Posting on the Forum

From ADISC Answers Wiki

ADISC is a community-oriented website in which a large portion is dedicated to the forum. When posting on the forum, it is crucial to remember that what you write is the biggest factor in how you are perceived and judged as a user by others. How you present yourself will ultimately determine whether you are a welcome member or an uncouth nuisance. This article will outline proper forum etiquette and how to improve your posting.

Before reading this article, you should first familiarize yourself with the general rules of the forum.

The Fundamentals of Writing

The primary language of the ADISC forum is English. Other languages are tolerated, however, they should be confined to language-specific threads. Don't worry too much if English is not your first language; just do your best to make yourself understood. Use a spellchecker and a grammar checker if you have one. Perfection is not required; all we ask is that you put effort into making your posts clear and legible.

At ADISC, we do expect a certain level of grammar, spelling and punctuation such that it can be easily read by all members of the forums. Purposely misspelling words, not using correct grammar or not punctuating your writing is frowned upon and will end up with you gaining neg-rep.

Grammar

Grammar pertains to proper sentence/paragraph structure. Constructing a post with poor grammar makes it harder for other users to read and, as a result, your post will most likely be skipped or overlooked. A well-written post is one that flows nicely, transitioning fluidly between each point and statement. If you are writing a long post, paragraphs are a must, as reading a wall of text can be a challenge unto itself.

If you are having trouble with grammar, a good idea is to re-read what you've just written. Ask yourself, "Does it make sense?". If it doesn't sound right, then try rewording it such that it makes it understandable.

For more details on grammar, please read this article

Punctuation

Punctuation is the use of commas, [semi]colons, full-stops/periods, apostrophes, question marks, spaces, brackets, etc... Yes, surprisingly, all those weird symbols on your keyboard do have a purpose! A properly punctuated post contains an abundance of these symbols. They help with the flow of the post, as well as properly give your words their intended meaning. No one wants to read a sentence that is just a continuous string of 50+ words.

The most basic of punctuation are the following and should be used when required:

• Use a full-stop/period ( . ) when ending a sentence and or starting a new or supporting point.
• Use comma's ( , ) to break up separate or supporting ideas in the one sentence.
• Use a question mark ( ? ) when actually asking a question you want answered (rhetoric's aside).
• Use a colon ( : ) when starting a list (and then properly number your list).
• Use a semi-colon ( ; ) when breaking up a sentence into two separate points that pertain to the same idea.
• Use an apostrophe ( ' ) when writing contractions (don't, there's, g'day!) or when quoting within a quote.
• Use quotation marks ( "..." ) when re-stating what someone else has already said. Failing that, use the [QUOTE]...[/QUOTE] feature on the forum.
• Use brackets ( (...) ) when noting something about what you've said in a sentence (to give it more detail).

For more details on punctuation, please read this article

Spelling

Spelling is perhaps the most obvious thing when it comes to posting on the forum. Straight away, a person can tell when a post is properly spelled and when it isn't. A post containing many misspelling may still be readable, but, more often than not, will be overlooked. Spelling in the English language can sometimes be difficult, as there are certain pitfalls to watch out for (such as homophones - words that sound the same, but are spelled differently, the same vowel can make many different sounds - including the letter "y" which is used as a vowel in some words, etc...)

If are have very poor spelling skills, as long as you've shown that you've made an effort in your spelling, you will not be frowned upon. Purposely misspelling words, however, only shows to other users that you have little consideration for them (save them the effort of deciphering by spelling properly!).

A good idea is to run a word through a spell checker. Firefox has one built in it or you could use MS Word or even Google are a good for suggesting the correct spelling for a word. Or, if you prefer, an old-fashioned dictionary!

The Preview Button

The preview button is perhaps one of the best tools at your disposal when posting on the forum. It allows you to see your post as it will look when you click that 'Submit' button.

This gives you a good opportunity to read your post how others will see it. Use it to proof-read your post and make any necessary corrections in the above three areas. Whilst proof-reading it, you may come up with more ideas that you can add to your post (and perhaps enticing someone even more to give you that positive rep point).

Summary of the Fundamentals

If you feel you are confident and willing to use the above three aspects of writings, then you are very much welcome to post on the forum. If you ignore them or deliberately choose to not use them, then expect to be pushed into the background on the website and possibly neg-repped. Failing to write well will often lead to people automatically overlooking your posts in the future; you will essentially be wasting your time on the forum.

Constructing a Post

When writing a post, it's a good idea to have a clear point in mind that you wish to make. Making a long post is good, but it's time wasted if you just ramble on and not actually say anything in particular.

