Internet Forums are highly popular, they cater for all tastes
and deal with every topic imaginable. People visit Internet
forums for a variety of reasons, the most common being the
search for information or entertainment. The Internet forum
is a safe environment if you behave sensibly but you can
find yourself in dangerous territory if you ignore the following
warnings.
Don't Join Internet Forum Flame Wars
An Internet Forum flame war is to be avoided at all costs.
The airing of differing points of view, debate and discussion
are healthy things for an Internet forum: they keep it lively.
An Internet forum flame war can make entertaining reading
but don't be tempted to join in or start one. If you make
a habit of leaping into forum flame wars, you will acquire
a reputation as a trouble-maker and you could find yourself
barred from a forum because of your behaviour. Another good
reason for avoiding forum flame wars is that you could find
yourself caught in the crossfire. Before you know it, people
will be firing at you from every direction when all you intended
to do was have a bit of fun.
Don't Make Jokes On An Internet Forum
Well, you can if you really must, but remember that the
Internet forum has the same drawback as email: the reader
can't see your expression or gestures. The smile, shrug or
grimace which can lift your comment from serious to humorous
will be missing and your message will be something which
the reader has to interpret. If the reader gets it wrong,
you might very well find that you just started your very
own Internet forum flame war quite unintentionally. You can
safely tell a joke on a forum (provided that your joke's
content is appropriate) but sarcasm and irony are dangerous
and best avoided.
Don't Be An Internet Forum Drama Queen
The Internet forum is not a suitable stage for you to perform
your very own drama. If you flounce about making extravagant
statements merely for effect, you will be the object of ridicule
by other forum members even if nobody tells you so. If you
are a member of a support forum for a particular programme,
it is quite in order to post a message to the forum saying
something along the lines of "I've started to feel unsure
about [whatever], I don't think it's going to work out unless
I make some changes. Can anybody suggest what I should try
next?" Compare this to the next post in drama queen style: "I
quit! This Sucks. I've done everything right so it must be
this ****ing programme. You will never hear from me again!" Which
forum member would you want to help? There will be kind people
who feel the drama queen's pain and offer support and suggestions.
When the drama queen makes a big re-entrance to the forum
after a few days sulking, posts "I'm back!" and expresses
a resolve to work diligently towards success, the kind people
who offered support will feel that their advice must have
done the trick. When the forum drama queen posts another "Goodbye
Forever!" message, the same kind people will empathise as
the drama queen is obviously being affected by an emotional
roller coaster and they will offer further sound advice.
The kind forum members will be pleased when the drama queen
makes a further "I'm Back And Here To Stay!" recovery. By
about the third or fourth "I Quit!" drama, even the kindest
people will be wishing the drama queen had stayed quit the
first time round and Internet forum credibility for the drama
queen ends there.
Don't Be An Internet Forum Puppy
A real puppy can't help chasing after everything that moves,
getting under people's feet and being hyperactive to the
point where it sometimes becomes annoying: that's just its
nature. The Internet forum member who behaves like a puppy
can help it and should desist. I am talking about the person
who joins an Internet forum for the sole purpose of getting
the links in his signature file on the forum as often as
possible. The annoying forum puppy will respond to every
message posted whether he knows anything about the subject
or not. He will post messages which are of no value to anyone,
these messages will range from boring pointless observations
to obscure drivel to requests to poll an unimportant question
which bears no relevance to the forum. If you are desperate
to plaster your signature file all over the place, join lots
of Internet forums and just post a few messages on each.
With any luck, you will grow out of this time-wasting pursuit
before the other forum members form a lynching party.
Don't Be An Internet Forum Seconder
Have you ever come across Mr Me Too? If you have, you will
know who I mean. He is about as annoying as the Internet
forum puppy. Mr Me Too will post a response to every thread
that appears on a forum. It won't take him long as he won't
bother to read through the thread, all he will do is add
a comment saying "me too" or "I agree". This gets his signature
file posted with the link back to his website and that's
all he wants. Mr Me Too does not go to the Internet forum
for entertainment or information or to contribute anything
useful. If you are subscribed to a forum thread and receive
notification that someone has posted a further message on
the topic, it is very irritating to log in at the forum only
to find that someone has posted a message saying "me too" or "I
agree" just to give his signature file an airing. It is sadly
true that the Internet forum puppy and Mr Me Too will get
their links on the Internet alongside the forum members who
post meaningful messages. When the day arrives that Search
Engine Robots are able to distinguish the difference between
valuable forum messages and drivel, those two offenders will
find that it's pay back time for their transgressions.
Don't Attack The Internet Forum Moderators
If you have a message removed or edited by an Internet forum
moderator, there will be a reason, so don't post complaints
on the forum. Even if you don't understand or don't agree
with the decision, there is no point in arguing. Attacking
a moderator is like holding up a placard saying "I'm a pest,
throw me out". The moderators are there to ensure the Internet
forum is kept to the required standard. Remember that somebody
owns this forum and invests time and energy in keeping the
environment -- well -- moderate. The Internet forum is not
your private sand-pit, you are a guest and if your behaviour
is not appropriate, your invitation to play could be withdrawn.
You should also remember that anything you post on an Internet
forum will be available for public scrutiny for years to
come.
The dictionary definition of the verb to moderate is: "to
keep within measure or bounds; to regulate; to reduce in
intensity; to make temperate or reasonable". If this does
not sound like your kind of environment, perhaps you should
stay away from Internet forums.
Copyright 2005 Elaine Currie
Elaine Currie provides ideas, help and resources for anyone
wanting to start a home business visit: http://www.Huntingvenus.com
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