#290847 - 26/11/2006 23:39
Posting Etiquette
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
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I have been thinking about this topic for some time. This BBS is the only place on the internet where I comunicate with other internet users (apart from e-mail of course), I have tried other places, chatrooms MSN etc... but I really don't find anything interesting enough to keep me going back. This BBS is different some how. I put one of the main reasons down to the fact I have met in person on more than one occasion many people who post here. Having this insight to who the people really are is very helpful when I read their posts. Having made etiquette mistakes myself in the past I am wondering how different I come across online as to offline. I tend to use  ,  and  quite a bit as most of the posts I make here are light hearted, but I suppose it could be taken as poking fun at someone also. So, how do you put your personality across in posts on a BBS? I think layout is quite important, making the post as easy as possible to read etc... Any thoughts? Cheers Cris. PS - I am aware of recent discussions in another thread, this is not really about that particular discussion, more the general topic.
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#290848 - 27/11/2006 05:32
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: Cris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5543
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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So, how do you put your personality across in posts on a BBS?I guess this sort of defines my personality... 1) I take my time writing a post. I have the "I want to preview..." box checked, and I don't think I have ever submitted a post that did not get edited and updated in preview.* 2) Before submitting, I specifically check my post to reduce the likelihood of inadvertantly offending readers. There have been a few occasions when I have been mildly antagonistic, but in those cases there was nothing inadvertant about it. 3) I always preface my post with an orange-italic reference to clarify just what it is to which I am responding. 4) I try not to post unless I have something useful to say, except for the times when I engage in feeble attempts at humor. *Including this one! tanstaafl.
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#290849 - 27/11/2006 05:33
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: Cris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/07/1999
Posts: 5543
Loc: Ajijic, Mexico
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(post deleted -- somehow it got entered twice)
tanstaafl.
Edited by tanstaafl. (27/11/2006 05:45)
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"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"
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#290850 - 27/11/2006 14:09
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: Cris]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/04/2005
Posts: 2026
Loc: Seattle transplant
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Try to be concise. Compose a neat, uncluttered posting with proper spelling, punctuation, grammar, and an 'easy on the eye' structure. Use smileys to reinforce a joke that could be interpreted as a mean spirited comment.  Dale Carnegie has a few words of wisdom. And, finally, the attachment sums it up.
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10101466 (2x60GB, Eutronix/GreenLights Blue) (Stolen!)
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#290851 - 27/11/2006 14:35
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: Cris]
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veteran
Registered: 21/01/2002
Posts: 1380
Loc: Erie, CO
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Quote:
So, how do you put your personality across in posts on a BBS? I think layout is quite important, making the post as easy as possible to read etc...
When responding to a post, quoting always helps indicate exactly what you are responding to. It could also help keep your reply on-topic. I prefer mixing my comments within the quoted message, rather than quoting the entire message then responding to it as a whole. Point-by-point is always nice.
I like to separate thoughts into paragraphs, it makes the post easier to read and gives a break for the eyes to visually indicate different ideas/comments. Running all your sentences together just makes for one, big, uncomprehensible blob of text that doesn't transfer your ideas well into a post.
Do a bit of (gasp!) research before posting! Whatever the topic it is always nice to have references, examples and links to support your comments. If you are posting for help, say: "I tried this, this and this, and have looked here, here and here but cannot solve my problem". Even if the answer is right in front of you, people will be more likely to respond positively to someone who wants to help themselves. If you have a comment or an opinion, the same can be applied there, too.
I don't get bothered too much by spelling or correct punctuation, as long as I can see you are making an attempt to think through your post before posting. Stream-of-thought posts are rarely helpful or worth it to try to wade through. It's too easy to fire and forget a post, better (like Doug said above) to preview and review.
I also think it's a good idea to have a profile filled out on the BBS so people can see who they are dealing with. I would be more likely to respond and help someone who has a profile (and especially a website) where I can see they are not just another anonymous wanker trolling by the BBS. I'm probably more likely to respond negatively to someone who looks like they are trying to hide something than a person who is more open. It's like Cris said above: this BBS is more civil because some of us have met each other - a completed profile is the first step there.
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#290852 - 27/11/2006 14:48
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: Cris]
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old hand
Registered: 14/04/2002
Posts: 1172
Loc: Hants, UK
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On another forum I read there is somebody whose posts are quite well laid out, using good spelling and grammar (no txt spk), but They Insist On Capitalising Every Word And Say They Cannot Type Quickly Any Other Way.
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#290853 - 27/11/2006 14:54
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: cushman]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1900
Loc: London
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Quote:
this BBS is more civil because some of us have met each other - a completed profile is the first step there.
I like to think Downsizer's a pretty civil place and none of us had met each other (physically) till a good few months after we set the place up, on the other hand I know of several sites that are full of idiots who meet up quite regularly.