Making Your Point

Non-serious posts aside, the most important thing to posting (or any sort of writing for that matter) is to try and get a particular message across through your words. The best way to achieve this is to have a clear idea what you want to say before you start writing. And always remind yourself of it when you are writing. Most people don't have the time to filter through all the posts made on the forum, let alone reading them (especially if they are long). Being concise in making your point not only saves others the time in reading, but will also save you the time in writing.

Making your post direct and concise is not as easy as it seems. However, a suggested method of approach is to write your post how you feel comfortable, then cut out what you feel isn't required when you proof-read it.

Supporting Your Point

Saying something is one thing, actually being able to back it up is another. We aren't looking for people to reference or source everything they say, we just ask that you elaborate more on what you are saying. For example, instead of just saying, "I don't like milk", why not detail the aspects of milk you find unappealing.

We value and highly appreciate people who give their opinion on the matter. After all, at the end of the day, all we really ever have is our own opinion. ADISC, as a support community, respects that users come from varied backgrounds and, as such, have varied opinions. However, most people will be unable to reply to your opinion if you fail to give them something to comment on. Adding just that little bit of extra detail to your post can make a huge difference in who replies to you and how you are perceived on the forum. A good post is one that has depth to it.

Quality vs. Quantity

In posting, there are two extremes of the spectrum:

• Quality posting - where the majority of a user's posts are very well written and of high calibre.
• Quantity posting
  • Where the user makes very long posts, or...
  • A user with an extremely high post-count.

Many have given preference to quality posting, as it's not how much you post, but what you actually say in each message. Some basic aspects of a quality post are those which make a very clear point, are concise, well-written, bring up new and challenging ideas and add a greater depth to the topic at hand.

With quantity posting, a user tends to post a lot on the topic, but the pitfall is that they aren't concise. What can be said in 100 words, is said in 1000 words - so to speak. However, one advantage of quantity posting is that it gives a lot of substance for another user to reply to. Another advantage is that you can explain something in a variety of ways (because not everyone can understand a concept in the same way as another person).

On the other hand, quantity posting can also include a user making many posts, but none really having and substance to them. Try to avoid this posting style as all it does is show that you have put no thought into your words whatsoever.

Quality in Quantity

If you are lucky enough to be gifted with an active and innovative mind, then we definitely encourage you to make quality posts in high quantities. Although, try your best to avoid looking like a know-it-all... as a matter of fact, no one likes someone like that! =P

How You Say Things

When writing a post, you should really consider how you are coming across to other people. This is the same as someone's tone of voice in real life. Saying something could come across as both positive or negative depending on how you actually say it. Was your post polite or demeaning? Was it said in a friendly manner, or was it forceful? Would you like it if someone said to you what you are saying? Consideration for other users is important as it shows that we have respect for each other. Without that, there wouldn't be much of a community as no one would like to hang around a place where they are belittled. As a rule of thumb, try to avoid saying something that would upset someone, such as a distasteful joke, making a blatantly offensive statement or derogating someone.

This goes hand-in-hand with avoiding saying anything that would incite drama on the forum. Drama is anything that arouses:

• unwelcome comments
• personal attacks on another user
• pointless and unneeded arguments
• a "mob mentality" against a person or idea

...or just generally makes the forum a worse place to be.

The best way to avoid any of this is to Think Before You Post! Before typing anything, have in your mind the type of responses you want to receive and construct your post such that people can reply in that manner. Proof-read your post and delete anything that people may perceive as inciting drama. Due to the reputation system being a tool where users can self-moderate, inciting drama normally carries the penalty of receiving a good amount of neg-rep.

Keep it Topical

Try your best to keep your post on-topic. Respond to the topic at hand and try not to deviate too much from that. Letting natural conversation flow is fine, but letting it go too far defeats the purpose of the thread.

Make it Relevant

A good thing to think about when you are making a post is to consider if what you are saying has been said before. Before you write a post, ask yourself the following questions: "Am I saying something new? Do other people want individual stories or do they want to progress beyond what we are talking about?"

It is important to realize that sometimes, what a thread is asking for is for individual stories, and sometimes, it's asking for specific contributions to move the conversation forum. Learn how to read for these cues and your posting will get better!

Resources

Here is a list of helpful websites that can help you improve your standard of writing.

Google - The world's most popular online search engine, research or confirm information before posting.

RhymeZone - Online dictionary that also includes a rhyme, synonym, antonym & homophone searcher amongst other filters.

Wikipedia - Online encyclopaedia, quickly find detailed information.