A Musing on Forum Etiquette

[Pat Arnold]

Originally Posted by CraigHickman

With the shear size of the organization comes... The influx of what the internet has deemed "n00bs."...We have all broken these golden rules at some time or another, and hopefully we can all strive to not break them again.

Golden Rule Number One: Search Before Ye Post.One first identifies many general sources, then spends some time scouring them for detailed information. This detailed information can be easily found, especially with the use of a second tool...this is the search within forum.

Golden Rule Number Two: Label Thine Threads Appropriately.A forum user should be able to guess what your first paragraph should say form your topic.

Golden Rule Number Three: Think Before Ye Submit Post.It's important to be understood clearly, so spelling, grammar, and proper punctuation are paramount when trying to communicate.

Golden Rule Number Four: Don't be afraid to take things to PM.

Golden Rule Number Five: The FAQ and Read Before Posting exist for a reason.

Great rant. Please continue to embrace & educate "n00bs". CD is a wonderful open forum, which benefits from new thoughts & members. I'm adding:

Golden Rule Number Six: Show patience as newcomers get up to speed. Save bad rep. for inappropriate, vulgar or extremely off-topic posts rather than naive, poorly phrased questions, inadequetely researched posts or differences of opinion.

Lets encourage more members from FIRST's growing community to use this forum. Understanding the rules and having them clearly explained helps.