I was wandering through the Fine Scale Modeler website and stumbled upon a link to this article. I thought it was good and applicable even though it was not written for a modeling site. Discussion Group Survival Guide

Rob, these are some really good guidelines. Perhaps we should have something like this written up for Armorama...just a thought.

Interesting points Rob, very useful for every kind of discussion group...
Thanks a lot
Ciao

Good link. I like the part about not typing anything that you wouldn't say to someone's face. Everyone here is generally pretty civil but I have been some places that they weren't. I think we owe a lot of that to our moderators. Thanks, Moderators.

I think it would be a good thing here too - perhaps as part of a new enlistee's orientation to the site...

Gunnie

I don't know. I think it's the people here, and the general atmosphere that there is very relaxed rules here, so people behave nicely feel not bonded by the rules. I think this site brings out the good of people here. You can have a site that is filled with rules, and people still pretty rude.

Why fix something if it's not broken?

must not be in DSB, no sense of humor.

Chris (++) doesn't matter if isn't liked

I kinda like the idea of rules being posted prior to membership or joining up in a place like this.
BUT, I feel that the laxed atmosphere that is so prevalent here is enough to to lead to self governing of the users. I just feel that once "rules" are laid down, people seem to shy away from posting their own Q's & A's. They become gun shy so to speak. Rules in general (at least to me) leads to rule breakers and dissension amongst the ranks. I do not feel the need to start up a speed limit sign.
Just my thoughts.

Well,

This has to be the only place I have ever been on the web that does a good job of governing itself. (I have been at this a long time. I actually had an Apple Lisa in my house once…) The killing of the “Current Events” forum is a great example. I probably inadvertently caused its demise as much as anyone else. It was after that that I realized that Armorama was about building models and learning. Really, for me, it is about helping the new guys. I have shied away from almost everything that is off topic. I don’t really think we need rules, but a general guide that is similar to what Sabot posted might not be a bad idea. Maybe just for people that have never been on line before and may need or want to know what forums are all about. Every time I read a post by a new guy (girl) I assume that it is father or mother and treat them accordingly.

Just a thought,

Shaun

This is actually a very famous article. I first saw it about 4 years ago online.

It probably would be a good thing to have some better posting guidelines on the site. We do occasionally get the odd multiple poster or other minor offense.

Speaking of which I am always deleting empty posts off the forum. I wonder how many people don't realize you can just edit your original post if there is an issue. Of course you can't edit the topic name (only mods can do this).

Jim

I edit my own posts all the time. While I'll admit that I did not go to college, (I went to Purdue), I still can't spell worth a damn. I shuffle throught the threads and edit all the time...

I ain't proud.. Hee Hee

I wasn't advocating using these as a set of rules for Armorama. I posted it because they are a well written "nettiquette" or common courtesy in the online world. Much like holding a door open for someone walking in several steps behind you, saying good morning to a co-worker when you get to work or saying phrases like "excuse me", "bless you", or "pardon me" when appropriate.

I find Survival Guide's are helpful, being still relatively I think a “Newbie Survival Guide” would be beneficial to quite a few people, myself included. It takes a lot of time to learn how different groups work, what the ‘old salts’ have forgotten, us newbies are trying to learn.

#:-)

After reconsideration, this may be a very good idea to implement into this site. Any thoughts as to where to post such a guide? Make it a "sticky" somewhere?
We could rewrite the original Guide to suit this site's needs. Rob? Jim?

I find that a survival guide has some use,however a set of rules is a little silly. This site is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best maintained .... In the relatively short time i've been on the site very rarely have I been subject to discourtesy. This site I believe is very much 'self-policing'. When a thing ain't broke,don't try to fix it... Jim

I will agree that this is a great site, with great people. However, a set of basic "common sense" rules may not be a bad idea. As the site grows it will get harder and harder for it to self-police itself.

I'm a mod on the MR2 Owners Club message board. We have over 8000 registered members with 3000+ that post at least once a day (for contrast there are just over 2800 registered members here). We have 50+ mods on that board and I have to flex my mod muscles about twice a week, there are some that have to do it every day.

It will probably be a long time before this site gets to the point that much mod work is necessary, due to the fact that the maturity level here is a lot higher on average than a bunch of kids with sports cars. But it is something to think about. A simple set of "guidelines", if you would rather call them that with the veterans kind of helping the rookies can go a long way.

Another suggestion is to have some people set up as "advisors". These would not be mods, but volunteers willing to take PM and emails from newbies who may have a question about the site that they are uncomfortable asking in a public forum for whatever reason.

Rules are important but might scared some people to open freely about there thought when i first registerd here i just looked at what people were writting of course some times i have the feeling what do they mean and still afraid asking because of other experience through other site but one thing is for sure here the Number of difference Nationality make it having more respect for everyone might be an idea to make things clear with users that goes to far or somes are weasting our time on purpose could get the Soccer rules with yellow and red card and make them obvious to everyone to see on the site sounds hard but you then keep the ship ( site ) clean
One more thing why i registerd is the respect to each other
Does not matter if you english is not so goed you always can go to other language forum BUT also write english the best way you can if i understand what the person means i do not care how he write he might be better modeler than i
That is my meaning

I like the idea too - sort of a Visitor's Guide to Armorama - that touches upon a little bit of the culture and flavor of the site. The myth and mystery (stiffling a very big grin) of the DSB, why we use callsigns (to counter the utterly absurd - read jealous - pundits out there who think a callsign is somehow a mask to hide a person's true identity), and maybe even the Ranking concept and how it has encouraged participation while keeping things light and jovial. Showcase what has made Armorama so different when compared to contemporary model hobby sites on the Internet.

Gunnie

Gunnie,
I agree with you and I agree with the part of it saying that before a new post it's a good rule to make a search. I often had problems with the search function (the one from the site not the one provided by FreeFind) that in my view can be improved...
Ciao
Fabio