Get With the Program, Ya'll! (LLB Fan Club etiquette) [Archive]

Belle

12-03-2007, 07:05 PM

Gigi sent me this for the public forum. I'll post it here until she can get to it. (She has the flu, y'all.) :(

Forum etiquette – or ‘netiquette’ guidelines:

The spirit of the public forum and fan club is meant to be lighthearted, fun, generous and respectful, in keeping with the spirit of LLB. We are, after all, in their cyber house.

As we all know, most communication is multi-faceted and includes body language and voice fluctuations and verbal intonations, in addition to the the written word and in our case, typed words. When we’re limited to typed words, we miss out on a huge part of the message – a sigh, a shrug, a wink, and so on. So, please, if something reads offensively to you, give the poster the benefit of the doubt. Your perception of what was written may be way off from what was actually intended. Always try to keep this in mind before jumping to conclusions, and even more so, before reacting publicly via the LLB forums.

Use common sense when posting. We are a public, global forum, visited by people of all ages, denominations, and nationalities. What you find funny, others may find crude or offensive. So, please, be sensitive to this fact and to one another, in general.

Posting a new topic:

◆Make sure the title is informative. Not everyone has time to read each post, so they might skip over “I have a question”, but stop to read “I have a question about Ringo’s drum kit.” If it isn’t about LLB, put it in the Off-Topic forum.

◆Typing anything in All-caps is considered the equivalent of YELLING in the cybersphere and although you may not adhere to "cyber etiquette", other folks do, and so please be very sensitive to this fact and refrain from using All Caps, even if it is to simply give your point more impact.

◆Foul language and rude behavior will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Responding to a thread:

◆Stay on topic. Do not post new topics on someone else's thread. That's called hijacking. Aside from being rude, your comment/question may get buried.

◆Do not start private conversations in someone else's thread. Again, it's not polite. A message intended for any one person should be sent directly to that person via the private messaging system we have in place just for this reason.

◆Be civil. No personal attacks. Do not feel compelled to defend your honor in public. Let the moderators handle it - this is why we have moderators.

General guidelines:

◆Be kind to newcomers. They’re learning their way around the site; and seeing groups of friends already in place can be intimidating. If you notice a new member, send them a welcome message. “Hi! Glad you’re here. Holler if you have any questions.”, and so on. This is a community that we would like to nurture and build and so it is imperative that everyone knows that they are welcome here.

◆Let sleeping dogs lie – or -- let the trash stay in the garbage. Don’t keep dragging it out.

◆Ignore spammers. Nobody likes spam. However, despite our best efforts, you will occasionally see it on the public forum. Complaining about spam in public may make you feel better, but it doesn't help. Be patient. We’re getting to it. What may not be realized is that replying to the spam or spammer in any form is not only detrimental to you but also to the integrity of our forum and to the LLB site in general. Replying in any form often opens up a barrage of other doors that should under any decent circumstance remained closed.

◆No wrist-slapping. If someone should ask a question you may find inappropriate, there is no need for anyone other than a moderator to take the initiative to slap any wrists. Self-appointed deputies usually cause more trouble than they solve. Again, please let the moderators handle it.

◆Trolls:
A troll is a person who posts outrageous messages to bait people (often referred to as "flame-baiting"), delighting in sowing discord on an online forum or community. A troll inspires flaming rhetoric, and purposely provokes and pulls people into flaming discussion. These usually end with name calling and a flame war. The term troll is highly subjective.

A troll is divisive and argumentative with need-to-be-right attitude. He/she sometimes insults people or provokes people to insult him, then runs to a moderator for redress. If you see one, ignore him/her. Don’t respond to the post and don’t take the bait. If you are one, Gigifina wants a word with you!

Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, let the moderators decide what constitutes a "troll" or "trolling:" on our forums. Moderators may indicate their stance on a particular situation by posting a warning sign "Please don't feed the pigeons".

Asking Questions about the Band

It’s natural to be curious about the band members. Before you ask questions or make comments, though, envision their mother, wives and children reading your post.