Forum Etiquette

[Dirktator 2,327]

Let's review Forum Etiquette.

1. Do not post topics with SUBJECTS IN ALL CAPS IT'S VERY ANNOYING.
   This should go without saying, but obviously, it needs to be said.
   
   
2. Do not type in abbreviations or over use netspeak.
   While most netspeak is universal, let's try to use full words and sentences when possible.
   
   
3. Proper grammar and spelling is appreciated.
   If you are an able English speaking member, please type in proper English and avoid over use of netspeak abbreviations. Likewise, please be patient with non-English speaking members trying to write in English.
   
   
4. Do not post topics with meaningless or undescriptive subjects
   ie. "help","why","!!!!" are not useful subjects, and you will likely not get many views or responses
   
   
5. Do not post topics with misleading subjects
   Your subject says one thing, but your post is something else entirely. Don't do the "Now that I have your attention..." scam.
   
   
6. Do not abuse punctuation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?
   Not only is it ugly, it disrupts the layout of the pages.  Keep your punctuations under control.
   
   
7. Likewise, do not abuse smileys
   Spamming smileys is bad for the same reasons as spamming punctuation.
   
   
8. Subjects should be short, to the point, and concisely describes your post.
   There is no need to post a paragraph for your subject line, and in your body say "see subject". Not cool.
   
   
9. It's frowned upon to continuously bump your own threads.
   If no one is posting to it, you can assume there is no interest, so let it die.
   
   
10. Do not double-post. 
    In most cases, you can edit your previous post to include any additional comments.
    
    
11. Do not post a follow-up post just to say you spelled something wrong or correct a typo.
    Use the Edit Post feature to edit your own posts!
    
    
12. Avoid "me too" replies.
    No one wants to click on a recent reply just to see your "me too" post which adds nothing to the conversation.
    
    
13. Stay on topic.
    If someone is asking about how to build effective mass transit, do not post saying "I hate mass transit, I never use them." It is irrelevant and not helpful.
    
    
14. Post in the Proper Forum.
    There are plenty of forums to cover your topics. Find the right one, and post there. If you don't get it right, a moderator will move it. But make an effort to find the right one.
    
    
15. Images are 800 x 600
    As most of you know, let's keep the threads loading fast, so keep images at or under the 800x600 size.
    

Again, these are guidelines for proper forum etiquette.  Following them will increase the chances of your post being viewed and replied to.  In certain cases, mods and admins are at liberty to break any of these guidelines for good reason - usually

[wiggle359 0]

Sorry dirk I personally feel that if no one answers your thread it could also be that your not liked in the community , and that if certain people had posted it it would have numerous replys. Appologies for the negativity but thats how I feel at the moment. I know what I should do to save anyone flaming me .Live with it.

[Dirktator 2,327]

Sure, that's true.

 

But let's think about it.  Why would some people be able to create responses from the community and others not?  It is because those that do, are respected.  They are active, helpful and post intelligent discussions on the board, and have a history of doing so - they have earned that recognition and respect.

 

If a member is not well received by the community, that member has obviously done something that has perturbed the community in some way. Perhaps they've spammed, or posted with a negative attitude, or have done a number of other things which, of course, would make them something of a pariah.

 

You create your own presence here, so it is up to the individual member how they want to represent themselves.  The above guidelines are there to help members get into the groove of things. 

[EmergentFungus 29]

Up to date rules! Great!

 

Is l33t sp34k allow3ed?

 

I've taken a sudden liking to it, it's so amusing!

 

</end post>

 

[dollarbillmontgomery 0]

I doubt N-E-1 will listen.....J.K..

[dollarbillmontgomery 0]

I was just kidding about that post up there.

[+Guest]

New rules for new members, Imformative I see.

[Aronion 9]

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On 9/29/2003 3:16:50 PM dollarbillmontgomery wrote:I was just kidding about that post up there.

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This is sad.  Rule 10 plainly states Do NOT double post. 

Please abide by the rules if you don't like them move along.  Also if you choose to treat the rules as a joke you may find yourself on the wrong end of it.   These are here for everyone to try and increase the enjoyment of the boards. 

Thank you.

[simbuilder 1]

Thank you for the rules, might startin some things around here

[DuskTrooper 316]

Hopefully, this will help our newbies become proper citizens of Simtropolis.  I, when once a newbie, did some of these mistakes once.  Dirk, you should make this list of rules the first thing one sees when he/she is done registering, and it should have a time minimum to ensure the user has read the rules before signing "ok".

[Rigo 0]

hmm, about #3

 

What if we speak english, but can't spell good or use well grammar?   i kinda have that problem

[Sharr 6]

We forgot...

No Political or Religious Commentary.... and signature file image limit of 50px high by 300px wide.

[Aronion 9]

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On 9/29/2003 8:59:51 PM Sharr wrote:We forgot...

No Political or Religious Commentary.... and signature file image limit of 50px high by 400px widw.

----------------

Glad you brought up our silent rule, Sharr.  

