Water Cooler Ettiquette, etc.

[SisterSue]

Hello water cooler residents, I'm new in town. I started to cruise the avenues in this literary community a few days ago, and even left my first post in the Newbie section (see: Shout Out from the Trailer Park). I am new to forums in general, so I'm not sure of some of the unspoken ettiquette standards.

1. In the FAQ section and the Newbie Guide, it is mentioned that crass language is strongly discouraged, and can result in removal of a post or exile from The Water Cooler. So, what if I engage in a creative contest dealing with more erotic themes? Not that I necessarily will, but should the subject come up, would it be okay to speak frankly on sexual themes?

2. Reputation points: is it expected that for every reputation point I receive that I should give one in return? What about posts on my threads, should I reply to all of them? On MySpace (gasp!) I reply to all comments left on my blog, but I get the impression it would get tiresome here.

3. Is there a list of the forum moderators? It would be handy to know.

4. For that matter, is there a comprehensive members list? I clicked on the link at the top of the page, but it gives me nothing.

5. What is a "Sticky Thread?"

Any clarification is much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Dawno]

Hello water cooler residents, I'm new in town. I started to cruise the avenues in this literary community a few days ago, and even left my first post in the Newbie section (see: Shout Out from the Trailer Park). I am new to forums in general, so I'm not sure of some of the unspoken ettiquette standards.

Welcome!

1. In the FAQ section and the Newbie Guide, it is mentioned that crass language is strongly discouraged, and can result in removal of a post or exile from The Water Cooler. So, what if I engage in a creative contest dealing with more erotic themes? Not that I necessarily will, but should the subject come up, would it be okay to speak frankly on sexual themes? We have an Erotic Writing (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=43) forum, and you should have no problems speaking frankly there. As for other forums, spending a little time there getting to know the posters and watching the moderator posts will help you understand the boundaries there.

2. Reputation points: is it expected that for every reputation point I receive that I should give one in return? What about posts on my threads, should I reply to all of them? On MySpace (gasp!) I reply to all comments left on my blog, but I get the impression it would get tiresome here. Nope, you do whatever you want. Some people do more, some less, some none. It's all good.

3. Is there a list of the forum moderators? It would be handy to know. On the main index page (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/index.php) each forum moderator is listed by their forums.

4. For that matter, is there a comprehensive members list? I clicked on the link at the top of the page, but it gives me nothing. 'Fraid not. But you can see who's online (and has not set their preferences to be invisible) at the bottom of that main index page. We had issues with making the members list public.

5. What is a "Sticky Thread?"

Any clarification is much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

A sticky thread is one that a moderator has anchored permanently at the top of a forum listing. Usually these are guidelines, other important info to read that doesn't get 'stale' or contest related stuff. Sometimes they're lists of markets or handy tips. Moderators manage the stickies in their forums, so it varies a bit from mod to mod.

Hope that helped!

[Ol' Fashioned Girl]

Beat me by two lousy minutes, Dawno! Two lousy minutes! ;)

And welcome, SisterSue. We're tickled you're here... and even more tickled that you took the time to check out the FAQs and the Newbie Guide. :D

[Dawno]

heh :D

[Rolling Thunder]

I like to post stickybuns in my forum. Just out of my co-mod's reach. :)

[SisterSue]

We're tickled you're here... and even more tickled that you took the time to check out the FAQs and the Newbie Guide. :D


Hope that helped!


Thank you so much. Very helpful. I should be moving around town with greater ease from now on.

:)

[Yeshanu]

Dawno has, of course, answered all of your questions very well, but there are a couple of things this long-term member would like to highlight:

1) Our number one rule is: Respect your fellow writer. Even if you disagree with him or her.

2) We are a community of over 20,000 people, and our views on certain subjects vary enormously. It's okay to post stuff that might offend or turn off certain people, but it's good to put a warning in the title. As Dawno said, reading some posts on the board will help you get a feel for the tolerance of the populace.

3) The actual etiquette for rep points is this: Every time you get a positive rep point, no matter who it's from, you look up my latest post and rep it. :D

4) When in doubt, blame Dawno. :D :D

5) Don't take anything I say seriously, unless it sounds serious. :tongue

And welcome! Above all, AbsoluteEtiquette (TM) requires that you enjoy being part of this community. That's why we stay.