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Netiquette Info/Questions

  1. kymleemurphy
    Member

    I wasn't sure where to post this topic, so I'd rather be safe and keep it in the off topic section:

    So I was browsing through the forums and I noticed something that I don't believe has been it's own topic, I can't find it that is...
    So I figure maybe we should do a thread giving Netiquette information to newbies, and also have a place for those who have questions about it, not just for the blogs, but for the forums.

    My first Question is:

    I had heard that it is considered rude to post a signature in the forums such as, "regards, sincerely, best wishes," etc...
    followed by your name... (or online persona)

    and this struck me as strange because I thought this was rather polite, and I do it often. (Especially in my own posts...)

    So any insight on this might be great!

    here's the link to the post that triggered my ? (JustJennifer's post to another user)

    http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/to-get-the-whosamongus-widget-to-work-on-wordpresscom/page/2?replies=38

    Thanks for reading :)
    signed, (or not signed)

    Kymlee

    The blog I need help with is kymleemurphy.wordpress.com.

  2. timethief
    Member

    There's no problem with ""regards, sincerely, best wishes," etc..." being posted into support forum threads at wordpress.com, provided it's not followed by an opportunistic "signature link drop". On the wordpress.com support forums that kind of signature link dropping is not allowed We have the ability to link our username to our wordpress.com blogs.. In the off-topic and showcase forums it's overlooked.

    Background: In other blogging forums, especially where the majority posting are make money bloggers, on each and every comment posted "signature link droping" is allowed. (I left every forum and blog directory that allows that spammy "signature link drop" practice. )

  3. timethief
    Member

    @kymlee
    I clicked too soon. In case you wonder why I left those places the answer is simple. Where opportunistic signature link dropping is allowed on each and every comment left, what happens is that many bloggers post simply for the purpose of leaving their spammy signature links in hopes that someone will click (as if their username link isn't enough!). They post bogus questions and they post bogus "non-answers". I witnessed the value of the forums that allow this practice for getting actual support ie. answers to questions that are relevant and meaningful completely undermined and degraded by spammy signature link dropping opportunists.

    The wordpress.com support forums are here to provide an opportunity for members to post "real" questions and to post "real" answers to support questions. If signature link dropping were allowed then what we would see is an immediate increase in:
    (1) those who post bogus questions for attention seeking purposes;
    (2) those who post non-answers into forum threads for attention seeking purposes.

    Is that what we want? I think not. That's why I stand with justjennifer on this issue. I would like to see every spammy signature link drop made into a support thread redacted (removed) by our Moderators, and the signature link droppers to be told in no uncertain terms to stop it!

  4. kymleemurphy
    Member

    I see! Well that makes sense, I thought she was actually referring to the signature haha. makes sense. silly me. :) Thanks for clarifying TT

    Ok so does anyone else have any netiquette do's and dont's here on the forums/blogs?
    I really think this would be beneficial to anyone who doesn't understand, or who is new to blogging...

    If you have links to your own posts relevant to the topic, I would think it appropriate to place them here as well.

    Thank you,

    Kymlee

  5. timethief
    Member

    I'll be back with a link to my post on basic and general net etiquette for bloggers. However, do understand that each and every blogging directory, forum, online group, and/or social media or social networking site has their own TOS and their own policies that members must agree to in order to get an account.

  6. shesboxingclever
    Member

    Kymlee, I think a lot of netiquette type things are based on pet peeves shared by the majority of users (setting aside the individual site's TOS and policies, as timethief pointed out)
    Things such as using the caps lock in posts, or posting a link without any further description, lack of proper formatting or the ever dreaded spam are pretty standard irks in net life. I'm looking forward to timethief's link, I'm sure it will probably be something I'd like her to email to every single net user on the planet. I've been chatting/blogging/threading since before the birth of IRC, had my first "net" conversation when I was about 15...don't even ask how long ago that was...I've accumulated a LOT of pet peeves in that time.

  7. raincoaster
    Member

    Forum signatures aren't normal here because this isn't a personal forum; it's generally for tech issues, and thus takes tech etiquette. In that case, the link to your blog is far more important than your name or username. A username or name signature is extraneous and redundant, providing you've set your blog and Profile up correctly; we already know who it is: it says your name on the left.

    Different forums and platforms now only have their own TOS, they have their own etiquette as well. Using a personal signature in the technical forum says "I adhere to the rules of other places, not this one, even here."

    Which is your perogative; it will, however, affect how other people view you.

  8. kymleemurphy
    Member

    Right, which I now understand, I hadn't been talking about the link to the page sig. I was actually confused because I thought what was being referred to was the use of an actual signature, ie: best regards, kymlee....

