[b][i]Unofficial Guide for New Members[/i][/b] If you are new to message boards, or just to Mypraize, this thread is for you. First and foremost, welcome to Mypraize! :) The purpose of this thread is to be a guide for new members on the general unwritten rules of the Mypraize community and how to get along with every one. We are quite a unique bunch here with a variety of backgrounds and with a many different beliefs. But despite the diversity, we generally get along with each other quite well. It is the intent of this guide to help you to mesh right in with the rest of us as smoothly as possible. It is a little long, but I've made every attempt to make it as clear and organized as possible. With all of that said, we begin. [ol] [li][b]Grammar and Netiquette[/b] First on the agenda is grammar and proper network etiquette, or "netiquette." Unlike instant messaging and chat, a message board gives you time to stop and think through what you are about to say before you say it. Because of this, it is expected that you use proper grammar and punctuation in order to clearly communicate what you are trying to say. Along with proper grammar, it is important to understand basic netiquette as well. Wikipedia's "[url=http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/netiquette]Wiktionary[/url]" defines netiquette as one's "conduct while online that is appropriate and courteous to other Internet users." For a brief guide on proper netiquette, I'll refer you to the "Core Rules of Netiquette." [url]http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html[/url] - [b]Core Rules of Netiquette[/b] If you are unfamiliar with proper netiquette, this article will help you to get a basic understanding of how Internet communication works. However, most users probably won't read the article, so I'll provide a basic rundown of netiquette as it pertains to this specific community. [ul] [li]Use proper grammar and punctuation. If we can't understand what you're trying to say, then it's likely that your post will be ignored.[/li] [li]Don't use emoticons excessively. Smilies help convey emotions that can't otherwise be communicated in written text. However, they shouldn't be abused. One or two emoticons is fine, but don't use the same ones over and over. :) [/li] [li]Don't SHOUT. In written communication, using all caps is generally considered to be shouting, which just isn't nice. Not only that, but it can be a terrible strain on the eyes to read. Don't use your caps lock as an alternative to using proper capitalization. All lowercase with no capitalization (but proper punctuation) is preferred to all uppercase.[/li] [li]Most importantly, understand that most of what is existent in face-to-face communication is lost in written communication. Your emotions, facial expressions, or verbal tones are not communicated through text. What you say and the perceived meaning of others may be completely different. So always try to be as clear as possible. Also, understand that what you think others mean may be different then what they intended to say in their posts. Take everything others say in stride. Most of the time when people say something that seems mean, they don't even realize it. Generally, don't take offense to something a complete stranger says to you on the Internet.[/li] [/ul] [/li] [li][b]Terminology[/b] Next, it is important to understand the basic terms that go along with a message board. [ul] [li][b]Message Board:[/b] the term "message board" describes the overall page found under the "[url=http://www.mypraize.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=214]Forums[/url]" link in the navigation. It is also sometimes called a bulletin board or a discussion board.[/li] [li][b]Forum:[/b] a forum is one of the many individual links listed on the main page of the discussion board. Some popular forum names are the "Open Discussion," "Ladies Only," "Males Only," "Spam Boards," "Books," "Politics" etc. The forums are listed in categories. These categories include "General," "Culture," "Technology," "Theology," "Encouragement," "Help" and "Site Suggestions." [/li] [li][b]Thread/Topic:[/b] a thread is where discussions take place about a given topic. A thread is synonymous to the word "topic," and is even called such in some forums/message boards. To start a new thread, go to the specific forum where your thread topic fits and click the "New Thread" button. [/li] [li][b]Post/reply:[/b] when you add a post to someone else's topic/thread, it is called a reply. To reply, you can either use the "Quick Reply" button, the "Reply" button, or the "Quote" button. [/li] [li][b]Private Message:[/b] Mypraize has a private messaging (also called PM for short) feature built in. To send someone a PM, click the "PM" button below said user's avatar on the left side of his or her post. [/li] [li][b]Bumping a Thread: [/b] when a thread hasn't had any new posts in awhile, it can be buried several pages deep in the forum listing. When someone posts in that thread to bring it back to the top of the list, it is called "bumping."[/li] [li][b]Necroposting: [/b] when a topic is over a couple months old and someone posts in the topic, this is called necroposting. It is often frowned upon. If you see an old topic and would like to bring it up again, it's better to just post a new thread. [/li] [li][b]Administrator:[/b] an administrator is someone who has the abilities to administrate things all over the site. They approve accounts, photos, groups, etc. They also have authority to administrate and moderate the forums.[/li] [li][b]Super Admins:[/b] Super Admins include people like Joshua Holmes (username: [url=http://www.mypraize.com/joshua]Joshua[/url]) and Matt Gaiser (username: [url=http://www.mypraize.com/maddmatt]MaddMatt[/url]), who own and run Mypraize. The difference between super and regular admins is that Super Admins have more power and authority.[/li] [li][b]Moderator:[/b] a moderator is like an administrator but with less power. A moderator can lock/edit/delete threads and can edit and delete topics. They basically help keep everything in order on the message boards. -Just a note: please do not ask to be a mod or admin. As far as I know, none of the current mods/admins asked to have their positions. Instead, they are offered the positions by Super Admins because of their obvious maturity displayed over a long period of time invested in the community. -For a complete listing of all the Admins, Super Admins, and Moderators, check out [url=http://www.mypraize.