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Forum manners

Davey

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5 Feb 2005
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No matter where you go or the things you do, there are always certain manners you have to think of. Today again I read something and though....mmm.

So what are some manners you think people should have on a forum?

Some i thought of are:
-Try a search before asking, as we don't want 10 threads regarding the same thing.
-Say thank you or at least like a reply when being replied to.
- don't go off topic too much

I'm sure there are many more
 
Dont know if this counts, but try and not get offended if someone points out your mistake. You can always be polite and either accept it or defend whatever you are saying.

Basically be polite.

Many people seem to forget this important thing. Just because you can remain anonymous, doesn't mean you have to be rude.
 
Excellent post, @Davey !

Basically be polite. Many people seem to forget this important thing. Just because you can remain anonymous, doesn't mean you have to be rude.

Couldn't agree more. There is no need to disrespect someone just because you disagree over an issue. Something we've been preaching here at the forum for almost a decade and a half.

Say thank you or at least like a reply when being replied to.

I guess we should add this one to the Forum Rules...
 
I wish we had a rule that says "Stay Around a While". I feel like a hit & run victim where so many join and ask a question and never return.
 
I wish we had a rule that says "Stay Around a While". I feel like a hit & run victim where so many join and ask a question and never return.
That's just the nature of internet forums. If I go to a specialty store to find party favors, I'm not going to go back there (until the next time I'm planning another party). Whereas if I was a professional party planner I might go there all the time.
-Try a search before asking, as we don't want 10 threads regarding the same thing.
Is that true, though? The more content (pages) there are, the more potential hits and clicks there are for thomas. Also the fact that we discourage posting on old threads seems to mean that we prefer creating new ones.
 
I think there's a balance to strike between properly researching previous posts and necroposting. Basically, if there's a question and the exact same question has been asked before, one should refer to that thread, which may provide the answer they need. If they want clarification they can respond and follow-up, keeping in mind the post might be old, or outdated, or the contributing members may not be around anymore.

Basically, do a tiny bit of research before you ask a question. If you're going to respond to an old post, take note of the timestamps. And if you find previous posts but decide to start a new thread, maybe mention your reasoning? Basic awareness and consideration is what we're after, I think. Showing that you thought of these things shows at least some respect for our time.
 
Sounds good in theory. But for that to actually happen regularly you'd need to do something similar to what Quora does, pop up a bunch of possibly related threads while you're typing your question.
Or when somebody is typing into a post over a year old pop-up something that says hey do you realize this post is really old, are you sure you have something to add here?
These kinds of forums are anachronistic. Etiquette is not going to get better. Unfortunately.
 
I have never considered necroposting to be a matter of manners. Same goes for threadjacking. Drive-by posters I will never understand. People who repeatedly and habitually start threads and never give the slightest indication they have so much as glanced at the answers are an entirely different matter. We're a community of people, not Ask Jeeves or Siri.
 
I have never considered necroposting to be a matter of manners. Same goes for threadjacking. Drive-by posters I will never understand. People who repeatedly and habitually start threads and never give the slightest indication they have so much as glanced at the answers are an entirely different matter. We're a community of people, not Ask Jeeves or Siri.
These days there are a lot of people who don't understand the concept of community.
 
Or when somebody is typing into a post over a year old pop-up something that says hey do you realize this post is really old, are you sure you have something to add here?
These kinds of forums are anachronistic.

This is actually quite easy to implement via template conditionals. If only I had a little more time. :(
 
This is actually quite easy to implement via template conditionals. If only I had a little more time. :(

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Watch it with those big-boy words!
 
I guess we should add this one to the Forum Rules.

Could we go ahead and do that, please? If it had been there to point to it may have forestalled the juvenile foot-stomping temper tantrum that led us to this discussion. While there aren't many posters who need this basic tenet of civil interaction explained to them and while there has only been one who has reacted like a complete jackass about having it pointed out to him, it is a recurring problem and I know I am not the only person who has noticed it or made mention of it before. It happens mostly in the language sections, with even our most gentle, patient, and eternally helpful @Toritoribe getting irritated at posters who lack the manners to acknowledge having seen tailor-made answers created especially for them. I'll admit I'm the person on the forum most likely to call someone out in this and to be brusque and impolitic in the way I go about it. But when even the person who is at opposite end of the patience spectrum from me has on numerous occasions had to directly mention this to posters, I think it is safe to say it is a recognized general problem and not just a personality issue.
 
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