ADMIN: Netiquette tips (please read)

[Neil Ward]

No: HPFGUIDX 11116

NETIQUETTE TIPS
This is a very high-volume list, so it’s important that members observe a few rules to help us all navigate through the ocean of messages and avoid any passing ships if we so wish <g>.  Members, new and old, are requested to observe certain rules of ‘netiquette’ and good practice, as outlined below. 

Bear in mind that the Moderators are standing over you, flexing their wands and eyeing up that box of Howlers sitting in the corner of the cyber-office.  If you break the rules too often, you may get an advisory message from us and, if you’re really, really naughty, you may end up being turned into a ferret and getting bounced.  Consider yourselves warned!  

[Moderators exit, stage left, cackling…]

******

**Virgin posters

Read a few days' worth of messages before posting your own. You can do this either by "lurking" (reading messages, but not writing them) for a few days, or by going back through the most recent messages (a daunting task, with such an active group). This way, you'll get a "feel" for the group, and you can make sure you're not repeating something that has been posted recently by someone else.

If you ask burning questions in your first post, make sure you indicate that extra content in the heading and don’t just call it “Hi from a newbie!”.


Now, please read the rest of our tips…

**OT Political posts

IMPORTANT NOTE: Political opinion posts are banned for the moment.  OT discussions crept in during the recent US elections and some people were offended by the comments of others, so we think it’s best to avoid this sensitive OT area altogether.   Thanks for cooperating with us on this.  

**Keep the subject line relevant to the content of the post 

Message board conversations, like "real life" ones, will often drift from one subject to another. If the subject line does not change to fit the direction of the conversation, it can frustrate the reader. When replying to a message, please take the time to check the subject line and make sure it still matches your post. For example, if the subject line says: "RE: Who's going to die in the next book?" and the topic has segued into a character matchmaking debate (with no mention of death), it's time to change the subject line!

**Keep your posts on topic 

In such a large and active group, it's easy to let discussions go off on tangents. If a couple of you find something in common other than Harry Potter, wonderful! Getting to know people is, perhaps, the best thing about clubs. But if you find your discussion getting away from the main point of the club, please continue it off-list. 

**One-line and ultra-short posts

As our message volume is very high, one-line posts can push the numbers through the roof, so please take a moment to consider the following:-

*  Consider expanding on your point.  For example, if you are posing a question about the HP books (“What about so-and-so?”), could you add some thoughts of your own to lead off any discussion?

*  Consider combining your shorter points/responses with a few others in a multi-topic post, making sure the topic line indicates this.  However, if your point is substantive (or just plain lengthy), it is best to give it space on its own to make the thread easier to follow.  

*  Try to avoid “me too!” and “LOL!” posts that have absolutely no other content.

*  Sometimes a brief response is perfectly acceptable; for example, if you are correcting an error someone has made and do not have much else to say (e.g. “You cannot apparate into Hogwarts!”) or giving information that you don't want to bury in another message ("The link to that article about Dumbledore's socks is at http://www.anyoldwebsite.com").

**Response posts

If you are replying to a message, please indicate the name of the person who wrote the original and include any relevant segments of their post, or a brief summary of their point(s).  At the same time, please try to delete any parts of the original post that are not relevant to your point(s), especially if the original was really long!   Remember, also, that if you respond in a fresh post rather than using the ‘reply’ button, your response will not appear in the “replies to this message” in any search.  

In general, if someone asks a question with a unique answer, please try to check through the message headers to see if anyone else has responded to it before posting the answer.  It's understandable that several people may dash off a response just after the original message, but there should be no need for further posts after that.  

**Take the time to proofread your posts 

If you're used to forums where speed is important (chat rooms, role playing games, etc.), it's easy to fall out of the habit of proofreading. Here, however, your post will be as relevant in five minutes (or, usually, even in five hours) as it is now. Before hitting the 'send' button, please take a few minutes to look over your post and correct any typos, spelling/punctuation errors, or problems with sentence structure or capitalization. This will make it much easier to read and help in getting across your point. 

Please avoid using all lower case letters or, worse still, all CAPITAL LETTERS.  

**Be considerate of other members' feelings 

If you disagree with someone's message, no matter how strongly, remember to respect the other person's right to his or her own opinion. If you do wish to refute the post, do so gently, by building up your own case, rather than knocking down the other person's. And never attack your fellow club members (name calling, personal remarks, etc). 

Thanks.

>From your Magical Moderators (hpforgrownups-owner at yahoogroups.com)

_____________________________________
Flying-Ford-Anglia

"My wife used to sneer at my feeble charms but 
one month into your fabulous Kwikspell course 
I succeeded in turning her into a yak!  
- Thank you Kwikspell!"

[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]



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