Of the sites I visit/have visited this BBS has by far the highest proportion of intelligent posters.
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#290854 - 27/11/2006 15:32
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: Robotic]
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enthusiast
Registered: 12/05/2002
Posts: 205
Loc: Virginia, USA
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Quote:
Use smileys to reinforce a joke that could be interpreted as a mean spirited comment.
I second that! A while ago I posted some dry (tongue in cheek) humor without the smileys or anything and I raised a ruccus I didn't expect.
Here's the thread:
http://empegbbs.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/140007/page/0/fpart/1/vc/1
Mine is at the bottom of the first page. and the ruccus follows.
I always felt bad about that one...
Be careful about anything that can be misconstrued as something else.
_________________________
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RioCar MK][a 20GB+80GB
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#290855 - 27/11/2006 15:52
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: Cris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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My humble opinion is that the people frequenting this BBS are generally above average in intellect. That's the start. Posters here know how to apply common sense and are genuinely smart (in a well-rounded way, beyond intelligence or "book-smarts").
The relatively small size of the membership has helped a lot.
There are also some other things people may not pick up on or ever mention. The forum software is set up in a very usable fashion. For me, having the alternate skin with larger fonts has always been a godsend. The color palette is unique, but very relaxing. I suppose these are all tangible, but often forgotten as contributors. Including the search capabilities working reasonably well.
In contrast, look at the forums for Slim Devices. An equally geek-oriented product, but their forum's signal to noise ration is very low. The forum software (VBulletin) absolutely stinks, including but not limited to, the most useless search feature you can imagine.
There are plenty of people on there that write fairly well. But some of these same people will ALWAYS quote back an entirte previous post. And they'll top-quote it to make matters worse. That's a lack of common sense. The forum software isn't threaded and obviously makes it super easy to perpetrate the practise as well.
If I got rid of my empegs tomorrow I'd still frequent this board. It's the only place I can say I post with any frequency as it is. Any other forum I will visit during an initial break-in period with a product (such as Slim's Squeezebox), but none offer any compelling reason to stick around.
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#290856 - 27/11/2006 16:50
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: hybrid8]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1900
Loc: London
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Quote:
If I got rid of my empegs tomorrow I'd still frequent this board. It's the only place I can say I post with any frequency as it is. Any other forum I will visit during an initial break-in period with a product (such as Slim's Squeezebox), but none offer any compelling reason to stick around.
I've never even owned one, just thought it was a fabulous product, something I lusted after for years.
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#290857 - 27/11/2006 17:16
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: Robotic]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
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Quote:
Try to be concise.
Compose a neat, uncluttered posting with proper spelling, punctuation, grammar, and an 'easy on the eye' structure.
I wish I'd said that! Often, even in a thread that interests me, if I see a long posting, often without paragraph spacing, I skim over it, probably missing key points.
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Politics and Ideology: Not my bag
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#290858 - 28/11/2006 16:20
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: bbowman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
Quote:
Use smileys to reinforce a joke that could be interpreted as a mean spirited comment.
I second that! A while ago I posted some dry (tongue in cheek) humor without the smileys or anything and I raised a ruccus I didn't expect.
Well, I note that you did change the post icon from the standard book to a  . but looking at it now, I thought it fairly obvious that it was tongue-in-cheek.
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#290859 - 28/11/2006 16:30
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: Cris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/07/2000
Posts: 4174
Loc: Cambridge, England
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The most important rule of etiquette is continued politeness to those who don't follow the other rules of etiquette.
Peter
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#290860 - 28/11/2006 16:51
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: hybrid8]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
The relatively small size of the membership has helped a lot.
I think this is part of the key. The other part being that it's also a fairly mature small group. Not just that the BBS itself has been around for a while, but I get the impression that most of the (contributing/founding) members have been involved in online communities long before this BBS showed up, and remember having to read basic netiquette guidelines before they were ever allowed an account that allowed interaction with other people. They set the community standard, and those folks who haven't been around quite so long have, thankfully, followed suit (though sometimes with a little prodding).
To more directly answer Cris' question, though, it's pretty much just like everyone else has been saying. I think I really just do things the way I do because that's what I want to see others do, and, if I'm not going to do it, then why should I expect other people to do it?
I don't worry so much about how my personality comes across -- my goal is just to communicate as effectively and politely as possible. Being able to accomplish that is the best way to let my personality be seen, IMHO, because people can focus on what I write, instead of pre-judging me as an idiot who can't grasp basic concepts like paragraphs, or worse, as an asshole who thinks that everyone will take the time to decipher what I wrote, regardless of how little effort I put into writing down my thoughts coherently, because my ego tells me I'm just that important to you all
Cheers,
Edit: fixed some mis-matched pronouns.