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=214&func=view&id=452360&catid=13&limit=10&limitstart=20#452383]question 22[/url] in [url=http://www.mypraize.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=214&func=view&id=452360&catid=13&limit=10&limitstart=0#452360]the FAQ thread[/url].[/li] [/ul] [/li] [li][b]Hints and Tips[/b] Here are some miscellaneous hints and tips that will help you along as you browse the forums. [ul] [li][b]Searching the Forums[/b] If you've been here for any extended period of time, you'll realize that the search feature does not work. At all. Instead, use Google (or your search engine of choice) to search Mypraize. To do this, go to [url=http://www.google.com/]Google[/url] and enter your normal search terms. Then, before you search, add "site:www.mypraize.com" - this will limit the search results to pages cached of Mypraize only. It's not quite the same as a working search feature, but it gets the job done if you really need to find a thread that is buried in the Open Discussion. [/li] [li][b]Posting a thread[/b] When you have a topic you want to discuss, it's time to post a thread. To post a thread, first navigate to the category and forum that your topic pertains to. In other words, if your topic is about books, go to the books forum. If it is a theology question, go to the debate forum. If you just want to get some spamming out, check out the spam board. Or if your topic fits in the Open Discussion, go there. Once you're in the forum that fits your topic, check to see if there is already a thread about the topic in the first page or two of listings. If not, click the "New Thread" button and post your thread. From there, it's pretty self explanatory. [/li] [li][b]Quality over Quantity[/b] If you're new to the forums, it is often tempting to post as much as you can to get your post count up. However, it's important to realize that the quality of your posts gains you much more respect than the number of posts you have. [/li] [li][b]The Rating System[/b] On the right side of every post, there is a thumbs up, thumbs down, and a number. That number is a user's rating. When someone posts something you like, you can "thumbs up" their post to add one to their rating. If someone is being a complete jerk, you can "thumbs down" their post. This will decrease their rating by one. You can only modify someone's rating once every six hours. Realize that ratings mean nothing. Some well respected members have low ratings, and others have artificially high ratings. Pay no attention to your rating and you will do fine. [/li] [li][b]Buddy Requests[/b][color=#FF0000]*[/color] Like the Rating System, the number of buddies you have is something that has no real value to your "image" in the community. Buddy requests are for when you have been here long enough to have gained the respect of others. This isn't like MySpace or Facebook where the amount of buddies that you have makes you popular or cool. Most here in the forums prefer that you let us get to know you [i]before[/i] you add us (or we add you) as buddies. For more on this, check out MisterNathan's [url=http://www.mypraize.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Before-You-Add-Me-Please-Read.html&Itemid=218]blog post[/url] about friend requests. Most members here follow the same policy that he outlines in his entry. [/li] [li][b]Males/Ladies Only Forums[/b] If you are a guy, stick to the Males Only forum. If you're a gal, stick to the Ladies Only forum. If you're a guy, don't go into the ladies' area, and if you're a gal don't go into the males' area. There's no real way to track whether you abide by these guides, so show some integrity, eh? [/li] [li][b]Trolls[/b] According to [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll]Wikipedia[/url]: [quote]In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[/quote] Sometimes some people like to get on message boards and "troll" a thread to get it off topic and stir up controversy in topics that need not be controversial. The best way to deal with trolls is to ignore them. Like the saying goes, "do not feed the trolls."[/li] [li][b]Individual Disagreements[/b][color=#FF0000]*[/color] If you feel you must call someone out on something, it would be best to PM the individual rather than to do it in a thread. Follow the example described in Matthew 18: [i]If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. [/i] (vs. 15-17) Remember to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If you would be upset that someone said something to you, think if it's really important to say. If it is, but not necessarily a positive thing to say, PM them. If they don't seem to notice or care about what you have to say, you have two options. You can ignore them--the best option--or you can make a thread asking for other peoples' help regarding the situation. Be careful not to "tattle" or turn the situation into gossip; that's not the way to get along. [/li] [li]There are some incredibly strong opinionated people. Don't get offended too easily, and don't be afraid to put your own thoughts in. It's when people disagree (respectfully) that our little community is really a fun place to be. Our diversity in background, opinion, and even religion (sometimes lack of it) that makes MyPraize what it is. [color=#FF0000]*[/color][/li] [/ul] [/li] [/ol] Also, I recommend you look over the these three threads: [ul] [li][url=http://www.mypraize.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=214&func=view&id=203075&catid=2]Rules, Links, and Events [/url][/li][li][url=http://www.mypraize.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=214&func=view&id=452360&catid=13&limit=10&limitstart=0#452360]FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions[/url][/li][li][url=http://www.mypraize.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=214&id=374078&catid=2&func=view]the Birth of Fliggage[/url] (*shameless plug*)[/li] [/ul] That about covers it. Once again, welcome to Mypraize! If you still have questions, feel free to PM myself or one of the mods or admins. Dive deep in our Creator's love, -serf Other contributors: [url=http://www.mypraize.com/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=163215][color=#FF0000]InHisLove[/color][/url] Last Updated: [b]June 18, 2009[/b]