The MWP Guide To Forum Etiquette

[bewley]

PERSONAL DISPUTES
Please do not use this forum for personal disputes or flame wars. We are all expected to treat each other with respect and when personal disputes arise, to take them to a private mode of discussion such as PM or email. If you find that a discussion is becoming too heated or someone is becoming far too passionate about their argument, contact a moderator by PM and the thread may be closed to allow the parties a cool down period. By all means, try to be proactive and help to end bickering before it escalates.

The Moderators are here to ensure that the board remains civil and as friendly as possible. They are not here to mediate or take sides in personal disputes or differences of opinion. If a thread is closed, but the personal dispute continues in new or different threads, the Moderators may step in, and at their discretion, remove both parties from the forum.

RESPECT OTHER USERS
Sometimes people can write something that you may find offensive or that goes against your personal belief system or that of the community. Before launching into a public condemnation though, please consider that the person may not have intended to cause offense. It is very easy to misinterpret a post on a forum, especially when dealing with multinational citizens. There is absolutely no need to resort to insults. Try to respect others' views even if you disagree and attacking or denigrating a member's race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity or politics will not be tolerated. If you feel a need for rectification, please PM a Moderator.

DEBATE ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF DEBATING
This community in no way is attempting to effect change in the world. If you enter a civil debate, remember you are only expressing your own and receiving the opinions of others, nothing more and nothing less. There can be no winners or losers, just an exchange of ideas and perspective, points and counter points. If you feel that the discussion has gone beyond point and counter point, withdraw immediately. If you feel that you are being specifically targetted, then contact a Moderator by PM.

NO TROLLING
What is a troll? It's a person who posts something which is bound to stir people up and then sits back and watches as people jump in and start arguing. Sometimes trolls get their friends to join in, post under different names or cheer from the sidelines in PM and email. Generally they will do anything it takes to get some sort of attention for themselves or their cause. If you see a message like this, please try and refrain from replying to it - it may well be locked anyway.

Trolling is further considered one of three things. Either continual running a topic into the ground incessantly and in random threads; dragging up old arguments against a specific user/group/interest and targeting them specifically in arguments needlessly; or the posting of private conversations, such as PMs, without the consent of the other party involved. Trolling is the first step towards outright harassment of other members. While letting every argument drop isn't always a possibility, learning when to let things go is a valuable tool.

CROSS-POSTING
Cross-posting is when you post the same question or request to multiple message boards (for example, posting a request for a reseed in both the torrent announce and the ISO board). Cross-posted topics may be immediately locked with a message suggesting that replies be directed to the original topic.

MISPLACED POSTS
Try to place your posts in the correct message board for the topic. Our forum has been categorized so that most topics fit in one logical location. Any post that is deemed to be in the wrong message board will be moved to the correct location without warning. Most members can find these on their own but if you lose your thread, it is acceptable to contact one of the Moderators asking where it has been moved.

THREAD HIJACKING
Thread hijacking is the process of replying to an existing thread with a different topic. This is tolerated, and even appreciated in many conversations. However, posts that hijack a serious thread with off-topic discussion are strongly discouraged and may be deleted or moved out of the thread by the Moderators.

IGNORE SPAMMERS
Despite our best efforts, you will occasionally see spam on the forum. Complaining about spam in public increases noise, but not signal. It may make you feel better, but it doesn't help. PM a moderator and they will review it for removal.

OBTAINING SUPPORT
If you are experiencing a problem, more than likely others have had or are having the same problem as you. Please take a moment and use the Search functionality to determine if the topic has already been discussed. If it has not, please start a new topic in one of the technology message boards so others may benefit from the discussion. Do not PM the Moderators for personal technical support or seeking resolution or advice of a technological nature.

DO NOT FLAME
Flaming, in the most common sense definition, is saying something negative in an attempt to get a more negative response. This is unacceptable. It will not be tolerated. Never resort to personal insults and never extend a debate beyond the topic at hand needlessly. If you feel that you have been flamed, do not escalate the situation and contact a Moderator immediately.

DO NOT FLAME THE MODERATORS
They have the final say. This forum isn't a democracy. Your vote doesn't always count. They try to please everyone they can, but in the end, they're charged with making this community as enjoyable for as many people as they possibly can. They can not always be right, nor can they please everyone with the decisions made, but they're doing their "jobs" and hopefully we can all agree that they're doing their bests to ensure a good community.

However, if you feel that an egregious oversight has been made, then PM a Moderator. Do not post complaints on the forum.

VISUAL MATERIAL
The posting of explicitly offensive or pornographic material is not allowed.
Visual material containing explicit nudity, although not offensive, is not recommended and is  possibly going to be removed from the forum, for it could cause legal implications or misinterpretations.