    But now I understand the actual meaning was for posting a backlink to ur page. That is redundant and I don't do that, (unless topic calls for such)

    Anywho, thanks for the help rain, shoe, and TT
    I look forward to reading TT's post as well :)

    Kymlee

  9. timethief
    Member

    ~~ waving to shesboxingclever and raincoaster

    @kymlee
    This is a very very basic beginner's post containing a video. In the first paragraph there are links to authoritative sources.

    I'm hoping to get comments on the post that open the discussion up. The next one will be on what to do when you get negative comments.

    March 16, 2010 Basic Netiquette for Beginner Bloggers

  10. timethief
    Member

    @kymlee
    Well, I logged in this morning and looked at my post and my stomach bottomed out. I had included the wrong image and I forgot to include my list of tips in it.**head desk*** I have now fixed it long after the RSS feed copy went out to subscribers. Oh well ... :(

  11. shesboxingclever
    Member

    ~~waves back
    Much better! It was your list of tips that I was most interested in, happy to see it there now. SMS type is probably my biggest peeve. And bumping...incessant bumping.

  12. shesboxingclever
    Member

    I have a new peeve. Well, not new really, but one that just became highly apparent to me. Forum posters with signatures who comment in a slew of threads, one after the other, with slightly (but not really) relevant responses to the topic posted. Honest comments or vying for attention? Either or neither, it's a sure fire way to turn me off.

  13. timethief
    Member

    @shesboxingclever
    Thanks. I feel so embarassed that I screwed up in the first place. Oh well ... :(

    As for your new pet peeve I share it. If one does not have the correct answer and cannot provide specific instructions or a link to specific instructions they ought not to post into a support thread. It's an annoying distraction that the person seeking help ought not have to experience.

    I tend to see this happen more frequently on forums where the links are "do-follow" (have Google juice that will be attributed to the link). . I've also noticed that once some bloggers form that habit on "do - follow" forums and "do - follow" blogs they bring it into the "no -follow" link forum environment like we have here. :(

  14. timethief
    Member

    Here's another pet peeve I have. The religious zealots who insist on spamming for Jesus on support forums gives one pause to wonder what their average IQ is.

  15. kymleemurphy
    Member

    I concur with the above....
    lol I saw your post about one and I literally laughed out loud. so funny.

  16. timethief
    Member

    Here's an interesting new twist on net etiquette update. If you ask Staff a question in a forum thread and they answer you don't say thank you. If you do you maybe pandered with euphemistic praise that masks a put down delivered by innuendo that you cannot respond to.

  17. raincoaster
    Member

    No, really I was actually talking about putting your name at the bottom of your forum posts.

    @shesboxingclever it's either spammers who include links in their signatures or noobs who don't know the etiquette of THIS forum yet, and who are used to social forum rules where sometimes the energy of contribution counts more than the quality of contribution.

  18. shesboxingclever
    Member

    @raincoaster...nahh, I'm pretty sure this person just wanted us to remember their name, which I do, and their blog, which I can't be bothered with.
    But you're right, noobs and spammers are famous for such things in any sort of forum. "Hi, I'm new here, and I'm going to post on every single thread, with or without relevant content, just so you can get to know me, and I can make an impression"
    I also agree with your comment regarding a sign-off name in forum posts. (sorry Kymlee!...lol) It seems a bit redundant to sign your name to a post that already has your name attached to it, unless the name your're signing off with is completely different then the one attached to your post and you wish people to refer to you by that name. But even then, not on every post, because eventually, we'll all learn your name, and won't need to see it anymore.

    @timethief, I didn't realize the do-follow technique was quite as prominent as it apparently is, and honestly, it never even occurred to me that it would happen in forum life (duh, mindbolt) It completely makes sense that some of what I'm seeing is exactly that. I guess I'm still one of those who considers any *random* link to be spam. As for your new twist...gotta love those passive agressive types who don't have the balls to actually MAKE the insult.

  19. raincoaster
    Member

    In that case, it's a small-time spammer, and not a very competent one at that.

    Looks like kymlee has been assimiliated! Or she's just a quick learner!

  20. timethief
    Member

    @shesboxingclever
    You nailed it - not nice. :(

  21. ctatchison
    Member

    Hello all I know I'm kind of late in this conversation but I found it really interesting.

