's amazing how much common courtesies will help you in the long run.
*Don’t expect an immediate answer
The lack of a quick response doesn't mean you are being ignored. Forums are visited at random times. Most of the time, a slow response means that either, everyone agrees, has a lack of knowledge on the subject, or isn't interested. The latter shouldn't be cause for offense, it happens to everyone.
Goodwin's Law
The longer a discussion becomes, the more likely it is to disintegrate into a flame involving a comparison with Nazis or Hitler. As the thread ages, the probability approaches one.
There is a tradition in many groups that, once this occurs, that thread is over, and the person who mentioned Nazis in the first place is the automatic loser of the argument. Also that thread is null and void. This is known as Goodwin's Law.
Goodwin's Law is a way to keep a thread from ruining a good message board and keep an upper bound on thread length. There is a codicil to keep the law in check. It states that any intentional triggering of Goodwin's Law in order to invoke its thread-ending effects will be unsuccessful and ignored.