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#290861 - 28/11/2006 18:07
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: cushman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
I also think it's a good idea to have a profile filled out on the BBS so people can see who they are dealing with. I would be more likely to respond and help someone who has a profile (and especially a website) where I can see they are not just another anonymous wanker trolling by the BBS. I'm probably more likely to respond negatively to someone who looks like they are trying to hide something than a person who is more open.
Everything you wrote, I agree with, except for this one.
I don't know how much of my profile I have filled out (I'll go look now), but I don't feel I'm "trying to hide something", so much as I just don't feel a need to share personal information willy-nilly, even if it is innocuous. I assume other people are the same. Sure, I trust you and many other board members reasonably well (without having actually met any), but I certainly wouldn't say the same of all the people who might wander through our board as a result of the google spidering.
I don't care if a person's profile is filled out. This is the web -- all that info could be fake, for all I know, and quite frankly, I don't particularly care. Perhaps that's because I got my start reading newsgroups, where there is no such thing as a profile. I think you'll get a better idea of whether someone is a troll by looking at their post history, and the demeanor of their posts, than you will by looking to see if they're anonymous. I can probably build up a more accurate profile of someone by doing that, than by reading what's included in the little profile section.
What little extra there is in the profile, is, for the most part, irrelevant to me. Knowing that you like snowboarding doesn't impact my view of whether or not you're here to genuinely take part in the BBS community -- I've met plenty of jerk snowboarders.
Cheers,
Edit: I note that I actually have a reasonable amount of info in my profile. Perhaps I should say I don't always feel like sharing info willy-nilly, and understand that not everyone does want to.
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#290862 - 29/11/2006 01:11
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14484
Loc: Canada
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Even your profile is fine by me.
But I do agree with the original sentiment: I'll go further and make an extra special effort to help out if the poster actually fills in some info in their profile. Otherwise, I feel they're treating us as a throwaway resource, and so I just do likewise. Usually.
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#290863 - 29/11/2006 01:30
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: mlord]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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I can understand how that might be a tipping factor for a newbie -- at least until they show their mettle by sticking around.
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#290864 - 29/11/2006 01:34
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/01/2002
Posts: 3937
Loc: Providence, RI
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Quote:
I can understand how that might be a tipping factor for a newbie -- at least until they show their mettle by sticking around.
It's not necessarily mettle...
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#290865 - 29/11/2006 04:20
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: Cris]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 19/09/2002
Posts: 2494
Loc: East Coast, USA
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Seems we all agree to post clear, mature, and relevant content, and I agree as well. However, I sometimes like to break my own posting etiquette just to change it up. I may "fire and forget" a random topic or reply to try and start conversation. Or, worse, ask a simple question that I could find by searching for (likely less welcome) conversation. What do you all think of stepping outside the etiquette envelope just for fun?
Regarding why we keep coming back, I think it's another interesting lesson in Internet psychology. In my case, I like semi-dry technical talk (as unhealthy as that may be) which I actually understand. That sort of conversation sinks like a stone in real life social settings, but seems warmly encouraged on this BBS. Currently, I forget the other interesting Internet psychology examples from this BBS, but there are many.
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#290866 - 29/11/2006 19:14
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: FireFox31]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
What do you all think of stepping outside the etiquette envelope just for fun?
You're a dork.
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#290867 - 29/11/2006 19:18
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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You tell 'im, Steve-Dave!
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#290868 - 29/11/2006 19:39
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: canuckInOR]
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veteran
Registered: 21/01/2002
Posts: 1380
Loc: Erie, CO
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#290869 - 29/11/2006 19:44
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: cushman]
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old hand
Registered: 17/07/2001
Posts: 721
Loc: Boston, MA USA
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Quote:
Now where are all the animated smiley icons? I want the one with the guy beating his head on a wall.
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//matt
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#290870 - 29/11/2006 19:47
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: ithoughti]
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veteran
Registered: 21/01/2002
Posts: 1380
Loc: Erie, CO
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The lack of those smileys, advertisements, and gargantuan sig lines are what primarily separate this forum from others. Actually, it's the hesitation to use them by the userbase. We don't need no stinking long sig lines.
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#290871 - 29/11/2006 20:33
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: cushman]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
We don't need no stinking long sig lines.
I have avatar and sig display turned off, anyway.
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#290872 - 30/11/2006 03:31
Re: Posting Etiquette
[Re: cushman]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 20/01/2002
Posts: 2085
Loc: New Orleans, LA
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Quote:
We don't need no stinking long sig lines.
Hah!! When I joined years ago, I was berated for my too long sig. The assailant was, of course, correct. Just my name is all that's really necessary. Bonus points to those that actually know my name. (I use it very rarely on the net)
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