I do have to correct you though.  The limits you stated are somewhat wrong though.  We allow 50 pixels high but only allow 300 pixels wide.  Look here for the thread.

[rybolton 135]

 

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On 9/29/2003 8:12:43 PM Rigo wrote:

hmm, about #3

 

What if we speak english, but can't spell good or use well grammar;

;i kinda have that problem

----------------

Nobody expects perfection, but here are a few tools to help you out.

http://www.spellcheck.net will help you with your spelling.

http://www.m-w.com is a dictionary that can help you spell the words you can't figure out with spellcheck.net.

http://www.thesaurus.com this thesaurus will help you find another word for "epic" or any other over used word that just doesn't fit your post.

Hope it helps.

[DarkMatter 21]

About the signature image rule. Is there any way we could update it so we CAN have signature images up to 50x400 pixels in size? As long as the image isn't huge in filesize (i.e. less than xyz bytes), is there a specific reason we can't have images that wide?

[rybolton 135]

I don't think that the signature size limit is too small.  In fact I think that they are too big at 50x300.  Check out this thread at another forum I used to visit.  This is what could happen here if we had no limits.

 

http://www.gtawh.com/forums/YaBB.pl?board=generalvc;action=display;num=1057888506

[eklinsb 1]

Hey I noticed those rules are in a link on the top of the forum pages for the newcomers to check out.   Good idea.  

 

 

[Dirktator 2,327]

Well, this was not so much intended to be a "Forum Rules" thread as it was for Forum Etiquette... but sure

[DarkMatter 21]

rybolton: I wasn't asking that you remove the limits...just extend it from 300 wide to 400 wide. I fully agree that limits are needed, but for me, I feel that 50 is very short. A width of 300 is ok, but I've made a few signature images that are 400 wide by 75 tall (could cut them down to 400x50 if the limits were extended). Sharr got me once with a big one, then our resident ass got me again with my latest, which used to be 80 pixels tall. I may be overly biased though...my screen resolution is 1940x1440, so 300x50 is TEENSY to me.

[tj8_84 3]

i think you should change it to 60 pixele high andleave the 300 wide the way it is but that is just what i tihnk

[Minotaur420 2]

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On 9/29/2003 5:41:00 PM Aronion wrote:

----------------

On 9/29/2003 3:16:50 PM dollarbillmontgomery wrote:I was just kidding about that post up there.

----------------

This is sad.  Rule 10 plainly states Do NOT double post. 

Please abide by the rules if you don't like them move along.  Also if you choose to treat the rules as a joke you may find yourself on the wrong end of it.   These are here for everyone to try and increase the enjoyment of the boards. 

Thank you.

----------------
Seriously Aronion, how inappropriate and foolish for someone to break one of the more important guidelines for forum etiquette in the forum etiquette thread. Just not funny at all in my opinion.

[GoneWacko 0]

Meh these are just the best rules I've ever seen (Seriously!)

 

I come to a LOT of forums and some have 10,000 members, and they are full of spam (mostly because they have 2 admins and 1 mod, though). This forum has 13,171 (at the moment of posting) and I have never been in time to see spam that hasn't been removed. 

[horrorkid64 0]

Well I guess I am guilty of breaking etiquette #10, but I did so for a reason. When I post in a thread and my post ends with "I

[Aronion 9]

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On 9/30/2003 6:29:27 AM horrorkid64 wrote:

Well I guess I am guilty of breaking etiquette #10, but I did so for a reason. When I post in a thread and my post ends with 'I

[Dirktator 2,327]

Yes, for stuff like that, bumping your own thread is only serving to keep the community updated, and that's cool with us.

 

It's those who bump their own threads just to get attention for themselves so they can have a basic question answered, for example, instead of using the search

[Screwballl 196]

to fix spelling errors, i use IESpell (Internet Explorer Plugin) available at www.iespell.com and it works in any plain text box such as these... the only problem i see is it doesnt work right using rich text here

[comdude21 6]

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On 10/1/2003 12:51:00 AM dirk wrote:

Yes, for stuff like that, bumping your own thread is only serving to keep the community updated, and that's cool with us.

src='

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/images/smilies/3.gif'

>

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Yes, the only time I ever "bump" my own thread is if I am giving an update to my city journal, and I posted last. But, that doesn't happen too much anyway.

[Yellowlab 11]

An unmentioned etiquette rule:  Remember that this is an online community.  You don't know who is behind that avatar; keep posts like you were directly talking to that person.

[Pooty 228]

Thats good advice. Im a simtower elevator...how nice.

[+Guest]

How about another rule? Sorry, if the mods dont like this new rule, just an idea, not everyone has to follow it, ok, here comes the new rule.... Anyway i think it is ok, pleased eletr my poost od you think it is bad.... Here comes the new rule....

 

No Racism (hatring someone because they are diferent) and No Blank Posts.

 

No Repeating, and No offending usernames.

 

No registering then copying SiMdOwMaN's username