The Ten Commandments of Discussion Forum Behavior
11-22-04, 12:44 AM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
The Ten Commandments of Discussion Forum Behavior
Well, if there was any question that I have too much time on my hands, here's my own set of the "Ten Commandments of Discussion Forum Behavior" to remove any doubt.
I'm on several discussion forums, and I think they are one of the best things on the internet. I also think ClubLexus is one of the best-managed and moderated forums, but I can't help but notice some posting behavior that makes me want to scratch my head, or worse.
One of the cardinal rules of Clublexus is to respect others, so I certainly don't expect anyone to change their forum habits just because of me, but in my "perfect world", here's what I'd like to see. This is a work in progress and there's a bit of overlap ("Search" is covered in 3 rules!), so it may be subject to revision, but here's my first stab at it (in order of importance):
1) Use the "Search" Function, so you don't post a question that's already been answered. Repeatedly.
2) Don't title your thread "I have a question" or "Please Help" or something equally insipid. We're all looking for help. If you really want some help, how about being more descriptive in your thread title, so we know what sort of help you need? The "Subject:" field is 85 characters long- use it.
3) Quit quoting the post above yours when you are responding. We all just read the same post you are about to quote again- what are we, idiots? We are not interested in reading it again. Quit doubling the length of the thread. Just post your answer and be done with it. We'll figure it out.
4) Speaking of lengthy threads, use the "edit" button when appropriate to correct or elaborate on what you have said previously, rather than adding another post.
5) Don't wimp out and complain the Search Function yields too many threads to read through. Use "Advanced Search" to narrow it down.
6) Threads never die. If you search and come across a subject you want to explore further, bring the discussion back to life. Ignore the inevitable "Gee, this is an old thread" posts (yeah, thanks Sherlock). Bringing old threads back to life is far better than starting a new thread on the same subject.
7) Posting the results of a Search to answer a post by someone who obviously didn't use the Search Function is about the best use of Search there is.
8) This is a discussion forum, not a cell phone text messaging session. Therefore, "you" is not spelled "U".
9) Don't bump or "TTT". If your thread is not generating responses, let it die the death it deserves (serves you right for naming it "Please Help").
10) If you need to tell others that you are being funny by adding one of those overused "smileys" to the end of every other sentence, well, maybe you're just not as funny as you think you are.
Like I said, this is a work in progress. I don't think I'll get much flack on #1, #2 and #3, but I'm not quite sure #4, #5 and #8 occur often enough to warrant a place on the list. And I'm sure I'll soon get some responses about stuff I missed, or how wrong I am about this rule or that rule, or where I should shove my spark plug socket. That's OK- I can take it (the criticism, that is, not the socket).
I'm on several discussion forums, and I think they are one of the best things on the internet. I also think ClubLexus is one of the best-managed and moderated forums, but I can't help but notice some posting behavior that makes me want to scratch my head, or worse.
One of the cardinal rules of Clublexus is to respect others, so I certainly don't expect anyone to change their forum habits just because of me, but in my "perfect world", here's what I'd like to see. This is a work in progress and there's a bit of overlap ("Search" is covered in 3 rules!), so it may be subject to revision, but here's my first stab at it (in order of importance):
1) Use the "Search" Function, so you don't post a question that's already been answered. Repeatedly.
2) Don't title your thread "I have a question" or "Please Help" or something equally insipid. We're all looking for help. If you really want some help, how about being more descriptive in your thread title, so we know what sort of help you need? The "Subject:" field is 85 characters long- use it.
3) Quit quoting the post above yours when you are responding. We all just read the same post you are about to quote again- what are we, idiots? We are not interested in reading it again. Quit doubling the length of the thread. Just post your answer and be done with it. We'll figure it out.
4) Speaking of lengthy threads, use the "edit" button when appropriate to correct or elaborate on what you have said previously, rather than adding another post.
5) Don't wimp out and complain the Search Function yields too many threads to read through. Use "Advanced Search" to narrow it down.
6) Threads never die. If you search and come across a subject you want to explore further, bring the discussion back to life. Ignore the inevitable "Gee, this is an old thread" posts (yeah, thanks Sherlock). Bringing old threads back to life is far better than starting a new thread on the same subject.
