Cookie's Guide to Being Respected in Forums Steps: 1 To gain respect, you must first give it. Whenever you come across somebody, whether they are being respectful or not, be respectful of them. Those deserving of it will give it back and, if they are already well-known in the community, will give you a slight popularity boost. 2 Try to use proper English. While using shorthands and the like might be fine for texting, you have no excuse not to type out full words on a computer keyboard. Keystrokes take much less time here. Using proper grammar and spelling will make you seem more intelligent and worth knowing, and therefore more respectable. 3 Never insult somebody. Whether on the boards themselves or PMing another user, it is very important not to insult another user. Insults make you seem petty and immature. You may have issues with another user, but take them somewhere else. 4 Follow all of the rules and help the moderators whenever possible. It may seem like a "teacher's pet" kind of thing to do, but the mods will appreciate it (they have busy schedules) as they pride themselves on how well their forums are run. (For things like MySpace, don't be afraid to hit the "report abuse" button.) 5 Don't overstep your boundaries. The worst thing to do is take your position in your online community for granted and think that the entire Internet should revolve around you. Even as you become better-known, don't let it feed your ego. 6 Be polite. If others have spelling or grammar mistakes, don't point them out unless you're absolutely certain that would be appreciated. Remember also that there's difference between saying "The Moon Landing was in 1969, actually" and "Wasn't the Moon Landing in '69?" Remember that voice tone does not carry through the Intertubes. 7 Be outgoing and friendly. You probably have enough enemies in real life, so why would you need more on the 'net? Even if you're not an outgoing person IRC, it's easy on the Internet, and the friendlier you are the better respected you will become. 8 Disagree in an agreeable manner. You don't have to think all of the same thoughts as the rest of the forum, but if you find yourself disagreeing with another user, do so in a way that doesn't involve insults or anger. Everybody's different--always remember that. (Never, ever tell somebody that they're wrong!) 9 Most importantly, never back down. Even following all of the above rules is fine, but there will certainly be times when you are put in a situation where you are asked to do something you don't want to do or can't do (perhaps because of your personal beliefs). In these situations, it is important to say "No" and not give in to the pressure. Standing up for yourself in a manner that doesn't hurt anybody is, also, one of the most impressive and respectable things you can do. 10 If you become an a moderator who is capable of banning people's accounts, don't go around banning everyone who gets on your nerves. You will become hated by just about everyone. Thank you for reading! Sorry I don't know too much about bb code so this is just a plain old post
I was about to Facepalm as I opened this thread. Then I read the thread, and it was surprisingly accurate. Good job, OP, support.
I must say, I don't respect anyone, who makes a thread about respect, trying to teach respect. Get it, got it, done R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me! Oh, and I feel you are stereotyping, many of us post on forum from our cell phones, therefore making it okay to speak in text talk. At least by your logic. So, Herethereafter I decree that a decree be decreed.
Thank you very much for your opinion, destructo. I actually was not hoping for any respect, as I do not believe I deserve it. And as a matter of fact, I posted this from my phone
If you did #10 and Devs realized the unrightfully banishment of multiple accounts by a moderator, that mod would be banned themselves.
Hi sledgehammer. This post was actually a generalization of all forums online, that is why I said that moderators could ban and not just silence, etc. But on KAW, I agree, the DEVS are really on top of keeping mods from doing those kinds of things, and I doubt anyone who was chosen for mod would do those things. Thanks for reading