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 Post subject: What Would Avron Do? - Some helpful posting hints
PostPosted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 2:17 am 
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Grand Master
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WHAT WOULD AVRON DO?
A Moderator's Guide to Posting at UESP


Greetings, fellow members! Your humble Moderator in Pink Green here. It has come to my attention that we may not all be on the same page for what it means to “create spam posts” here at UESP, which is one of our biggest complaints. In the spirit of understanding, and since I have not been around to set a good example much, I have decided to provide you all with some, so that next time you want to post that witty and hastily written reply, you can stop and ask yourself, What would Avron do?

Note: Failure to follow this advice and forum rules will result in appropriate action. You asked for it, it's here, and I expect you to read it. Savvy?

Let’s get started, shall we?

Part One: The Rules.
It is important that everyone remember that we do have rules here at UESP, and with them expectations with how every member should act. Yes, this is not just a thread we wrote up to clutter the announcements section at the top of every page – we expect you to be well acquainted with these rules, and to ask us questions if you do not understand. Ignoring them is grounds for appropriate action such as warning and, in some cases, banning.

Please take a moment to review the rules. There will be a pop quiz.

Spoiler:
Image
A fine example of what we don't want, from Daily of the Day

_________________
Huzzah!

"[...] for the lives of gods are not what mortals think and matters that weigh only years to mortals weigh on gods forever."
The Tribunal Temple, Nerevar at Red Mountain

Find the S'wit:
ESO PC-NA: @Avron | Legends: nosoundcomes


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 Post subject: Re: What Would Avron Do? - Some helpful posting hints
PostPosted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 2:17 am 
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Grand Master
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Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 2:21 am
Posts: 2578
Location: USA
ES Games: All of them!
Platform: PC
Status: Still a s'wit.
UESPoints: 5
Part Two: But what is spam, Avron?
Here at UESP we consider “spam” posts that don’t contribute to the thread they are in or serve a real purpose; for example,
The Rules wrote:
No Spamming - No commercial posts, advertising, or post flooding the forum with useless content. Replies and comments to increase your post count will be deleted.

This also includes one word replies, most one liners, posts that troll, and posts that go off topic. Think of it as “chatroom mentality” (one word replies) versus “forum mentality” (replies that are a discussion).

Here are some examples of what I mean:

1) A reply in the Welcomes and Goodbyes thread:
A Member wrote:
'Wailord man'? I refrain from being called that, as I'm 190 and weigh only 54 kilos. That's no whale!

But it fits alright with the chandelier.

Why is this spam? – It does not contribute to the thread it is in. This thread is particularly important because it is where fellow members tell us when they are leaving and new members tell us when they’ve arrived. Would you feel welcomed to UESP if your post was missed because it was hidden by spam and inside jokes? (No!)
What would Avron do? – Send this as a joke in a PM in response to who it is for. That way you still get to have your “Hah hah” with the other member, and you don’t interrupt the flow of the thread!


2) A reply in a Multimedia thread:
Original Post wrote:
Does anyone here still play This Awesome Game? What do you think about it?

Reply wrote:
I've never heard of it.

Why is this spam? – It is a “post for the sake of posting:” the replier doesn’t even know what the game is, and yet he or she feels the need to reply. This is an easy temptation to fall prey to – but don’t!
What would Avron do? – Solve my curiosity by Googling this game, or by sending a PM to the original poster for some helpful links about the game, if I think I might be curious. Lots of friends are made this way!


3) A reply in an Oblivion thread:
Original Post wrote:
HEY GUYS I CAN’T FIGURE THIS THING OUT AND I AM TOO LAZY TO LOOK AT THE WIKI, CAN YOU HELP ME PLEASE?!

Reply wrote:
First of all, caps lock does not make people get to your post faster.