7) Posting the results of a Search to answer a post by someone who obviously didn't use the Search Function is about the best use of Search there is.
8) This is a discussion forum, not a cell phone text messaging session. Therefore, "you" is not spelled "U".
9) Don't bump or "TTT". If your thread is not generating responses, let it die the death it deserves (serves you right for naming it "Please Help").
10) If you need to tell others that you are being funny by adding one of those overused "smileys" to the end of every other sentence, well, maybe you're just not as funny as you think you are.
Like I said, this is a work in progress. I don't think I'll get much flack on #1, #2 and #3, but I'm not quite sure #4, #5 and #8 occur often enough to warrant a place on the list. And I'm sure I'll soon get some responses about stuff I missed, or how wrong I am about this rule or that rule, or where I should shove my spark plug socket. That's OK- I can take it (the criticism, that is, not the socket).
11-22-04, 05:49 AM
#2
Forum Administrator
iTrader: (2)
Re: The Ten Commandments of Discussion Forum Behavior
I agree with most of these thoughts Perry, lol.
Combine some of the 'use search' responses into a single rule (#1 and #5). I lauged about #7 because I do that all the time for folks... it's even better to tell them the keywords you used in advanced search to get the results so they hopefully will learn to use it themselves.
On #6, I both agree and disagree. If you're bringing back an old thread to ask a valid question about something being discussed, have at it by all means. Bringing back old threads where people are arguing, trolls searching for the make of their favorite car and bumping all those old threads, trolling non-apporved vendors bumping everything with a keyword related to something they sell, etc gets very annoying. If you're going to bump a thread to ask a specific question about the topic by all means have at it. Some folks just bump old threads for the hell of it and that gets confusing for members at times, depending on the subject.
#2 expand to include ending what is a good title with '...' before finishing the topic to draw people in. Examples "I saw this light on my..." or "Did you ever see one of these...". If you have a '...' finish your title with the topic, don't play tricks to draw people in.
$3 is very useful on an active thread with many people posting, or if you are responding to just one point. I wouldn't say never use it, I don't want to have to deal with all the posts asking 'who were you talking to?' if members didn't use the feature.
#8 What is spelled What, not Wat as well.
Combine some of the 'use search' responses into a single rule (#1 and #5). I lauged about #7 because I do that all the time for folks... it's even better to tell them the keywords you used in advanced search to get the results so they hopefully will learn to use it themselves.
On #6, I both agree and disagree. If you're bringing back an old thread to ask a valid question about something being discussed, have at it by all means. Bringing back old threads where people are arguing, trolls searching for the make of their favorite car and bumping all those old threads, trolling non-apporved vendors bumping everything with a keyword related to something they sell, etc gets very annoying. If you're going to bump a thread to ask a specific question about the topic by all means have at it. Some folks just bump old threads for the hell of it and that gets confusing for members at times, depending on the subject.
#2 expand to include ending what is a good title with '...' before finishing the topic to draw people in. Examples "I saw this light on my..." or "Did you ever see one of these...". If you have a '...' finish your title with the topic, don't play tricks to draw people in.
$3 is very useful on an active thread with many people posting, or if you are responding to just one point. I wouldn't say never use it, I don't want to have to deal with all the posts asking 'who were you talking to?' if members didn't use the feature.
#8 What is spelled What, not Wat as well.
11-22-04, 06:42 AM
#3
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Great idea and I like them all! Only a clarification on number three. I agree too many people quote the whole damn posts, some even include the photo that was attached, which is just a waste of space. And some do it just to say I agree or 
..... 
But I often will quote a sentence or two to highlight specifically what I am replying to if necessary. I think that use of the quote function is ok, especially when a thread has significant volume.
And I agree, in the right instances it is not bad to bring an old thread back to life.
Also, it doesn't happen here at CL often, but it does happen throughout the internet quite a bit. Some people just horrendously abuse the english language thru abbreviations, incorrect verb tenses, and illogical sentence structure. Early on I learned the 3 C's for English. Clear, Concise, and Complete.
