Just a few tips and pointers to help people who are new to Community Forums…. I’ll add more if I think of them… feel free to add your own…
Newcomers and Welcomes
It’s polite to introduce yourself in the “welcome area” if there is one. You don’t need to give too much information, just a hello and what brings you to the site will do. It’s also good practice for existing members to welcome new members. This creates a good impression of the site from the start and makes new members want to return. There’s nothing like being ignored to make a new member never come back again…
Shouting
Posting entire sentences in CAPITAL LETTERS is considered shouting and that’s rude.
Expressiveness
Remember that how it sounds in your head may not read the same way on the forum. When you type, you don’t have the advantage of a cheeky smile, eye contact, tone of voice – all you have to express yourself are words and smileys (emoticons). Use these carefully. Also remember this when reading somebody else’s post – they may not mean what you first thought… go back and read it again…
Take a Breath
If a post has made you angry and you’re about to hit the reply button, take a breath and think about it. Is your post going to be something you’ll regret saying later? Will it tarnish your image on the forum? Will it get you banned? Will it make the matter worse? Sometimes, stepping away with a clever, well thought out comment feels and looks so much better than jumping in with “fists” swinging…
Beware of the Troll
Just as in any community, there are bad apples, and the anonymous nature of the internet means that people are able to cause trouble, inflame, insult, and generally upset the apple cart with little or no consequences. These “people” are called Trolls. Believe it or not there are people who move from Forum to Forum with the sole intention of causing trouble. This has lead to the closure of many forums and the break-up of many internet communities. Trolls feed on reactions – getting a rise is their staple diet. Getting rid of trolls is a simple concept, but very hard to apply - Do not reply to them, do not react to them and do not give them the satisfaction of seeing you get upset. When trolls get bored, they move on.
Privacy
Remember, most forums are public, and any information is usually accessible by anyone. You wouldn’t give your name and number to a convicted criminal whom you met on the street – that criminal could be a forum member and you wouldn’t know it… Think about this– you post your address one day and forget about it. A few weeks later you rub a troll up the wrong way or have a disagreement with somebody, they’re not of sound mind, they’re angry with you and now they have your address…
Hi-Jacking
When somebody posts a topic and you post something that does not relate to that topic, that’s Hi-Jacking. Also, when you start having an off topic conversation with another user, that’s also Hi-jacking. Sometimes, it’s unavoidable, and different forums have different tolerance levels for Hi-jacking so it would be advisable to check the forum rules and follow the example set by others.
Advertising and Spam
Advertising your services/website/company without checking it with admin first is almost always frowned upon. If your first post on a forum is a post promoting your company/website/services, chances are, you’ll have your posts and account deleted. Some sites have a minimum post count to access certain features, and posting rubbish to reach this goal is also a no-no, and these posts will probably be deleted. If you’re unsure of whether or not you can promote your business – check with the Administrator or owner…
Your local friendly Administrator
Bear in mind that most community forums are free to join. The owners / administrators forum leaders, moderators etc have put in a lot of their spare time and money into developing the site and making it a great place for people to interact – usually totally off their own backs. An internet community takes hundreds of hours to set up and the moderators or forum leaders usually do not get paid. Treat their forum as you would treat a friend’s house when visiting – with respect.
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HansaPlease
Just a few tips and pointers to help people who are new to Community Forums…. I’ll add more if I think of them… feel free to add your own…
Newcomers and Welcomes
It’s polite to introduce yourself in the “welcome area” if there is one. You don’t need to give too much information, just a hello and what brings you to the site will do. It’s also good practice for existing members to welcome new members. This creates a good impression of the site from the start and makes new members want to return. There’s nothing like being ignored to make a new member never come back again…
Shouting
Posting entire sentences in CAPITAL LETTERS is considered shouting and that’s rude.
Expressiveness
Remember that how it sounds in your head may not read the same way on the forum. When you type, you don’t have the advantage of a cheeky smile, eye contact, tone of voice – all you have to express yourself are words and smileys (emoticons). Use these carefully. Also remember this when reading somebody else’s post – they may not mean what you first thought… go back and read it again…
Take a Breath
If a post has made you angry and you’re about to hit the reply button, take a breath and think about it. Is your post going to be something you’ll regret saying later? Will it tarnish your image on the forum? Will it get you banned? Will it make the matter worse? Sometimes, stepping away with a clever, well thought out comment feels and looks so much better than jumping in with “fists” swinging…
Beware of the Troll
Just as in any community, there are bad apples, and the anonymous nature of the internet means that people are able to cause trouble, inflame, insult, and generally upset the apple cart with little or no consequences. These “people” are called Trolls. Believe it or not there are people who move from Forum to Forum with the sole intention of causing trouble. This has lead to the closure of many forums and the break-up of many internet communities. Trolls feed on reactions – getting a rise is their staple diet. Getting rid of trolls is a simple concept, but very hard to apply - Do not reply to them, do not react to them and do not give them the satisfaction of seeing you get upset. When trolls get bored, they move on.
Privacy
Remember, most forums are public, and any information is usually accessible by anyone. You wouldn’t give your name and number to a convicted criminal whom you met on the street – that criminal could be a forum member and you wouldn’t know it… Think about this– you post your address one day and forget about it. A few weeks later you rub a troll up the wrong way or have a disagreement with somebody, they’re not of sound mind, they’re angry with you and now they have your address…
Hi-Jacking
When somebody posts a topic and you post something that does not relate to that topic, that’s Hi-Jacking. Also, when you start having an off topic conversation with another user, that’s also Hi-jacking. Sometimes, it’s unavoidable, and different forums have different tolerance levels for Hi-jacking so it would be advisable to check the forum rules and follow the example set by others.
Advertising and Spam
Advertising your services/website/company without checking it with admin first is almost always frowned upon. If your first post on a forum is a post promoting your company/website/services, chances are, you’ll have your posts and account deleted. Some sites have a minimum post count to access certain features, and posting rubbish to reach this goal is also a no-no, and these posts will probably be deleted. If you’re unsure of whether or not you can promote your business – check with the Administrator or owner…
Your local friendly Administrator
Bear in mind that most community forums are free to join. The owners / administrators forum leaders, moderators etc have put in a lot of their spare time and money into developing the site and making it a great place for people to interact – usually totally off their own backs. An internet community takes hundreds of hours to set up and the moderators or forum leaders usually do not get paid. Treat their forum as you would treat a friend’s house when visiting – with respect.
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