Why is this spam? – It doesn’t answer the question, one, and it’s rude. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t be a jerk…say nothing!
What would Avron do? – Point the poster in the proper direction, kindly point out that caps lock is hard to read, and use the REPORT button (the red exclamation button in each post) to alert a moderator to this thread, so that they can correct the caps lock and make sure the original poster is aware of the rules.

(Note: Please use the report button. We do actually read reports, take action, and reply to let you know we have. It’s not for show!)


4) A reply in a General Banter thread:
Original Post wrote:
What is your favorite flower? I love tulips because they are so beautiful, but I think daisies are great, too! I am a gardener so I think this is interesting. What about you?

Reply wrote:
Roses.

Why is this spam? – It’s a one word post, and it doesn’t contribute to the thread. Yes, you like roses, and I’m glad – but why? Do you like the color? Are they romantic? Did your grandma always grow them in her garden? The forums don’t move the same as a face-to-face conversation, since we cannot go back and forth in a few seconds…so let us into your head a little!
What would Avron do? – Tell you all about my love for roses, of course – and if I didn’t have one, I wouldn’t post for the sake of posting!


5) A thread in a General Banter thread:
Post wrote:
What’s your favorite kitchen appliance?

Why is this spam? – It isn’t really a discussion (and you know it), and furthermore it aims to just serve as a place to post lists. Lists are not discussions, so stay away from them.
What would Avron do? – Not partake in this and alert a moderator so they can shut this nonsense down!

_________________
Huzzah!

"[...] for the lives of gods are not what mortals think and matters that weigh only years to mortals weigh on gods forever."
The Tribunal Temple, Nerevar at Red Mountain

Find the S'wit:
ESO PC-NA: @Avron | Legends: nosoundcomes


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 Post subject: Re: What Would Avron Do? - Some helpful posting hints
PostPosted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 2:18 am 
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Grand Master
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Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 2:21 am
Posts: 2578
Location: USA
ES Games: All of them!
Platform: PC
Status: Still a s'wit.
UESPoints: 5
Part Three: How can I improve my posts?
We realize that sometimes there is a fuzzy line between what is spam and what isn’t, especially here in the General Discussion subforums. I would like to ask members to use their best judgement when trying to consider whether or not their post has some weight behind it. To help out, here are some important things to consider when you are writing your reply here on UESP:

» Think before you post. Every thread has a purpose (the topic), which is generally presented as a question that needs an answer. When you are replying, ask yourself: Does my reply help to answer the question? Is it on the same subject? Will it interrupt the flow of conversation? If you cannot answer a resounding “Why yes!” to all of these, you’re likely going off topic, or you are generating spam – neither of which is good.

» Read all posts before you reply. This includes those dreaded posts that have been posted to the thread in between you writing yours and hitting the “SUBMIT” button, which pop up on the screen and are likely ignored. Please take a moment to read these – you might find that you have been “ninja’d” (what you said is posted before you say it), or that you have something different to add in light of this. It also helps eliminate double posts, which are against the rules. In other words, don’t rush to answer. You may miss something important…especially a moderators’ post, and if we have to say it twice, we’ve already said it too many times.

» Remember: quality over quantity. Yes, we do have a fun post tally, but we like to stress that it’s not how much you say, it’s what you say here at UESP. Resist the urge to “post for the sake of posting.” I can assure you that you don’t get any prizes as you get more and more gold coins, so don’t worry about it!

» Don’t break the rules. This includes going off topic, being inconsiderate or rude, arguing, or flaming fellow members or moderators. Use common sense. Think about how you would feel if you were reading as a guest or perspective member. Would you feel at home? Would you want to join? Try logging out one day and reading as a guest who can’t reply. It changes your perspective!

Additional note: Remember that games are against the forum rules. Any post turning discussions into games is grounds for deletion and/ or a friendly warning.

