Posting Ettiquette

[Capper]

I started HL because I wanted a fun place where people could get interested in the tech community, ask questions, and share ideas and opinions without being griped at, told they were stupid, or otherwise made to feel unwelcome. While I think places like Extreme Systems and Overclockers Forums, and other forums have a wealth of knowledge, and some very good people, these forums are not really a good place for beginners, or casual users. I noticed almost every time a new person asked a question or needed help, the thread always turned into a "Why don't you Google it", or the new person was chased off without getting the help they want or need.

So, I figured we'd make HL a fun place, not just a place where EVERYONE should feel welcome, but a place where the only dumb question is the one not asked. I think the staff has done a great job over the last 3 years managing the forums and contributing what I feel are some of the best reviews around.....I especially need to point out the forum mods (Blake, Stinger, Hitman, Prolific_One, and others) as having done a great job keeping things on topic and always taking the time to help people.

Ok, after that long winded rant, the point of my post is to ask you guys for a little help with this.....Please help us make the forums everything they can be by simply adhering to some simple rules (Besides the forum rules).

• Think before you post
  When you are asking a question, or even answering a question....take the time to make sure your question or answer is clearly stated, and easily understood. Sometimes drama starts over something as silly as a misunderstood post or sentence.
• Be Courteous
  sometimes you may be having a bad day, or simply be in a pissy mood, but there is no reason to take this out on other forum members. If you see something wrong, or the answer isn't quite clear enough, look at the question and maybe rephrase it, or ask again in a PM......If you see something wrong, there is nothing wrong with disagreeing, but please use tact when posting a differing opinion or rebuttal......remember the phrase "Opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one". Using tact means being considerate of others feelings, thoughts, and opinions. I really cannot stand "know it all attitudes"....so if you cant express yourself in a nice manner, or without a condescending attitude, bring the topic up in an email or PM so that it can be addressed. When posting a differing opinion, please do things like post facts, and feel free to point out mistakes........but again, do it with TACT.
• Have Fun
  One thing that I think, and hope, sets us apart from every other forum is the laid back attitudes of our members. Just last night I ended up playing poker with Hitman and TireOldMan for a couple of hours, and had a blast......we love doing stuff like that.....we try to make things fun with contests and giveaways, but even simple stuff like Poker Night, or a CSS server lets us all have a good time.
  There are times that people don't feel like having fun, or feel picked on....we can't be happy all the time......If you are having a bad day, or otherwise don't feel like goofing around, and someone offends you, send them a PM or email and let them know what bothered you and that you aren't in the mood.....try not to let it carry over into forum posting.

Ok, thats my little rant for today, I hope I was able to clarify a few things, and put others into perspective for you guys. This isn't directed at anyone in particular, its just something I've been meaning to do for awhile and finally got around to doing.

[Capper]

Well, I don't want anyone to think this is directed at them.....but we have had some friction in the forums over the summer. I'll chalk it up to people being hot, stressed, external problems, etc.......

I think we have a tremendous community, and a great staff......just keep these little guidlines in mind and we'll be fine.