What Makes A Good Forum Post – What Doesn’t

[Star-Helper]

One, what makes a good post and what is a waste of your time and mine? Two I’ll start with what doesn’t so that I can end on a positive note.

What I don’t like about forums is the insane amount of bad posts that I must weed through to get to the useful treasure. Sometimes there are seemingly endless answers in a row that have wasted the time of the poster as well as every member who visits the thread. There needs to be thorough discussion within a thread. It makes the forum so much more meaningful.


Time Wasters:

• Short posts of one or two lines - or less. It’s a very rare post that truly offers anything of value in one or two brief sentences. The questions posted in the forums are almost never “fill in the blank” questions. And you don’t get point for a short definition of the concept. These are almost always essay questions.

• Thank you posts. Sure, it’s nice to hear that I offered you something of value. But if thank you is all you have to say, please do it by leaving a “PM.” That’s done with the small icon on bottom of our pictures.

• Agreement posts. Again, it’s nice to hear that you think I’m right (I can’t tell you how much I love that), but please use the “PM” to tell me so. That goes for the post above or below mine.

• Repetitive posts. If it’s already been said in the thread, please think twice before you say it again. Not only are you wasting my time, but you are letting me and everyone else know that you haven’t read the thread or you just want to post to get your links on.

• Poorly presented posts. Lots of typos, poor grammar, words missing. These are usually one or two line posts, BTW. It’s rare to see a substantive post that is unprofessionally presented.

• Self-promotional posts. Most of the time this has the opposite effect of what the poster intended. And they get deleted.

• Red Hot Flame Posts. Flames and insults, oddly enough, are often accompanied by otherwise substantive or thoughtful information, but the confrontational tone serves to polarize the opponent and make it impossible for them to the intended point. Everyone else defensive and no one learns anything.

In closing:

I love learning – both from other members and from taking the time to look up an answer or verify a fact via online. I love being appreciated and I love the business that comes from establishing trust and credibility through forum communication.

[Thejkbi]

This is great information however you may want to change the poll since you have selected the option for people to choose both answers at once

[Admin]

This is great information however you may want to change the poll since you have selected the option for people to choose both answers at once

Fixed that and voted

[Star-Helper]

bump

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