Forum etiquette

[Doug Watson]

If I may make a suggestion please as Dr. Admin says be polite especially with newbies. This is after all supposed to be a "friendly" community. I am still considered a newbie  and when I first got up the nerve to comment I made more than a few goofs with the quote button. It took quite a while before I even found out about the reply button. I still only have a rudimentary knowledge of all the options available and will probably never use them all. If anyone had made some of the harsh comments I have seen posted in regards to this offence concerning one of my posts I might have just said "the heck with this". I can see being more stern with veterans of the forum but I would hope for more patience regarding newcomers to this forum or forums in general. It takes just as long to write an insult as it does to politely explain the ropes.

[Patrx]

If I may make a suggestion please as Dr. Admin says be polite especially with newbies. This is after all supposed to be a "friendly" community. I am still considered a newbie  and when I first got up the nerve to comment I made more than a few goofs with the quote button. It took quite a while before I even found out about the reply button. I still only have a rudimentary knowledge of all the options available and will probably never use them all. If anyone had made some of the harsh comments I have seen posted in regards to this offence concerning one of my posts I might have just said "the heck with this". I can see being more stern with veterans of the forum but I would hope for more patience regarding newcomers to this forum or forums in general. It takes just as long to write an insult as it does to politely explain the ropes.

Well said, Doug! I do get the impression that the overall politeness level of this place has begun to decline recently. Remember kids, this is not the rest of the Internet. Play nice

[DinoToyForum]

If I may make a suggestion please as Dr. Admin says be polite especially with newbies. This is after all supposed to be a "friendly" community. I am still considered a newbie  and when I first got up the nerve to comment I made more than a few goofs with the quote button. It took quite a while before I even found out about the reply button. I still only have a rudimentary knowledge of all the options available and will probably never use them all. If anyone had made some of the harsh comments I have seen posted in regards to this offence concerning one of my posts I might have just said "the heck with this". I can see being more stern with veterans of the forum but I would hope for more patience regarding newcomers to this forum or forums in general. It takes just as long to write an insult as it does to politely explain the ropes.

Well said, Doug! I do get the impression that the overall politeness level of this place has begun to decline recently. Remember kids, this is not the rest of the Internet. Play nice

If true, this is a worry.  I don't read every post on the forum and I'm sure the mods don't either, so if regular members spot any behaviour that they regard as unsavoury, then please let us know via pm. 

[sauroid]

i see DTF old timers guilty of quoting multiple image posts on the same page. also, i see some people advertising (subtly/blatantly) their stuff on almost all the threads i watch. is that objectionable?
also another pet peeve: people who congratulate EVERYONE who posts EVERY newly acquired figures just to up their post counts and to appear jolly/nice/amiable. there should be a rule about this.

[tyrantqueen]

i see DTF old timers guilty of quoting multiple image posts on the same page. also, i see some people advertising (subtly/blatantly) their stuff on almost all the threads i watch. is that objectionable?
also another pet peeve: people who congratulate EVERYONE who posts EVERY newly acquired figures just to up their post counts and to appear jolly/nice/amiable. there should be a rule about this.

I'm not sure...could you explain a bit more? You mean like advertising it in their signature?

[CityRaptor]

No,not signatures. Some itereally made posts saying "buy my stuff" in several threads, as well as spearate threads for it.

[DinoToyForum]

people who congratulate EVERYONE who posts EVERY newly acquired figures just to up their post counts and to appear jolly/nice/amiable. there should be a rule about this.

Hehe, they are called 'active forum members' and maybe they really are nice! There is no 'like' button, after all, so if someone replies that's a positive thing

This thread is going off topic, so I may split it up...edit, just did.

[DinoToyForum]

advertising (subtly/blatantly) their stuff on almost all the threads i watch.

It is generally okay so long as it is on topic. There is a line between advertising and spam that is difficult to see, so if you have any concerns, just drop me or another mod a pm.

[Paleogene Pals]

Hey everybody! Wanna buy my stuff? Hint, hint 

[Himmapaan]

If I may make a suggestion please as Dr. Admin says be polite especially with newbies. This is after all supposed to be a "friendly" community. I am still considered a newbie  and when I first got up the nerve to comment I made more than a few goofs with the quote button. It took quite a while before I even found out about the reply button. I still only have a rudimentary knowledge of all the options available and will probably never use them all. If anyone had made some of the harsh comments I have seen posted in regards to this offence concerning one of my posts I might have just said "the heck with this". I can see being more stern with veterans of the forum but I would hope for more patience regarding newcomers to this forum or forums in general. It takes just as long to write an insult as it does to politely explain the ropes.