» If you’re not sure, ask! Always feel free to ask a moderator if you’re unsure of yourself, or if you find that your posts are repeatedly being tagged as rule-breakers. You can address us all by using the mailing group Staff in the PM menu (look to your left), by PMing a moderator who is online, or by PMing a Tea Party Moderator. We reply as quickly as possible and are on several times throughout the day, sometimes as hidden –don’t be afraid to talk to us!

» Have fun! This is the most important rule here, and the one we want everyone to enjoy – including us moderators. If you don’t think before posting, you may be causing unwanted stress for your fellow members. Who wants to come to be with their friends if they’re going to be stressed? I wouldn’t!


Hopefully this has been an informative read, and will help clear up any questions or uncertainties you may have. If you have any questions, concerns, or other topics you would like me to discuss, please shoot me a PM or catch me on MSN.

On behalf of the entire Moderator Squad, I would like to thank you for your patience as we transition out of the five year lull between TES games and develop our team. Now it’s time to develop our community into an even better one – so let’s all work together, everyone!

_________________
Huzzah!

"[...] for the lives of gods are not what mortals think and matters that weigh only years to mortals weigh on gods forever."
The Tribunal Temple, Nerevar at Red Mountain

Find the S'wit:
ESO PC-NA: @Avron | Legends: nosoundcomes


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 Post subject: Re: What Would Avron Do? - Some helpful posting hints
PostPosted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 2:17 pm 
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Grand Master
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Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 2:21 am
Posts: 2578
Location: USA
ES Games: All of them!
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Status: Still a s'wit.
UESPoints: 5
Part Four: I can has punctuation, Avron?
Yes, my friend - you can has have punctuation.

We understand that this is an internet forum and that there is a certain internet lingo / register that goes on, but let me ask you a question: do u liek 2 read stuff liek this? WHY NOT ITS COOL LOL. ...I think you got my point. Without punctuation your posts are not just grating on the eyes, they are truly and utterly annoying. Please remember that the basic means of communication on a forum is the written word, and we want to make sure that everyone gets to enjoy it. Here at the UESP forums we do encourage you to try to write in a clear manner that is enjoyable for everyone. Do you have to write perfect Standard English and sound as if you are writing an academic paper? Not at all! But, as the rules kindly say,

The Rules wrote:
Use the best grammar and spelling possible - Come on, this isn't exactly a rule, but use correct grammar. It makes it easier to read posts and makes people more willing to respond. It’s hard to trawl through a maze of abbreviation, strange spelling and slang, and often leaves the reader with no desire to reply. Try to post as intelligently as possible. Also, refrain from using acronyms - not everybody knows what everything stands for

_________________
Huzzah!

"[...] for the lives of gods are not what mortals think and matters that weigh only years to mortals weigh on gods forever."
The Tribunal Temple, Nerevar at Red Mountain

Find the S'wit:
ESO PC-NA: @Avron | Legends: nosoundcomes


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 Post subject: Re: What Would Avron Do? - Some helpful posting hints
PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2012 4:53 pm 
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Grand Master
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User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 2:21 am
Posts: 2578
Location: USA
ES Games: All of them!
Platform: PC
Status: Still a s'wit.
UESPoints: 5
Part Five: A good post uses forum tags efficiently!
One of the great things about the phpBB system, which the UESP forums use, is the ease of formatting posts. This is often done by forum tags, which you see every time you go to write a body of text. They are the small boxes located directly above the text box that will contain your newest post that allow you to bold, italicize, insert links, or
I wrote:
quote your fellow members!

They are usually easily identified by the use of brackets ([ ]), which replaces the standard angle brackets (< >) used in HTML.

But with these tags comes great responsibility. Using them responsibly helps to keep posts easy to read, free flowing, free of spam and clutter, and generally keeps everyone happy by promoting polite posting habits. Think of your text as your speaking voice: everything you write on UESP should be clear, concise, and readable to help you convey the great ideas you're trying to say!

So what am I doing wrong, Avron?
Why, I'm glad you asked! Here are some examples of inefficient ways to post and how you can make it better.

