How to Get Along in an Online Forum
Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed
Do you visit online forums? Do you behave while you’re there? Do you know HOW to behave in a forum environment? Here are some tips to make your forum experience a much happier one for you… and the forum Moderation Team.
- Read the rules You may have been on other forums and gotten around there smoothly but if you are joining a new community you have to read the rules. You may be doing something that every new member (who didn’t read the rules) does and in worst cases get banned. Read the rules and follow them.
- No 1337-speak Posts that contains 1337-speak is not always easy to understand. 1337-speak is a very geekish way of writing. You try to replace every letter with numbers and symbols. For example, 1337 means leet, short for eleet -> elite. 1337-speak is even disallowed on some sites. Use proper English and spell check your typing. Do everything to look as engaged as possible. Do not ever use caps-lock for your messages. It makes you look dumb and you for sure will not receive valuable response.
- Have manners The worst thing is people who join a site and request people to do everything for them. If the site has an introduction forum, introduce yourself to the community. If you have a problem, don’t ask people to do things for you, do what you can to figure out how to do it and in worst case, ask how to do what you want.
- Try to help others When you have been in the community for a while, you might know more than the average user. Use your intelligence to help people. Tell them what they did wrong and tell them how to do what they want. Moderators can not help all users. Users are there to help and get help.
- Search before posting Always search before posting about a matter. Every common forum system has a search system that allows you to search through every single post on the forum. Many things get answered several times because some users don’t search before they make their request. This will help the moderators so they can focus on other things, the site itself, so it doesn’t get filled with loads of the same stuff.
Our live community leader Kat also is an Administrator at a huge forums site. GeeksToGo is a free computer-help site, with over a million posts, and more than 200,000 members. She has more than four years’ worth of experience in being an Administrator at these types of forums, and wanted to add the following tips.
- When posting for help on a computer help forum such as GeeksToGo, be specific. The Staff will have a much easier time helping you if they know off the bat what the problem is. If you don’t know what the exact problem is, give as many details as possible.
- When you join any type of forums, ALWAYS actually take time to read the Terms of Use (Terms of Service). Every site is different, and some allow things that others don’t. By taking the time to read these prior to signing up, you’ll know exactly what the rules of that particular forum are. This can save you trouble in the future.
- Don’t spam the forum with a hundred posts in your first day, just to make yourself “known”. You’ll be “known” all right… as a spammer, a pest, and someone to “keep an eye on”. Take time to look around the forums, and see how other people talk to each other. Watch posting style of long-time members and Staff/Mods. This way, you’ll be able to fit in much easier when you do begin posting!
All in all, being a member of an online forum of any kind can be fun, informational and addictive! Don’t burn yourself out by trying to do too much at once. Have fun, be yourself… and you’ll do just fine!
- The Gift Basket Connectory Program, Forum And Marketplace.
- Forum Equalizer.
- Affiliate Backup - High Conversion Automated Backup & Restore Of Site.
Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:
Private Domain Registration from GoDaddy is a smart thing to do. When you register a domain, your contact information is immediately made available to anyone who wants to see it. Plus, as a listener of The Chris Pirillo Show, enter code CHRIS3 and get your .COM domain name for just $6.95 a year. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy!









70 Comments
doerrfan
January 28th, 2008
at 7:32am
Amen Google is people’s friend.
DirectFilms
January 28th, 2008
at 7:41am
Vbulletin is the best
13Tanner37
January 28th, 2008
at 7:43am
Cool vid, I might embed it on some forums i visit regularly. :)
mayhempk1
January 28th, 2008
at 7:59am
i love forums, and i know how to behave on them, administrate and moderate them. forums are great imo, and the best forum software imo is: 1: ipb 2: smf 3: phpbb 4: vbulletin 5: punbb. forums can be fun, hold lots of information, and much much more. forums ftw!
SgtSavage166
January 28th, 2008
at 8:05am
I love forums, I have my own too :D it just doesnt have any people besides the admins and my friend.
I might embed this video in the main page soon
(forum link on my channel)
scorpio209
January 28th, 2008
at 8:09am
how many times did he plug his site?
willteddy09
January 28th, 2008
at 10:18am
Ummm they are his videos so he can plug all he wants…..
jfizz313
January 28th, 2008
at 11:08am
welll im not counting
CoolMoeG
January 28th, 2008
at 11:28am
their r to many internet gangsters on forums, so its hard to get along with everyone. I dont have to many problems though. -_-
tooomp
January 28th, 2008
at 12:06pm
I don’t think you’ll find the answer to this question on google:
“How do you live your life 24/7 online?”
kiwidud3
January 28th, 2008
at 12:18pm
first!
