Forum Etiquette

[Holden Caulfield]

It seems like we need a little brushing up on our manners. I've been considering doing this for a long time now. References will be available at the bottom.

1. What is a forum?

By definition a forum is a means of discussion. There have been many uses for the word 'forum' in the past. It doesn't always have to be associated with the internet. Common synonyms for forum can be discussion, panel, meeting, et cetera. Pretty much any way to exchange ideas and communicate with other like minded individuals can be called a forum.

2. History of Internet Forums

Internet forums (often referred to as BBS) first were developed in Northern California in the early 1970s. The first exchanges were often done by college students. The interfaces of these early systems were extremely crude, not like the interfaces that we see today. Over time, software and internet companies improved on the technology and a more widespread audience was introduced to forum communication. The interfaces became easier mostly to navigate and more people were joining in on the conversation and creating a more inviting community to share ideas and express opinions.

3. User Generated Content

One of the key things about forums is the contributions from it's members. What makes a forum great is it's members and the discussions held there. A forum can be small, but well sustained with a few good people talking about points of interest. What makes a forum less appealing to people are posts with nonsense. They have come to an internet forum to meet people with similar interests/attitudes. It's very important to be a contributing member to the community. And online community is a lot like a community in real life. Everyone does their part to make things run smoothly and keep the discussion flowing.

4. IM versus Forums

Many people often think that forums are like instant messages. That is not true. The main difference between instant messages and internet forums is that the messages on forums are for everyone to see and contribute their opinion (if they are a member). Often times instant messages are used for personal chatter. Forums can have a personal section, but more times than not conversations between two members can be considered spam if it is not relevant or on topic. People should be able to chime in with their opinions and be part of the conversation.

5. Be a Good Citizen

A. Spam
No one likes the town drunk, unless you're the town drunk's best buddy (and even then the stench of alcohol could drive you loony). As stated in 3, forums are their members. I stress the importance of contributing to the topics, not just spamming. Spam is tolerated (especially here at animeb), but only in specific forums. If you go to a forum just to spam, you won't be well liked. It's always QUALITY over QUANTITY.

B. Harassment/Fighting
This works the same way as it would in real life. Don't harass other members of your community. It's the internet. Once you log off, it's done. Arguing and personal attacks are not tolerated and make resentment and ill-will between forum members and it can often drag other members into the argument that are just innocent by standards. The private message was created for a reason. Use it for your personal squabbles or use Instant Message. Also, no means no, and stop ALWAYS means stop.

C. Rules
Always make sure to take a look at the rules of the forums before posting. Understanding them is very important and will keep you out of trouble with the administration. It will also make your forum excursions more pleasant. You won't have to deal with people constantly nagging at you to follow the rules.



~~~~~


Interaction is very important in forums. From the forums I've been on making friends and knowing the people you talk to heightens the experience and makes it more enjoyable. Get to know your fellow forum goers. After all, they DO share the same interests as you, why else would they be here if they didn't?


NOW GET POSTING

REFRENCES
Bulletin board system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Internet forum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Grey Fox]

You know there's a good chance that since this is my 2cnd time on this thread that it's been viewed more than once, so why does the counter say 1?

[Betong Åsna]

I'm not sure counters are working (more people voted on my swearing thread than viewed it) but this isn't the place for that.

[Aniki]

at first i planned to put "tl;dr" but since it has to do with forum etiquette i thought it wasn't the best place for it. the only way to enforce this stuff is to make people USE the forum at all, they're stuck on the shoutbox.

[Holden Caulfield]

Can I request that we also put this as a sticky in all forums? Like the forum rules? I don't think people even see it and I think it's important that people know how to use a forum an dinteract with other users.

[Silver]

I've always wanted to see more attention paid to stuff like punctuation and grammar.

[hinarei]

on an internet forum? I'm afraid that's very much wishful thinking

We're not so bad as some other places. We don't have a rule that says "no leet-speak", but the majority of us around here use legible English, I think Less so randompanzy, but you can't have everything

[Not Silver]

It's not wishful thinking if you rule with an iron fist.

[Tyroki]

Originally Posted by Not Silver

It's not wishful thinking if you rule with an iron fist.

A little old, but amusing none-the-less. Ruling with an iron fist is in many ways of little worth, however, at times, a firm hold adds to a more satisfying victory.

[MetalLark]

YAY NO SPAM!!... oh crap i spamifying... *puts on tie* .. *ahem* i agree wit hinarei. Amineb isn't as bad as a lot of other forums out there, i like Animeb brcaus of it. ^_^

[Tyroki]

Even so, thats no excuse when it comes to arising problems that should be fixed when they arise. "Oh, its okay, we're better than most" is a weak response. The sith despise weakness. Remind me to poison yourself and hinarei in each of your sleep.

[Grey Fox]

REVIVE.

Basic etiquette can be summarised simply as

- No copyrighted material.
- Only people capable of restraint!

- Philanthropic intentions are always appreciated
- Encourage discussion by posting intelligently
- Dont use abusive language, make racist remarks or act like a biggot
- Offer greetings to new posters
- Please dont spam just to raise post-count
- Have an open mind and maintain your sense of humor
- Invite your friends here!
- Links to banner/ad/popup filled websites are discouraged
- Every post should be of high-quality
- Serve the community!

[!]

But what about hinarei, mr fox ?

[Nohido Keisuke]

and me?
Hina is a lolicon mister Zhang Clone, that's quite different