1) Quoting:
Quoting is the quintessential point of conversation here at the forums. It helps you to point out things another user says that you hope to expand upon, question, or refute. But when you're doing it, there are a few things to keep in mind.
  • You don't have to quote the person directly above you. - If you are the next person to reply, it is generally assumed that you are contributing a new idea to the thread and/or responding to the post directly above yours. Repeating the entire block of text above you is a pain on the eyes and serves to clutter the thread, interrupting the fluid reading we usually have!
  • You don't have to quote the entire body of text; this includes bolding the relevant points only. - This is a huge mistake often done by members new and old alike: when replying, they will quote the users entire post and underline or bold the one point they wish to comment on, such as this:
    Member Two, in reply, wrote:
    Member One wrote:
    Just tried using a shield while on horseback, and right clicking just made me swing Glamdring on the left side of the horse instead of the right side. So far I've found mounted melee combat to be basically impossible. The small and rather illogical hit arc, the fact that horses don't know how to walk backwards, and the AI's tendency to move around a lot means that just hitting them is a challenge. Hopefully Bethesda will fix both of these issues before the patch is released for everyone.

    This should not affect mounted combat as the objective should be to ride quickly by the target, strike, and ride swiftly away where you can spin around and run back in from a different point on the circle. I mean if you prefer to use another set of legs of course...what me? *cough* I'd never take four legs into combat that weren't my own...Oh look shiny object.

    Do not do this! It is terribly messy and distracting! Instead, try this:
    Member Two, in reply, wrote:
    Member One wrote:
    ... the fact that horses don't know how to walk backwards ...

    This should not affect mounted combat as the objective should be to ride quickly by the target, strike, and ride swiftly away where you can spin around and run back in from a different point on the circle. I mean if you prefer to use another set of legs of course...what me? *cough* I'd never take four legs into combat that weren't my own...Oh look shiny object.

    This is much better. It quotes only the point that interested you without cluttering the thread and saves room on the thread for even more conversation!

Please note: quoting someone else's post without any new or original content is lazy and unacceptable. The idea of posts is for you to contribute your own original ideas and thoughts. We already know what so-and-so said - we read their post right above yours!


2) Spoiler tags:
An important part of the forum is discussion of TES-related gameplay which, of course, always contains spoilers at one point or another. A spoiler is any information that tells someone the out come of a quest or storyline before they progress far enough to discover it themselves. Because of this, we have something called the spoiler tag, denoted as
Code:
[spoiler]
This feature hides any text contained within its field, so that a user has to click to read, like so:
Spoiler:
Surprise! Made you look!

Saying in your post SPOILERS AHEAD does not count. Please be respectful to your fellow members and use spoiler tags to hide any information that may surprise someone!

This also applies to older games such as Morrowind or Oblivion. While you may be familiar with the games in and out, some of our members are just discovering them, so don't ruin the fun and satisfaction of going through the quests! It is better to use these tags when in doubt.

The spoiler tag also doubles as a feature to hide content on the forums, be it a very long post, an image, or a YouTube video. Which leads me to the next point:


3) Images and YouTube videos:
Using the image tags [img], you can share pictures from across the web here on the forums! However, please be respectful when doing so. Large images can cause slower browser loading, throw off the dimensions of post reply boxes, making them difficult to read, and make it difficult for users who browse from their phones or tablets. Instead, if your image is large, please use a hide tag to hide it, like so:
Code:
[hide][img]the URL of your image to be shared[/img][/hide]

The same can be applied to YouTube videos:
Code:
[hide][youtube]video code here[/youtube][/hide]

_________________
Huzzah!

"[...] for the lives of gods are not what mortals think and matters that weigh only years to mortals weigh on gods forever."
The Tribunal Temple, Nerevar at Red Mountain

Find the S'wit:
ESO PC-NA: @Avron | Legends: nosoundcomes


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