ThatGuyFromUTube
January 28th, 2008
at 1:05pm
*snicker*…ya love me huh? Well Iexpect a valentine! :-) Okay, now seriously…as I enter myself into the IT arena, I find more and more of your info extremely helpful! Thanks for the vids!
christm3
January 28th, 2008
at 3:41pm
nice video. Definatly follow these rules.
Strifezilla
January 28th, 2008
at 3:59pm
yeh i know its really annoying
fraikonz
January 28th, 2008
at 4:17pm
I’ve seen a lot of new users that join a forum I frequently visit that try to get away by saying “Oh, I didn’t know that was in the rules” or “I saw this do it!”
This seems to mostly occur in new users who is in the age range of 12-16 too =/ and the forum I visit is dedicated to a rated-M game (which means that M-rated stuff can appear, as long as they are marked.)
TheGnomeLocker
January 28th, 2008
at 4:21pm
The nice thing about forums is there alot easier to moderate, and control then a live chat room. There lies the only main draw for users, they can feel safer in knowing that any bad posts will be most likely deleted within a reasonable amount of time.
Jeff Hester
January 28th, 2008
at 4:39pm
Chris, I’m shocked and apalled to see an affiliate link to “Forum Equalizer” — especially on a post about forum etiquette. This is basically a tool used to spam forums.
Shame on you!
buchan
January 28th, 2008
at 4:59pm
That’s a great list. I’ve been a member of a few gaming forums since 2002. (some which have evolved beyond games) While there usually is a bit of verbrato within these sites they are kept civil by some dedicated people. In reference to what the list mentioned before forums are a great way to meet people who have the same interests as you and a great database of collective knowledge. Most of my computer problems were solved by these online communties. And as PC gamers I learned a great deal about gaming hardware.
Griff
January 28th, 2008
at 6:52pm
To many times have i seen some join a forum, ask a question, and then never come back. Don’t expect an answer in 5 minutes. You have to wait for the person who knows your answer to come by and answer. Most posters get nothing out of helping you, so be well mannered when asking something. The community loves to help, but they are in no way required to.
Jack (Jeber) Carlson
January 28th, 2008
at 9:32pm
These are good tips and I can only hope that anyone just joining a forum will head them.
As a long time administrator and moderator of several forums, I often encounter new members who think that the moderation staff is either not paying attention to what happens in the forum or alternatively is just waiting for the chance to “bust” anyone for the slightest infraction of the rules. Neither characterization is true. Perhaps if forum members better understood what the moderators purpose is, they might enjoy their membership more.
First and foremost, moderators enforce the forum rules. That does not just entail handing out infractions. Often it means sending a message to a member explaining why a rule exists and how best to stay within forum guidelines. Infractions, suspensions and bans are a last resort. They diminish the forum instead of building it up, so it’s the last thing a moderator wants to do. A moderator much prefers to see a member who violates a rule acknowledge their error and continue as a member in good standing. Another aspect of rule enforcement is responding to member reports of posts or behavior in violation of the rules. We have an obligation to protect our members from spamming, flaming and other rude and sometimes illegal behavior. We are dedicated to doing all in our power to make the forum a safe and enjoyable experience for every member.
Another obligation of the staff is to be available to answer questions, resolve disputes and explain forum etiquette. Asking another member may or may not result in a proper answer. By asking the staff, you’re sure to get an answer that is in keeping with the rules and the wishes of the forum owner.
Administrators and moderators are there to support the forum, and the forum is made up of its members. When you join a forum, you should be able to look to the other members and the staff for guidance, help and example.
Just be sure, as mentioned above, to read the rules and TOS before you register. Rest assured, once you join, there will be other members, moderators and administrators there to make sure you enjoy your membership.
vahnx
January 29th, 2008
at 12:03am
Ubuntu forums are friendly.
Windows Vista Torrent
January 29th, 2008
at 12:52am
Tech InterviewsHow to Get Along in an Online ForumMMORPG Etiquette How to Deal with Media and MP3 Players while Driving How to get Homework Done Giveaway Night iPod Software Update Being the Perfect Techie How Can Software be Perfect?
