The Ethics of Posting
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The Ethics of Posting
By Bailos
The following is a list and explanation of a few, key "ethical" guidelines that we hope everyone can keep in mind when they are posting to help promote a better community, help keep the forums clean and help improve communication.
There are no moderator actions which are required if any of the following guidelines are breached although failing to follow an ethical guideline can certainly lead you down a path which will require eventually discipline. These are merely a request for civility and common sense as well as the promotion of mutual respect of ideas and people. This does not mean that failing to follow a moral code when posting will not garner Moderator attention.
2-Cent Syndrome
When you are thinking about posting in a thread, the most important thing to consider is whether or not you and your opinions are relevant to the discussion.
Example of an irrelevant post: -There is a Stormhaven sub-board. -Suzy, a member of Stormhaven, makes a post about a new recruitment plan. -Billy, a member of Order of the Ebon Skull, adds a post to the thread saying that the recruiting plan looks good. [/example]
Other things equal, Billy should in no way be compelled to post in this thread. His hypothetical post is neither harmful nor detrimental, but what he has written is not appropriate for the nature of the topic. It is occasionally useful for members of other guilds or the community as a whole to post in topics such as the one mentioned above. The responsibility falls to you to determine if the original poster intended their post to be an "open letter" or if it was meant for only a certain crowd.
If you are in doubt, it is probably best to err on the side of caution and consider not posting unless you are positive you have something really good to say to add to the discussion.
This guideline is not applicable for off-topic forums, in general.
The Golden Rule
So you have decided it is relevant for you to post in the thread. You should type your post up with the idea that your thoughts will improve the topic. Before you hit submit, you need to ask yourself "Will this discussion be better for what I have written?"
If you do not feel like your are contributing to a topic, and hopefully constructively, then you should likely reconsider what you are about to submit.
Example of failing to meet the rule: -Ricky starts a thread about guild uniforms -Chuck, a member of the guild, makes a post outlining several uniforms for each division of the guild. -Roy, also a member of the guild, makes the following post: "Thats a terrible idea, Chuck." [/example]
In the above example, Roy has made a post in which he is relevant to but he has created a post which is neither constructive nor productive. Roy disagreed but made no effort to add to what was said with his own thoughts. This is commonplace is "poll" threads where people simply vote and despite the request for discussion, fail to explain themselves.
Unless a topic specifically states that the original poster is requesting only a "yes or no", you owe it to them and the discussion to tell us where you are coming from.
Too Few Words/Too Many Posts
When posting a topic or responding to an existing thread, taking the time to say everything you need to say, when it should be said, is important. It is uncalled for to make 2, 3, 4 or even more posts at/close to in a row just to convey one idea or make one point.
The forums feature an EDIT function which allows you to amend previous statements. Typically this is done so you can correct spelling or erase mistakes but it can also be used to add material you originally forgot or decided was relevant after you already hit submit.
Example of extra posts -Danielle creates a topic about guild uniforms -Mark responds with his idea -Lucy responds to Mark's uniform by saying "I hate that uniform" -Lucy makes another post saying "I prefer the color purple for the shirts" -Lucy makes another post saying "Oh, and Blue is best for the cloak" [/example]
Lucy's posts were relevant and somewhat improved the discussion, however she took three posts to say what she could have easily edited into her original post. Following this guideline will help stop you from earning a reputation as a spammer and for making short, pointless posts. Maintaining at least a modicum of respect from your fellow posters is important to preserving any sort of integrity you hope your message will carry.
The Pointing-Fingers Rule
As we all know, it is not polite to point fingers. In a medium such as the internet where anonymity can add a tremendous amount of courage to posters it is especially important that we respect each others integrity regardless of circumstances. Private matters, which should be dealt with on a 1 versus 1 medium like ICQ, that get brought into public eye reflect on all the parties involved.
Example of an accusation -Betty had 'griefers' ruin her event -Betty makes a post saying that guild [ROFL] was griefing her and her guild-mates and she slings mud at everyone involved. -Rico of guild [ROFL] responds and flame wars ensue over many posts in many forums [/example]
What Betty should have done was, if she absolutely had to bring this public, to post in a non-hostile manner with facts instead of emotion. She should have built her case by listing off the nights events, what happened, who was involved, and how she interpreted these actions. In this case, she interpreted Rico's actions as a griefing of her event.
This would have given Rico a chance to confront his accuser on even terms without battling the emotional impact of a harsh and hostile post in the court of public opinion. Instead, Rico has to treat the post as it is and act defensively which ultimately leads everyone to say things they shouldn't, and damages everyone's reputation.
The Last Word
When you are involved in an argument, or a flame war especially, no one likes to 'lose' and so they feel like getting in the last word will justify what they have said or 'make them right'. This is potentially far more damaging of an approach than anything.
Always striving to get the last word in on any topic a poster can wander dangerously close to spamming and making irrelevant posts (posting for the sake of posting). I can assure you, if you have said everything that is/was appropriate for you to say, when it was appropriate for you to say it, following up on every criticism, question or reply as they occur will not make your original message any more valid.
This rule is not to say that it is wrong for a poster to reply to questions, comments, concerns and criticisms of their post but rather to prevent important thoughts from being bumped around just because someone has a terrible urge to validate themselves and/or their message.
Final and First Points of Contention
When posting an important topic or one of a serious nature if is often the very first sentence (or in the case of a long post, paragraph) or final sentence which sets the mood for every reply to follow. How you introduce or conclude your topic calibrates how seriously you will be taken.
Opening a very serious topic with a hostile message, or an irreverent joke will set the tone for how posters read the rest of your message. Joking your way into the heart of the message will often leave people failing to comprehend the entire message or worse, failing to take you seriously; whether they are blinded by the light mood or incendiary words, your message is ruined.
Closing an exceptionally serious post with a very lighthearted joke may seem like a good idea but it will always leave people thinking about your joke, when they should be thinking about what you have said. Likewise, ending a good natured, constructive thread with a very harsh criticism of someone or something will completely derail the positive nature of any follow ups.
Human beings are most effected by what has happened last. If you were to have a particularly crummy day at work and were reprimanded but when you were on your way home you found a $50 dollar bill. You step in the door, your significant other asks you, "How was your day?" and you would likely reply, "Great! I found 50 bucks!"