You would think this would only be for the newcomer, novice and the neophyte, but sometimes even the experinced user needs a refresher course from time to time. So by requestâŚ
What is Forum Etiquette? Simply put, it is mainly a term used to refer to the unofficial code of policies that encourage good behavior on the Internet which is used to regulate respect and polite behavior on social media platforms, online chatting sites and web forums.
Sometimes the rules of etiquette are dictated by the individual platformâs Terms of Service such as the ones here.
Regardless, most rules always hold true, no matter where you are.
A forum is an online discussion platform where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and should be, to encourage discourse. At the same time, posts also should also not ârun onâ so as not to discourage further reading. One or two pargaphs are ideal and leave you room to further the conversation later with what you didnât type.
As you should think before you speak in person, you should think before you post online. Most forums are at least temporarily archived and sometimes pop up in Google searches.
Before commenting, or responding to a post, CAREFULLY read ALL the previous posts in the topic.
It is disrespectful to offer your sage opinion, which is nearly the same as a previous poster, as though it hadnât already been said. If someone already said it, just give them the attribution they deserve.
Look at several posts, and model yours after the better ones. Most people do not like to read sloppy and disorganized writing. So read, and then re-read, before posting. Make edits if needed.
TYPING IN ALL CAPS is the online equal to screaming at someone. Some times though, a good AMEN!!! is justified.
Forums generally have Categories, which in turn usually have a description of what is acceptable to post within it. You should read these before posting OR replying. If a certain Category offends you, use your settings so as to not follow it.
As a rule of thumb, forums also have event triggers that are tripped when you do certain things. For instance, the blue âreplyâ button at he bottom of a post is different from the grey one after a users response. Respond to individual users using the grey reply button (or @theusersname ), and not the blue reply button, which is for replying to the orignal post.
Do not post off topic. This is the most violated forum rule by far, often derailing the entire thread. A form of this is also called trolling. If it is not in line with the ORIGINAL, top-most post, donât post it. When someone else goes off toppic, please donât follow their lead. If you feel you must speak off topic, do it in a private message or start your own post on the subject in the proper category so as to be respectful to the other forums users.
Donât be a Troll. This is a problem that plagues many forums (even here) and is encouraged by a lack of, or a poor level of, moderation, not to mention an adversion to flagging a violators post. They thrive on your reaction, so just remember: Donât Feed The Trolls! Flag and ignore them instead. Wikipedia defines trolling as followsâŚ
So how can you help this forum thrive? By working to improve your Forum Etiquette, fully reading the TOS and abiding by it, correcting or reporting violators, and conducting yourself in a manner pleasing to God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.
âRespect is a 3-way street. Respect God enough to respect yourself by respecting others.â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â - Unknown
Now for some Fritz Quotes:
One last ending noteâŚ
âOur goal is striving for the unity of The Body of Christ. Please, LISTEN to others with your eyes, and give all your effort to understanding their point of view. I didnât say, compromise your own POV, or always go-along to get-along, or agree with something you disagree with Understanding is a spiritual skill in which we all can and should continue to grow.â - KPuff
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*If anyone is in need of reviewing this (due to bad acting on the forums), send them the link to this page.
I should have known, meaning, this coming from KP, you included.
Correcting someoneâs understanding should never come across as attacking their character. We can disagree boldly and still speak kindly.
When in doubt, speak as if the person youâre replying to is sitting across from you in church/home, I would definitely add âhomeâ here, looking for hope.
I would agree with you completely on that one @wantthetruth im not perfect and writing that is perfect just seems fake sometimes. A lot of people feed the conversations through AI and post there response instead of their own just to look smart. Im just a normal person with my own conversation and sometimes (most of the time) it comes out sloppy, sorry im not a robot.
And Iâm sure they have their own mods. I just want to see such a great platform do well and if I can give advice based on my experience, I do. If it helps someone, Iâm happy. see?
Let the ones they have do it. Iâm just pragmatic. I see new people show up all the time⌠and then fall off or fade away. And I see a pattern to it. Just trying to break that pattern with a bit of effort and enlivening to perhaps retain a few people who come here for answers, comfort, companionship, community and guidance.
Anyways, can we speak on something else, perhaps bolster the other categories a bit?
lol sorry i guess im in the not-most category, cause your examples still didnt bother me :] but, if ALL comments were like that, maybe it wouldnt be okay haha.
@Joe-Also
Iâd like to add an amendment to the unofficial compendium of Forum Etiquette. Maybe Iâm guilty of ânit-pickingâ or maybe Iâm just whining about my own pet-peeve, but, for some reason, an obvious neglect of the following (suggested) rule-of-etiquette just seems to purloin my peace. Hereâs the suggested rule:
Before commenting, or responding to a post, CAREFULLY read ALL the previous posts in the topic.
Our goal is striving for the unity of The Body of Christ. Please, LISTEN to others (with your eyes), and give all your effort to understanding their point of view. (I didnât say, compromise your own POV, or always go-along to get-along, or agree with something you disagree with) Understanding is a spiritual skill in which we all can and should continue to grow.
Also, it is disrespectful to offer your sage opinion, which is nearly the same as a previous poster, as though it hadnât already been said. If someone already said it, just give them the attribution they deserve.
i can totally see the wisdom in this, i wont disagree in full. you are completely correct in what you say. only potential problem is, sometimes there are too many comments for this to be a reasonable expectation. so, exceptions, is all im saying. BUT- in light of your next quote i put here:
i agree with your call here to be humble enough to only comment if someone else hasnt already said it. thats a unique suggestion. and, i realize now, that if people only commented if someone else hasnt already made a certain point they want to make, then maybe threads wouldnt always become so overwhelmed with dozens of comments that dont really differ.
I am fully aware that our modern culture has habituated us to expect sound-bites, tweets, initialisms, acronyms, âTextismsâ, and emoticons as acceptable communication. Regular participation in these forms of âshorthandâ have a progressively debilitating effect on our willingness to give our attention to longer writings; if snacking becomes our normal form of nutrition, sitting down to dine at a full well-balanced full-course meal feels overwhelming. Regarding my suggestion that one comprehensively read the entire topic before commenting, as you confess, âsometimes there are too many comments for this to be a reasonable expectationâ. I might add then, if the conversation is too long to read, maybe we can consider the topic to have adequately covered the subjectâs entire waterfront. I too quickly tire of âPoster-Aâ and âPoster-Bâ volleying the same worn ball back and forth over the net ad-nauseum. Thanx again for your thoughts.
agreed! and to everything else you said as well. i will also say, however, i have not seen a bulletin board online as being something more serious than just that, a bulletin board. these days they are more formally known as âforumsâ but its the same thing. i read lots of long books, because thats what i signed up for when i got them. reading a million online opinions in a row, not so much lol. but, i still enjoy your points thoroughly, and will be implementing them, as i truly think they can improve the forum climate, even if on one hand it doesnt totally seem necessary. thank you for your additional thoughts.
A lot of people feed the conversations through AI and post there response instead of their own just to look smart. Im just a normal person with my own conversation and sometimes (most of the time) it comes out sloppy, sorry im not a robot.
see?