ThunderAppeal
January 29th, 2008
at 3:21am
Protocols of behavior for online forums is the most highly efficient human conditioning method available today. Lets all brainwash ourselves so we can all be like one another in an iPodesque way. We’ll all call ourselves iLemmings.
Pentium965
January 29th, 2008
at 7:15am
Woo Newegg
Kevin
January 29th, 2008
at 3:34pm
As a member of Yahell Answers - probably one of the largest public forums out there - I see things like these all the time…
Perhaps one more point that should be added is to not go Trolling - unless there is a specific section that allows users to rant/flame at their leisure ;);)
bradleybradwell
January 29th, 2008
at 4:57pm
I have actually been using Online Forums more often then i thought i would be using them. The community in these forums have been able to help me on many occasions like help.lockergnome.com, which i just started using today. I think it would be cool if Chris could get his own live.pirillo.com online forum started so people can refer to it about learning about Chris. I have noticed that people keep asking the same questions to him so maybe this would work?
dephekt
January 29th, 2008
at 6:23pm
Very good tips. I am a community member to quite a few forum sites and wish a lot of the people on those forums read these tips ;). You see a lot of immature people when you are only looking for a couple answers.
James Tinsley
January 29th, 2008
at 6:27pm
It don’t matter how good you are or how you answer, there’s always going to be several anal-retentives that’s going to blast you for something. With some, they have very little to do with their lives than to start an online war.
Ryan
January 29th, 2008
at 6:57pm
Great list! It is unfortunate that the Forum Equalizer spam tool is at the bottom of the article or I would link it to the forums I manage. That is the last thing I need to encourage more of, but thanks for writing it nevertheless. :)
Shay
January 29th, 2008
at 7:14pm
That is a long comment Jack Carlson.
Anyways, your post is very useful Chris, this has given me a big idea to make a Rules and ToS page over at a website and I can link to this post to give my users some ideas on how to behave on the forum.
Xillionous
January 29th, 2008
at 9:05pm
Woo!
email2vl
January 30th, 2008
at 12:14am
Be patient. While some people may want an immediate response to their question(s), one has to realize that a forum is not a chat room.
emeek77
January 30th, 2008
at 2:09am
search before posting? Come on. what about soccor moms? do we not deserve help because we didnt google it? or search teh index that can take awhile if keywords are not found. sometimes search dont find the answer when it is there. so be good to people who ask questions no matter how dumb. we all deserve help even the lazy and dumb ones.
CentralAreaTechTeam
January 30th, 2008
at 7:35am
I like it!! Thanks for the tips!!
Alendar
January 30th, 2008
at 7:44pm
These are great tips. I have seen many online forums that are not that great due to people flaming each other and people not reading the rules or being nice. Also, I work as tech support for a site and we are constantly repeating our selfs because people don’t search.
Tony Avila
January 30th, 2008
at 7:45pm
Yeah this is a helpful guide. ive been using forums for 10 years, starting when i was 8, and i cant tell you how many times ive been threatend a ban. Ive also been banned for the user name nugz (good if know what a nugget really is) and sometimes just for saying hi. Really alot of forums arent based on rather you like the admins and if the admins like you, or better yet, if they follow their own rules.
schagg311
January 30th, 2008
at 7:45pm
I think a lot of newbs, are hesitant to ask for assistance. even after reading the FAQ’s. You really shouldn’t be since you’d be surprised at how much people are willing to help out a new gamer if you just ask. and yes patience is key.
Gordon
January 30th, 2008
at 7:45pm
Funny how we have to keep reminding people how to act when communicating online. Didn’t we learn how to behave in kindergarten? How soon we forget.
xox1111
January 30th, 2008
at 7:46pm
Great Tips Chris It is a good list that can help out many people who are new to a forum or a website and would cover a basic way to get along and not many anyone upset at you
gamer2502
January 30th, 2008
at 7:47pm
i think this is a very good video it is very important to moderate chat most of us under stand why you have to
mitch8ell8
January 30th, 2008
at 7:47pm
YES chris…these are great tips…i am in a forum group and I see people that gust post, post, post with out any idea of what its about…were others are posting great idea and comments…so yeah great tips
Blood08
January 30th, 2008
at 7:49pm
I have been following these rules for years… except one which is the 1337…
One of the main reasons I join forms is to help others or at times get help. I have been posting on forum about a year now and I finally got to 1,000 post on my first forum I was active in a followed these rules.
