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Nice List I Saw Of Forum Etiquette


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I especially appreciate the free speech part. Most of this thankfully doesn't apply to this forum, where 99% of the people seem to be mature and civil. But other forums I'm on...

"Over the years I have watched several members here become awesome. Here's what most of them have in common:

Awesome members post entertaining and informative posts in the appropriate forums.

If you post about your drunk night out in the (on topic) forum, generally the mods will inform you you were not being awesome.

Awesome members use proper grammar and punctuation, and paragraph their post every few lines with an empty line.

We have members of many nationalities for whom English is not their first language, so be clear. More than a few of our members will read your post while otherwise concentration impaired, and experience teaches us that unparagraphed posts will not be read by most.

Awesome members generally post when they have something to say.

Nothing to add? Then please don't.

Awesome members don't try to be awesome, they just are.

Trying too hard works as well on a message board as it does in wanting to get laid.

Awesome members use the Search Engine if they have reasonable suspicion their question has been asked and answered before.

We have millions of ontopic posts, most things you immediately think of have immediately been thought of many times before.

Awesome members don't freak out in a rage or other episode because of reasonable criticism and have a good tolerance of frustration.

If you are too emotional to post, do yourself a big favor and wait a few minutes before you post. Many bans are caused by heat-of-the-moment posts that break rules.

Awesome members don't come here to plug a website or product or a particular point of view.

They come here to take part in an online community.

Awesome members don't cuss, call bad names or act out bigotry in the ontopic forums.

In the off-topic forum such discourse will not be out of place and we have a crew of experts there which is both qualified and able to critique your approach and inspect it for general awesomeness to the standards of that particular forum.

Awesome members are told they are Awesome, they do not themselves insist they are.

See: trying too hard.

Awesome members realize the limitations of Freedom of Speech.

The Message Board is not a country you live in, its a private organization you visit for information, socializing and entertainment, and as such the staff determines and enforces what's a go and what's a no in each of the forums.

Awesome members rarely get a temporary ban and when they do they do not try to evade it.

The overwhelming majority of members, like 90-95%, never gets a ban sanction EVER. If you do, do your best to avoid getting any more of them - by cleaning up your act.

Awesome members do not involve the (forum) in suicide attempts or victimizing criminal acts.

911 has been called on members, authorities informed and personal information including addresses have been made public in the most urgent of such emergencies.

Awesome members realize that the staff are volunteer workers chosen from the membership for their dedication to the community and their expertise.

Even if you disagree with some of them some of the time, realize that the staff is what makes the (forum) possible. If you disagree with all of them all of the time, please leave.

Awesome members make the (Forum) a better place.

Treat them well, just like they tend to treat others.

Awesomeness begets Awesomeness.

You will reap what you sow, plus any number of other things depending on the forum you do the sowing in.

The above are the basics I have observed in my study of awesome people on this website; The list is far from complete but a pretty good place to start."

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Yes, I was very surprised the list didn't get into the nazi thing.

I saw another list to, of examples of "when you've lost an argument" online. I'd say anytime someone compares something like, oh...say- 'warning points' to the nazis and hitler, they've officially lost the argument.

Here it is:

* If you say something along the lines of “the moderators might ban me for saying this, but…” then you lost.

Anyone who says “well, ban me if you want to, but…” is actually saying “in the name of a loving God, please ban me because I am losing this argument so badly that my only hope of escaping it with a shred of dignity is if I can make myself out to be some sort of martyr to free speech.” You asked for it, you got it, Troll-ota.

* If you claim to have supporting evidence available online, but instead of linking to it you say “Look it up yourself,” you lose.

Similarly to the banning thing, “look it up yourself” clearly means “please please please don’t look it up yourself.” It’s an admission of failure.

* If you invoke Occam’s Razor, or “the burden of proof,” you lose.

If you think Occam’s Razor is a way to prove something is true, you don’t understand Occam’s Razor. Occam merely provided a way of choosing among hypotheses to test, not a way of avoiding testing them. And in an online argument, the burden of proof is upon whomever most wants to convince the other guy, end of story.

* If you invoke the name of a logical fallacy without explaining its relevance, you lose.

Logical fallacies are not Harry Potter spells. You don’t just get to shout them out and wiggle your wand to make magic happen. Plus, there’s a logical meta-fallacy: Just because someone’s making an error in reasoning doesn’t mean they’re wrong.

* If you claim to be winning, you lose.

This should be self-evident: If you’re so desperate that you have to tell someone you’re winning, you’re obviously not.

* If you make a reference to Honey Boo Boo, you lose.

There’s no rhetorical basis for this, I’m just freaking tired of hearing about Honey Boo-Boo.

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* If you make a reference to Honey Boo Boo, you lose.

There’s no rhetorical basis for this, I’m just freaking tired of hearing about Honey Boo-Boo.

I guess I'm a lucky Luddite. I had to Google "Honey Boo Boo". Never heard of her and wish I never had. Probably explains why I never switch on my TV! :)

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i got rid of the satilite a year ago most of what was on i would never watch did not want anyway. back on the air free tv watching the old shows we wanted for free. the same ones we payed for. with out the garbage shows

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