So what do you guys think is the number one quality of an excellent forum member? Do you have any stories of stand-out members who have helped you in some way?
Good question. I am not completely sure about what you mean by bringing boredom. Do you mean someone that doesn’t have much to say, or someone that asks the same questions repetitively? If it’s the former, then I wouldn’t do anything - some people are big talkers and others are not. It it’s the latter, then the best approach I find is to have a sticky FAQ thread which you can politely point people towards.
Angry people are different. If their anger means that they are rude to other members, I would discipline them immediately. If their anger is general, then usually a polite PM does the trick. There will always be people that just want to cause trouble and in the end they spark their own demise.
Please let me know if I’ve misinterpreted your question.
I’m sure it’s unintentional, but sometimes spam is in the eye of the beholder. You might have just written what you consider to be the most amazing free script known to humankind. You’ve signed up to a forum with the sole intention of sharing it with as many people as possible
First of all, I agree with a lot of the content in this article. There is a certain amount of online etiquette that should be expected and practiced on a regular basis. This includes responsiveness, don’t leave someone hanging after they’ve specifically asked you something, sent you a message, etc., genuineness- don’t pretend to be someone you’re not, hopefully everyone on here strives to be honest and credible, and encouraging. I believe encouraging and offering advice to a pool of complete strangers often frees people up to offer their true opinion in an objective manner.
In case anyone is wondering, we have a policy of not moderating fluff posts on article and blog threads, simply because a number of people commenting on the post may not actually realise that they are commenting to the forum.
Having said that, if you have a history of that sort of posting we might not be so lenient…
Last I checked, Sarah was not a man. :)[/ot]
Great article, Sarah. Most of what was in the article was common sense to me, but it definitely wasn’t that way when I first began using forums.
The one point which sticks out to me is “The Internet Is Forever.” It’s a very valid point in which I wouldn’t even have thought to make. It’s very easy to overlook the potential consequences of your Internet/forum usage but also very important that you don’t.
Consider every member of global community is respectable. speak for the issue for which you have complete idea, fake arguments may damage your personal image. Quality contents are required. Thats it.