These rules are extremely true, if you follow these and post actively you’ll get guaranteed positive rep and possibly be noticed by a Community leader to be a future mod =).
So for a new forum comers, follow these rules!
gamer2502
January 30th, 2008
at 8:00pm
this is a very cool video most of us get why u moderate chat very good brodcast
firefox6
January 30th, 2008
at 8:02pm
I have ran a few forums(admin/owner) i been a part of many forums, and it is always the same. people don’t search or for that matter some don’t read what others have to say about the topic at hand and post the same thing over and over. also the whole “post count” is all that matters to people not the content.
I will be sending this link to all the people that do or do not do one of the list items.
gamer2502
January 30th, 2008
at 8:02pm
i wanted to add more so i also know that when you are recording videos you dont want any idiots chatting while you are recording
Marcus Hamaker
January 30th, 2008
at 8:04pm
This is such a good bunch of tips. I have been an IRC junkie for some time and this appies to IRC, newsgroups, forums… pretty much life.
Thanks for spreading the tips.
ChrisH
January 30th, 2008
at 8:12pm
I enjoy coming home from a hard day at work, and sitting down and chatting with the fellow chatters in Chris’s channel. I totally agree with the rules that apply to the channel, typing in correct english grammer, being polite, and last but no least helping others. Helping others always make you feel better, knowing that you just helped that person with an issue they might have spent $$$ at a Computer repair shop. Sometime I don’t always know the answer, sometimes I do…but in the long run either I, or someone in the channel will find the answer.
I have some grips that tend to annoy me, for example - CAPS!!, Repeating the same question over and over, being inpolite to Chris or others and Spamming!
Now I have to give Kat some credit, she takes a full load of people on her hands and somehow doesnt have a heart attack while doing so. Keep it up Kat, your doing great.
Snakeyes11
January 30th, 2008
at 8:18pm
These are great tips. Make sure you know what you want to post on the forum. IF you need help with a topic be as specific as you can with what you need help with. Don’t post off topic questions. Don’t be a troll and just tell people they suck or they are an idiot. Be smart when replying to a post. Make sure you don’t reply to a topic that is 4 months old. Post a reply to a topic that has not been answered in a few days. Don’t be mean to newbies. Treat everyone with respect. Don’t assume that everyone knows as much as you do. Be patience and take your time helping others out, Don’t yell at them if they can’t solve there problem. Just be patience.
gtochad
January 30th, 2008
at 8:54pm
iv seen all these activities happen in forums and depending on the forum either the members or moderators will set them straight
i know of one forum whenever someone seer’s a new member they usually will send them the links to all the rules and things they needs to know for that person to have a better experience
VistaMeetsNick
January 30th, 2008
at 9:05pm
hey chris i have to say great tip video for this one. I am a part time op for gaming forms and i have to say you do see a lot of trash talk in the forms today and people still dont read the rules and end up getting banned or kicked for a day or so.
Shawn Streitmatter ( Audioburnr)
January 30th, 2008
at 9:27pm
Hello Chris just wanted to say i think its reall easy to get a long in forums. The Reason i say this is cause most of the people dont read the rules nor do they rule the other posts by the other people talking about the same questions that they just posted. I would think that if ppl would just read the rules and read the other posts than it would be a LOT easier .
gtochad
January 30th, 2008
at 9:30pm
iv seen all these activities happen in forums and depending on the forum either the members or moderators will set them straight
i know of one forum whenever someone seer’s a new member they usually will send them the links to all the rules and things they needs to know for that person to have a better experience
i may send this to some “noobs” at a few forums i go to
XedLos
January 30th, 2008
at 9:30pm
I am part of various internet forums and the number one advice i would give is dont get into an argument with anyone. Casue really nobody wins a internet discussions. Forums are not the best place to have a debate. and pleace dont be a douchbag
gtochad
January 30th, 2008
at 9:36pm
iv seen all these activities happen in forums and depending on the forum either the members or moderators will set them straight
i know of one forum whenever someone seer’s a new member they usually will send them the links to all the rules and things they needs to know for that person to have a better experience
CharlesShizane
January 30th, 2008
at 9:37pm
Search before posting!!!!!