Clear - ensure that others can understand what you are trying to say, proof read what you wrote and determine if it really says what you are trying to convey, if not then re-write it!
Concise - say it in as few words as possible, the less you have to write, the less chance of something being mis-interpreted. (This also goes the other way, many times people perform "quick reads" and completely mis-interpret what is being said). Slow down, write more concisely and read a little slower, this lessens the chance of something being mis-interpreted.
Complete - ensure that it includes your full thought process. Skipping points or assuming that they will know what you mean will definitely lead to miscommunication.
Clear, Concise, Complete - Learn it, use it, live it!
..... But I often will quote a sentence or two to highlight specifically what I am replying to if necessary. I think that use of the quote function is ok, especially when a thread has significant volume.
And I agree, in the right instances it is not bad to bring an old thread back to life.
Also, it doesn't happen here at CL often, but it does happen throughout the internet quite a bit. Some people just horrendously abuse the english language thru abbreviations, incorrect verb tenses, and illogical sentence structure. Early on I learned the 3 C's for English. Clear, Concise, and Complete.
Clear - ensure that others can understand what you are trying to say, proof read what you wrote and determine if it really says what you are trying to convey, if not then re-write it!
Concise - say it in as few words as possible, the less you have to write, the less chance of something being mis-interpreted. (This also goes the other way, many times people perform "quick reads" and completely mis-interpret what is being said). Slow down, write more concisely and read a little slower, this lessens the chance of something being mis-interpreted.
Complete - ensure that it includes your full thought process. Skipping points or assuming that they will know what you mean will definitely lead to miscommunication.
Clear, Concise, Complete - Learn it, use it, live it!
Last edited by WhiteTiger; 11-22-04 at 06:45 AM.
11-22-04, 09:21 AM
#4
Lexus Fanatic
Re: The Ten Commandments of Discussion Forum Behavior
Originally posted by PERRYinLA
6) Threads never die. If you search and come across a subject you want to explore further, bring the discussion back to life. Ignore the inevitable "Gee, this is an old thread" posts (yeah, thanks Sherlock). Bringing old threads back to life is far better than starting a new thread on the same subject.
6) Threads never die. If you search and come across a subject you want to explore further, bring the discussion back to life. Ignore the inevitable "Gee, this is an old thread" posts (yeah, thanks Sherlock). Bringing old threads back to life is far better than starting a new thread on the same subject.
Ahem .....this is what i try to do LOL
interesting thoughts ....some a little harsh but others i agree with
11-22-04, 09:52 AM
#5
Re: The Ten Commandments of Discussion Forum Behavior
I agree in essence with some of the points but I'm not as particular. This forum has many members with many backgrounds. I tend to let go of some of these things as long as theposter is sincere about the approach. I do think though some of he points are too rigid.
Like Dave said, in a post with multiple responses, it is easier to quote the post you are responding to. Also, with lengthy posts (like yours 
), it makes reading easier to read without having to scroll back to see what the post responded to said. This is also a problem if the thread spans multi pages. I'm doing it in this response and to me, it is a totally valid usage.
The problem with doing this is that the edit does not change the status of the thread. If you responded two days ago and a number of posts has come up afterwards, editing the post to elaborate a point would not get read, especially if your post is now on a previous page. Even if the user uses the View Newest Post option, the edited post is still not seen.
To me, there are exceptions to this too. If a thread was a few pages and was done 2 years ago, with technology and availability changes, I don't want to know the state of a topic from 2 years ago. I want to know what is there now without going through a few pages of outdated discussions. I agree in general though.
Sometimes a thread is just missed or if it is very specific and only a number of qualified members have the knowledge to do so, members somtimes need to do this to keep it fresh enough to catch the right eye. After the 5th (arbitrarily high number here) bump, though, I agree that the thread should go away quietly. It would be sad ifthis happens, though, because it means that with the vast knowledge here on CL, no one was able to help this member.
I agree to a certain extent yes BUT I think smileys are VERY important in net speak. When we are reading a forum, all we see are words. You do not see someone's face, eyes, body language, or hear the tone of the voice. It is very easy to put our own spin on a message and get the wrong idea. A perfectly innocent post (or at least the poster thought so) can offend someone else if the reader took the poster's words as being too sarcastic, curt, self-righteous, arrogent, .... well you get the idea.
