How to Win at Forums

1) It's not about you being right. It's about sharing and improving meaningful ideas (aside from the humour, the sense of which varies from person to person). If you think it's about winning, you should be playing a game that can be won.

2) Think before you post.

3) Consider whether your post actually contributes toward the progress of the discussion at hand. If you threadjack, start a new post, and quote the connecting text. If you mistake quarrel for argument, you're not contributing. If you make a logical fallacy, you're not contributing.

4) Use proper spelling and grammar so fools who can't understand #3 have no footing, and so everyone else isn't encumbered by the technical aspects of your thoughts. Instead of guessing at a word's spelling and writing "sp?)" after it, look it up online. There is no excuse. None. What, all possible web search engines and/or dictionary-related sites were down at once? Please.

5) No one is perfect. Everyone already knows that. Why is there ever a need to point it out? This idea applies to many other obvious points.

6) Dissociate yourself from your idea. Realize that others may think differently from yourself, and when they attack your idea, they are not attacking you. If applicable, anticipate simple counterpoints, and try to address them to save time and effort, but do not suggest that a particular party has any connection to those counterpoints. Let people speak for themselves.

7) Profanity, like currency, loses value as its concentration increases. Use sparingly for best effect, and try to avoid it if you think others will object to its use.

Our universe is based on contrast. In matters of opinion, you will rarely get everyone to agree with your point of view. There is no such requirement. Most moral issues, for instance, are not trivially black and white. Many people say they understand this idea, and then go on to prove otherwise with their postings. There are constructive ways to help them understand, none of which involve insult.

9) A little humility goes a long way. If you are wrong and realize it, admitting to it is not a sign of weakness. The side of victory also has a pitfall -- false modesty.

10) Some things are best said privately. Remember, it's not about you "p0wning" someone.

Bonus:

11) See #2.

Excellent! post Gene.

Let's see if this gets moved OffTopic.

Well said, Gene.

I would add one more thought:

Brevity is the soul of wit.
- William Shakespeare

The more words, the less you say.

Yes, but I think the definition of wit is:

"a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter"

I'm not sure the Forums necessarily have to be a replacement for Comedy Central.

Awesome post, Gene

And speaking as someone who has to hold back with all his might to keep from being painfully verbose - Brevity does go a long way

Travis

Ok then,

Much wisdom often goes with brevity of speech.
- Sophocles

Interesting post gene.

Unfortunately those that follow those guidelines are quickly disheartened, as the "Asshats" tend to turn the entire point of one's posting into rotted fruit.

So in the end those people have two options.

A.) Become a Troll and post for the hell of posting.

B.) Hibernate from the forums and watch for any intelligible life to return.

I for a while opted for A.

Now I am opting for B.

Shadow

I have already won.
Game over.

While I applaud this thread, it is a bit Off Topic, if the Forum Community wants to relate these rules to SL Forums, I'd be happy to keep it over here.

I'm moving this thread off topic because it's obviously exceeded the bounds of useful conversation...

Or it was something like that

Say...can anybody tell me how to win...at the SL Forums??

This is off the topic, "General"?

I vote we move it to "Land and the Economy".

Another helpful tip is if the posts of a particular member annoy you, causing you to post a nasty personal retort, put that member on mute. Don't give into the need to insult another because they are annoying. I use mute and its great!

I was really inclined to add that very quote, Buster, as a sort of joke at the end, but felt it didn't quite fit the tone. Your second quote, however, is a perfect addition. Thanks to all, and happy forum-ing!

PS. Great additional point, Katykiwi.

I'd also like to add;
Don't attack someone's spelling or grammar instead of addressing their comments. If the post is simply unreadable and/or the poster obviously put little to no effort into making themselves understood, that's one thing.. But if there are a few typos or errors in an otherwise well thought out post, don't be so petty as to harp on it. Anyone paying attention will realize you're just avoiding the meat of their post and being pedantic.

*see point 9 of Gene's excellent post

A lot of this is *already* stated in the forum guidelines. (Click 'Guidelines' at the top of the screen.) gene's version is more much more complete, and I agree 100% and will continue to follow this excellent advice.

Let's talk about cheese.

It does no harm for people to be gently reminded of their humanity.
Let this thread remain here.

i agree with the points you've made, gene.

i also agree with Vestalia that such guidelines should be left here. they do no harm, it's more "General" than "Off-Topic", and more people read forum posts than forum guidelines, thereby exposing more people to what forum etiquette consists of.


Jeska, i would like to point out that these are by no means "rules".. it is a set of guidelines. LL hand down the rules.. some of just like to urge others to be more communally conscience by supplying guidelines formed from our own opinions.
just trying to differentiate between what MUST be followed and what SHOULD be taken into serious consideration. (i suppose the easiest way to put it is that i wouldn't want to see this thread become a "sticky", rather let it be as a regualr thread.. it may disappear, but it's words will echo for awhile.)

and if we really want to boil it down to fewer words:

common sense + common courtesy = constructive and pleasant forums... yes?


anyhoo, good words to post by.. thanks for your thoughts, gene.

From the American Heritage Dictionary:


Perhaps the applicable definitions here are "Keenness and quickness of perception or discernment: ingenuity." and "Sound mental faculties;"?

And, btw, excellent post Gene!

Good post, gene. A little thought before a post never hurt anyone.

The Second Life forum's purpose is not made absolutely clear, and that is part of what dilutes the forum's effectiveness at useful speech about the 3DVR program Second Life.

To many, discussing "Second Life" means continuing the role-playing done within the game using their avatar's name as a fictional character. The phrase "free expression of ideas" used in the forum guidelines gives people the idea that the forums are provided for people to talk about anything, in any manner, and its free! So many posters seem to me to misuse the forum, but not out of any deliberate desire to hurt others or destroy the forums utility.

I think there is a group of people whose motivation in posting is not to "win the forums" in the sense of making any sort of point, instead there goal appears to be to hurt people,to make others sad and angry. There seems to be a different bunch who appear to have as their enemy the entire concept of intelligible discusssion; they are content to simply render a thread senseless. They'll say anything that makes the probability of subsequent posts discussing the original thread poster's comments. lower. An example would be a comment about wearing a tinfoil hat.

I was amused by the idea of "winning the forums". But I think you have to make allowance for another group of people who enjoy the intellectual stimulation of discussion and debate.

Some people, who are perfectly nice otherwise, become complete assholes when somebody cuts them off in the car. When they got in the car, they weren't initially planning to flip off another driver and aggressively tailgate. They do it because in the heat of the moment, they feel wronged.

I seriously doubt that people come to forums with the intention of hurting other people (grudge holders aside). There are tantrums, that's part of the nature of forums. With Second Life anonymity, there is even less inhibition.

Think twice before you make generalizations about what Second Life is for. Different people have completely different points of view on what Second Life is, and they participate for completely different reasons.

I love the forums, because they provide stimulating debate and a chance to say things in a much more reflective and thought out way than the choppy in-world chat. It's entertaining, and that's what I'm paying Linden for. Whether someone is entertained by stacking prims, making clothes or pontificating in the forum -- its all good.

Even count-yer-numbers and three-word-thread. Hey, this is my idea of FUN, so don't knock it.

Buster