This is a big thing that will put you in the wrong with alot of people.
Don’t be lazy and want someone to do your work for you. A little searching will help you out in the long run.
CharlesShizane
January 30th, 2008
at 10:00pm
Search Before You Post!!!!!!
This is a big thing that ill out you in the wrong with a lot of people. Don’t be lazy and try to get someone to do your work for you. A little searching will help you in the long run.
Lance
January 31st, 2008
at 7:20am
Also remember that moderators are nearly always volunteers. As a moderator of a very large forum (30-40 active mods), I get paid nothing to perform my duties. We do it because we enjoy the community and want to contribute…and we have a bit of free time available to do so. As mentioned above, if you don’t understand the rules, or want to post something that you aren’t sure is allowed - ask a mod. With most forums, there are very easy ways to tell who the mods are.
1) At either the top or the bottom of the subforum, a list of moderators assigned to that subforum.
2) On the forum’s main page, look for a link labled something like “View Forum Leaders”. That will be a complete list of mods, often also listing their assigned subforums.
3) Mods will often have a different color username, and/or a special user title under their name. For example, on the forum I mod, regular users are blue, paid members are bold blue, mods are green, and supermods are red.
4) Most forums I visit will have a “report this post” button, usually in one corner of each post. If you see a post that is offensive or violates the rules (spam, flaming, etc.), don’t respond to it - report it! Help us do our job, so that you can better enjoy your visit.
Remember, like you, most mods have lives outside of the forum. Jobs, family, real-life responsibilities. We can’t be on all the time, nor can we be everywhere at once. Also remember that just because a mod doesn’t have 10,000 posts, doesn’t mean they aren’t lurking. Different mods have different styles, but we all care about the forum community, or we wouldn’t have accepted the invitation to be a mod.
leodime
February 1st, 2008
at 5:46am
True that emeek. Although, some people need to just ******* google it. Most people have already asked the question that they may be asking. And it’s already been answered in detail by a very nice user.
zanokmanza
February 1st, 2008
at 10:12am
It is more work not to google it…
zanokmanza
February 1st, 2008
at 10:18am
odds are some one has all ready asked the same question (especially with linux as i have found…) but any way with that idea in mind some of the forum comments i have seen have had links sending you to another forum just to give you a answer that you could have easily found if you had correctly googled it (that is if you know how to work google to ghet exactly what you want)…
Technobabble
February 3rd, 2008
at 12:30am
Giveaway Gets Interrupted by a Wet DogTips for Better PowerPoint PresentationsHow to Start a WebsiteHow to Deal with TaxesThe Bad AntiSpyware ListHow to Choose the Best AirlineHow to Keep From Being StinkyHow to Get Along in an Online ForumMMORPG EtiquetteHow to Deal with Media and MP3 Players while DrivingHow to get Homework DoneGiveaway NightiPod Software UpdateBeing the Perfect TechieDomain Name Registration DiscountScreen Capture Software
beavkil
April 13th, 2008
at 12:03pm
I’m a forum admin!
gitrdun2006
May 10th, 2008
at 12:10pm
I’m a forum moderator! Good video.
blueterrior
June 2nd, 2008
at 7:18am
i’m an admin too
admin_papa
August 29th, 2008
at 8:46pm
Hello Everybody
Just wanted to share my new experience.
If your Windows XP fails to run due to an error corresponding to lost HAL.DLL, invalid Boot.ini or any other important system boot files you can fix this by using the XP installation CD. Simply boot from your XP Setup CD and enter the Recovery Console. Then launch “attrib -H -R -S” on the C:\Boot.ini file and delete it. Run “Bootcfg /Rebuild” and then Fixboot
Regards,
Carl
XRumerTestcc
December 5th, 2008
at 7:41pm
Hello. And Bye.
dereqzxxx
December 17th, 2008
at 8:38pm
hi there!
thanks,nice forum!
WrortTrem
February 14th, 2009
at 7:33pm
Hello.
I’m new there
Nice forum, thanks
optolfdok
April 23rd, 2009
at 3:46pm
I’m the only one in this world. Can please someone join me in this life? Or maybe death…
janicegreatman
June 7th, 2009
at 4:17am
I feel I might introduce my self here. My name is Kate, I’m a newbie here, someone told me that i might find some good information here so… basically that’s why I’m here, and for any good advice i might get also… hope to have good time here