Just my thoughts.
Originally posted by PERRYinLA
3) Quit quoting the post above yours when you are responding. We all just read the same post you are about to quote again- what are we, idiots? We are not interested in reading it again. Quit doubling the length of the thread. Just post your answer and be done with it. We'll figure it out.
3) Quit quoting the post above yours when you are responding. We all just read the same post you are about to quote again- what are we, idiots? We are not interested in reading it again. Quit doubling the length of the thread. Just post your answer and be done with it. We'll figure it out.
), it makes reading easier to read without having to scroll back to see what the post responded to said. This is also a problem if the thread spans multi pages. I'm doing it in this response and to me, it is a totally valid usage.
Originally posted by PERRYinLA
4) Speaking of lengthy threads, use the "edit" button when appropriate to correct or elaborate on what you have said previously, rather than adding another post.
4) Speaking of lengthy threads, use the "edit" button when appropriate to correct or elaborate on what you have said previously, rather than adding another post.
Originally posted by PERRYinLA
6) Threads never die. If you search and come across a subject you want to explore further, bring the discussion back to life. Ignore the inevitable "Gee, this is an old thread" posts (yeah, thanks Sherlock). Bringing old threads back to life is far better than starting a new thread on the same subject.
6) Threads never die. If you search and come across a subject you want to explore further, bring the discussion back to life. Ignore the inevitable "Gee, this is an old thread" posts (yeah, thanks Sherlock). Bringing old threads back to life is far better than starting a new thread on the same subject.
Originally posted by PERRYinLA
9) Don't bump or "TTT". If your thread is not generating responses, let it die the death it deserves (serves you right for naming it "Please Help").
9) Don't bump or "TTT". If your thread is not generating responses, let it die the death it deserves (serves you right for naming it "Please Help").
Originally posted by PERRYinLA
10) If you need to tell others that you are being funny by adding one of those overused "smileys" to the end of every other sentence, well, maybe you're just not as funny as you think you are.
10) If you need to tell others that you are being funny by adding one of those overused "smileys" to the end of every other sentence, well, maybe you're just not as funny as you think you are.
Just my thoughts.
11-22-04, 10:17 AM
#6
Re: Re: The Ten Commandments of Discussion Forum Behavior
Originally posted by Neo
Like Dave said, in a post with multiple responses, it is easier to quote the post you are responding to. Also, with lengthy posts (like yours), it makes reading easier to read without having to scroll back to see what the post responded to said. This is also a problem if the thread spans multi pages. I'm doing it in this response and to me, it is a totally valid usage.
Like Dave said, in a post with multiple responses, it is easier to quote the post you are responding to. Also, with lengthy posts (like yours
), it makes reading easier to read without having to scroll back to see what the post responded to said. This is also a problem if the thread spans multi pages. I'm doing it in this response and to me, it is a totally valid usage.
11-22-04, 10:45 AM
#7
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Re: Re: Re: The Ten Commandments of Discussion Forum Behavior
Originally posted by bluelex
.....know so u quote what part of the question
....u r talking to a specific person .
.....know so u quote what part of the question
....u r talking to a specific person .
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11-22-04, 02:51 PM
#8
Re: Re: Re: Re: The Ten Commandments of Discussion Forum Behavior
Originally posted by WhiteTiger
Adrian, man breaking the commandments already and they aren't even in place yet!!?? (sorry guy, I couldn't pass that up)
Adrian, man breaking the commandments already and they aren't even in place yet!!?? (sorry guy, I couldn't pass that up)
11-22-04, 04:41 PM
#9
Racer
Thread Starter
Good comments, everyone, but you got me wrong on what I meant on #3....
I thought I was clear on what I was saying on #3 (the "quit quoting on your responses"), but some of you are jumping to the wrong conclusion. I specifically said "Quit quoting the post above yours when you are responding".