Well said, Doug! I do get the impression that the overall politeness level of this place has begun to decline recently. Remember kids, this is not the rest of the Internet. Play nice

Hear, hear, to both of you. I haven't been on the forum in a long while, as most members are aware. Newer ones probably don't even know me at all. But just peeping in recently, I was surprised to find how rude people were.

[postsaurischian]

....... peeping in recently, I was surprised to find how rude people were.

It's true .
We have some feisty members who are more into arguing over a subject than exchanging information.
I'm not sure if you can prevent this from happening in a public forum .

[stargatedalek]

Another thing to consider is that some people are very good at taking arguments lightly, so it may seem intensive to onlookers yet mundane to some or all parties involved

I know I'm very guilty of this

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Another thing to consider is that some people are very good at taking arguments lightly, so it may seem intensive to onlookers yet mundane to some or all parties involved

I know I'm very guilty of this

This comment is close to how I see it...but I consider most discussions conversations or debates, and not arguments. If you back away from it a step and just offer your thoughts or points, without the insults and name calling it is to me the purpose why we visit here generally. I think the trick is to avoid becoming personnally invested, or seeing anothers viewpoint as an attack on your own. At the end of the day everyone is entitled to think how they wish, wether it makes sense, is well based or if we find it odd.

[DinoToyForum]

....... peeping in recently, I was surprised to find how rude people were.

It's true .
We have some feisty members who are more into arguing over a subject than exchanging information.
I'm not sure if you can prevent this from happening in a public forum .

Never completely because it doesn't break any forum rules. Trouble is, an argumentative approach breeds more of the same, and so the rolling snowball gathers speed and mass at an exponential rate. However, we can all do our best to remain calm and cordial to demonstrate how discussion and debate is possible without voicing sarcasm, frustration, or rudeness.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Exactly.

[DinoToyForum]

I've quoted this from a different thread:

Man, some of you guys are brutal! New comer to the site and some of you are already dragging him through the coals! There's the old expression " You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar". Constructive criticism is a good thing, but downright bashing somebody?........ I've grown a thick skin through the years so, most stuff just bounces off, but someone new to the forum may just say " F this, I'm out of here!" As to someone " hawking their wares", if any of that was directed to me, I get paid whether I am here or not, whether the toys sell or not. I don't have to be here giving you a heads up on what's to come or looking for input on what direction to go with the next series. Some of you will moan no matter what company makes whatever dinosaur to whatever degree of accuracy and that's your prerogative. But, I feel some folks here could be a bit more subtle and tactful  in their criticism. Off my soapbox for now.

Yes. It's a simple matter of respect and I think it's time we took it more seriously. The ongoing insensitivity and rudeness on the forum is upsetting existing members and I know it has pushed several away. It may also be putting off new members from joining or staying. It is therefore in the interests of the community as a whole to nip this nastiness in the bud before it gets out of hand.

We have gone for years without this being a major problem and I'd like to keep it that way. Simon's temporary ban for rudeness can be seen as the first step towards reaching this end. I've updated rule number 1 of the forum so it now reads "No intentional personal attacks or rudeness". So, from now on I'll be more vigilant taking action against rude posts and I'll ask the other mods to do the same. Action will include banning members immediately, and potentially permanently, so you have been warned.

I also ask all members to think about what you're posting - not necessarily what you post but sometimes how you say it - before you click the post button. Better to vet your own posts for insensitivity than have a mod call you out on it. Also, it would also be a great, if you spot a post you feel is rude, to report it to a moderator.

Thanks for your understanding! 

[Himmapaan]

Thank you, Doctor.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Some simple consideration, thinking for a minute before hitting " post " would help a lot. Just ask yourself " if someone said this to me, would I get upset ? "

[tyrantqueen]

Never reply to a thread when you're upset or angry. I find it's just best to leave the computer and do something else when that happens.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Never reply to a thread when you're upset or angry. I find it's just best to leave the computer and do something else when that happens.

That's a good policy to have.