    I have noticed that all the etiquette mentioned so far deals almost entirely with signing and the difference between spam and not spam. I'll concede that about a month ago when I first started my blog I ran from forum to forum leaving links to my blog in any forum that had a showcase kind of theme and often included it in anything that I typed that was a response to a real post. This of course stopped quickly because there's no need for it. The thing that I noticed though is that in making those posts I found out where people actually came from to look at my blog and some of them were not only leaving comments in the forum but were commenting on my blog as well.

    This has made me kind of partial to the off topic forum and the ebb and flow of the conversation here as it seems to be less tech and more social in nature. So by doing a little bit of spamming I found out where I fit in best on the forums. My point is that it might be worth it to tolerate the attempts of noobs to find out where they fit in by spamming if only to add another voice to the conversation. In my opinion that's the whole reason to have the forum is to continue this rather large conversation.

    so anyway to add my own question. What kind of rules, if any, apply to commenting on posts? To me it is second nature to comment on thins I like or dislike, again harking to the conversation of blogging. Why is it that so many people seem too shy to comment on a blog when there are clearly 40 or 50 a day stopping by and almost none of them leave comments?

  22. raincoaster
    Member

    My current rate is 700 reads per comment, but then I'm pretty fearsome.

    I think the answer is that more people are passive consumers of content than active contributors. As well, commenting urges have been "bled off" to other platforms like Twitter and Facebook. It's not unusual for me to get more comments on the Facebook thumbnail and link to a post than on the post itself.

  23. timethief
    Member

    Many comments on larger blogs with high PageRank are posted for reasons of self promotion. This is particularly true if the blog is a "do-follow" blog that has keywordluv installed. Some bloggers even have a game plan to be on the first comment results page of the top blogs in their niche! What "do-follow" and keywordluv mean is that every person who comments gets a backlink, and they are allowed to post their keyword as if it's their name.

    Chris Brogan...
    The percentage of readers point was really important. I had been blogging for YEARS with only a few comments here and there, and then I realized that I had about 2 - 5% comments for my audience, and when I did the math on guys like problogger and copyblogger (all who started after me, but had much larger followings), they had closer to .5 – 1%.

  24. ctatchison
    Member

    To me it seems counter productive for people to be so passive in the intake of media that is so centered on communication. I am somewhat at odds with this because my whole intent for having this blog is to try and get some feedback on what's been posted and how I can improve. I know that may be a little too much to expect as a very first time blogger but I think it would only make sense to comment on other blogs and postings especially when there's a community like this.

    I guess social networking sites have taken a lot of the joy of that kind of communication away. It seems like people over share on sites like facebook and the like and then feel no need to engage on a platform like a blog. Forum also don't help a lot I guess.

    My final stance is that it is only polite to comment on a page if you have anything constructive to say. And as a blogger it is a polite gesture to comment back if at all possible.

  25. kymleemurphy
    Member

    phew, had to catch up reading all the replies
    @ rain yes, I would like to think I'm a quick learner... :)
    @ shoe, no problem :) thanks for the info

    thanks for everyone's feedback on this, I'm glad that some things were cleared up. I've been using the internet for social reason etc, for a few yrs, but this blog is still fairly new, and I was never versed in netiquette so I think it's important to try and figure basics out, especially when on a forum. I've seen some forums just covered in "flame wars" and I bet some could have been easily avoided if people had been adhering to some basic guidelines. (it's mostly common sense I think, but not all of us know the rules of the web/courtesy)

    anywhooooo.... back to writing, I'm feeling like another post is brewing.

    ;)

  26. kymleemurphy
    Member

    *** spelling faux pas @ shoe was supposed to be @ she... Apologies!

  27. timethief
    Member

    I will not be bound to any non-existent rule that one only speaks we they have something positive to say. I comment on blog posts only if I have something meaningful to say. I don't argue. If that meaningful thing I have to say runs contrary to the direction of the post then I state my dissent and my grounds for it politely and click out. That being said, I usually do a quick assessment of the comments already posted and if I see a string of "do-follower" suck ups using keywords in the place of usernames have posted empty comments just to get links then I click out, and will be unlikely to visit that blog again.

  28. ctatchison
    Member

    @timethief I think that's more than fair. I may not have been clear but dissent can often be just as meaningful to someone looking for feedback as positive comments.

    @kymlee thanks for posting the thread. It gave me some things to think about even if I did get a little off your intended topic.

  29. kymleemurphy
    Member

    @ ctachison

    no problem, and you don't have to worry about going off my topic, i made it generally vague so your feedback/questions are more than valid here :)

    Hope that you get the answers you're looking for.
    I can generally always count on TT for sound advice, as well as several other active forums posters such as Rain and Shesboxingclever, etc.

    Take care :)

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