That's the key phrase. You can't tell me that there aren't a hell of lot of members who use the "Quote" button automatically almost every time they reply, as if it were the "Reply" button. I see it all the time. They are responding to the last post in the thread, and their response will appear right below that post, and yet they feel the need to quote the entire post all over again, as if we have already forgotten it. Pretty pathetic. In my perfect world, vBulletin would be set up so that the most recent post in any thread didn't even have a quote button.
Of course the quote button is very useful when you are referring to something back in the beginning of the thread- that's what it should be used for, and if you read #3 carefully it's only a certain way the quote feature is used that I was objecting to.
That's the key phrase. You can't tell me that there aren't a hell of lot of members who use the "Quote" button automatically almost every time they reply, as if it were the "Reply" button. I see it all the time. They are responding to the last post in the thread, and their response will appear right below that post, and yet they feel the need to quote the entire post all over again, as if we have already forgotten it. Pretty pathetic. In my perfect world, vBulletin would be set up so that the most recent post in any thread didn't even have a quote button.
Of course the quote button is very useful when you are referring to something back in the beginning of the thread- that's what it should be used for, and if you read #3 carefully it's only a certain way the quote feature is used that I was objecting to.
Last edited by PERRYinLA; 11-22-04 at 10:06 PM.
11-22-04, 06:32 PM
#10
Super Moderator
Originally posted by PERRYinLA
I thought I was clear on what I was saying on #3 (the "quit quoting on your responses"), but some of you are jumping to the wrong conclusion. I specifically said "Quit quoting the post above yours when you are responding". That's the key phrase.
I thought I was clear on what I was saying on #3 (the "quit quoting on your responses"), but some of you are jumping to the wrong conclusion. I specifically said "Quit quoting the post above yours when you are responding". That's the key phrase.
11-22-04, 09:49 PM
#11
Racer
Thread Starter
Well, that happens to me maybe once out of every 25 posts I submit (looks like I avoided it this time, too). In the unlikely event it does, I can easily use the "edit" button (see #4). Filling up the thread with "just-in-case" quotes is sort of overkill, if you ask me.
But like I said, I don't expect anyone to change their forum habits just because of what I'm saying. And don't think I didn't notice that you were thoughtful enough to only quote the part of my post that was necessary!
But like I said, I don't expect anyone to change their forum habits just because of what I'm saying. And don't think I didn't notice that you were thoughtful enough to only quote the part of my post that was necessary!
11-23-04, 12:49 AM
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
I think people use the quote button so everyone knows what they are answering too. Otherwise it might seem like a random statement. A few times I've tried to follow a thread and could not b/c there was no quote attached to the answer.
I like the rules and it seems most follow them. The internet is such a beautiful thing b/c it brings people all over the world together, just about any person imaginable is online. So sometimes we have to overlook what we might see as mistakes.
Internet "etiquette" is not really taught anywhere.
I like the rules and it seems most follow them. The internet is such a beautiful thing b/c it brings people all over the world together, just about any person imaginable is online. So sometimes we have to overlook what we might see as mistakes.
Internet "etiquette" is not really taught anywhere.
11-23-04, 01:15 AM
#13
Originally posted by 1SICKLEX
I think people use the quote button so everyone knows what they are answering too. Otherwise it might seem like a random statement. A few times I've tried to follow a thread and could not b/c there was no quote attached to the answer.
I like the rules and it seems most follow them. The internet is such a beautiful thing b/c it brings people all over the world together, just about any person imaginable is online. So sometimes we have to overlook what we might see as mistakes.
Internet "etiquette" is not really taught anywhere.
I think people use the quote button so everyone knows what they are answering too. Otherwise it might seem like a random statement. A few times I've tried to follow a thread and could not b/c there was no quote attached to the answer.
I like the rules and it seems most follow them. The internet is such a beautiful thing b/c it brings people all over the world together, just about any person imaginable is online. So sometimes we have to overlook what we might see as mistakes.
Internet "etiquette" is not really taught anywhere.
(uh-oh, i just broke all the commandments
)
11-23-04, 07:09 AM
#14
Super Moderator
I think the proper way to do it is to always use the quote button to answer a specific post regardless of whether it is the latest post you see in the thread, but use the reply button if you're answering to the original post, or making a general comment about the subject/content of the thread.