Netiquette of posting to a message board!

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Title:	Netiquette of posting to a message board!
Creator:	PerrinsAx
Date(s):	very early 2000s, perhaps 2002
Medium:	online
Fandom:	multifandom
Topic:	feedback, message board
External Links:	online here, via Wayback; WebCite
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Netiquette of posting to a message board! is an essay posted at Writers University. It is by PerrinsAx.

Excerpts

One of the most popular ways to communicate with authors and readers on-line is to post to a message board or forum. Message boards and forums allow both groups to dispense information, seek information, gain insight into what the other party desires and allows everyone to bond.

When participating on a message board or forum, there are several things you should consider to make interacting more enjoyable for yourself and other participants. My first column will cover some of the basic rules of Netiquette when posting to a message board or forum.

The use/disuse of Netiquette also gives others an image of you. After all – reading what you type is most likely the only form of communication between many on the forum.

Remember that you are talking to a large amount of people who you will most likely never meet off-line – and the only way they will be able to form an opinion of you will be based upon what you say and how you say it. The way I see it; many posts look as if they have been rushed out. Why? This is something I could never understand. In day to day life; we don't rush nearly as much – are you so keen to get to work/school in the morning that you don't get out of your pajamas? Are you so eager to meet someone after work/school that you don't change into everyday clothes? No. We take care in what impression we give others; at least in real life. So why can't the same consideration be taken on forums? Would it really be that difficult to spend a few moments at the end of writing your post to check if is readable/makes sense? By no means am I expecting perfection in posts; I understand that sometimes we may be in a rush and for a few maybe English isn't their first language. But I don't think it is too much to expect that people at least put some pride into their posts and try to cut down on the silly typos. By taking pride in what you write shows that you have respect for yourself and others on the forum.

Flame Wars should obviously be avoided at all costs. But sometimes it may seem difficult not to give in to the temptation of completely ripping apart someone else's views on the forum. After all – for a lot of people the net is less real. They feel that they can do things online that they wouldn't normally do. A debate or disagreement soon leads to personal attacks; where it is not the issues being discussed so much as the integrity of the posters involved. Netiquette gives us a guide on how to avoid events such as this occurring. The above paragraphs give some guidance on flames; and how to avoid them. An analogy I have always found useful is: Would I say this in a room full of people? If your answer is a ‘no’ then it's probably not a good idea to post it.