Common Courtesy
I feel as though I should never have to write a forum post such as this, but after the actions of many members of this site to myself and others over the years, I feel it is important to make this post about common courtesies of the mailing system.
Beyond the site rules, there are several common courtesies that people need to remember when asking for help via mail from other members, that are all too commonly forgotten:
1) Use a subjectLine
If on a mail, there is no subject it instantly becomes less inviting to look at, especially if the person receiving the mail gets a lot of messages per day. Write a few words regarding what you need assistance with and it is much more likely to be opened and responded to in a timely manner.
2) Don't be Rude
This seems so simple, yet many people seem to forget this key point. If someone is rude, we are much less likely to help you. Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself, this includes being polite, respecting boundaries and generally being a decent person, and never forget that the person on the other end of mail is real, they have emotions too.
3) Don't Push for Private Details
If you asks for a piece of information from someone, and they refuse, don't try to force it out of them: age, realnames and locations are all things I see regularly being asked for. If someone is not willing to give out private information, don't try to force it out of them with blackmail or repeated questioning. Privacy is still a thing, and it should be respected.
4) Read their Profile before Sending Mail
Another thing that is commonly forgotten is to read someone's profile, most of the time they will have a list of their personal practices and what you can and cannot ask questions about written clearly for everyone to see. If you would like a reading and someone says blatantly that they don't offer readings in their profile, you could save everyone some time by taking a moment to read.
5) Don't Expect to be Spoon Fed
Asking for guidance on a singular matter is one thing, but when you expect the person you are mailing to give you every single piece of information they have on a whole topic, that is pushing it. People here are very willing to help, but remember that we managed to get our information from somewhere and there are hundreds of high-quality sources to read and learn from. Don't expect people here to spoon feed you while there are hundreds of new sources we never had, easily accessible online.
6) Don't Use Foul Language
This goes for sexual language and curse words, don't treat someone as though they are less than you by resorting to swearing or sexualising them, especially when you are asking for their assistance. This is a website for knowledge and community, not for someone to mail everyone to flirt with them and not for people to be sworn at. Please remember than anyone from the age of 13 up can use this site , and it is very unlikely that they will feel comfortable in our community with others sending them messages filled with foul language.
7) When asking for Readings or Guidance be Polite
If someone says they offer readings or guidance on their profile, don't think that this gives you the right to be demanding. Anyone taking the time and effort to conduct divination readings or offer you help is putting themselves under a lot of pressure as they tend to get a lot of mail. Be polite, courteous and if they are unable to help you, don't be rude.
8) Use Please and Thank you's
Receiving a mail which only says e.g "Tell me about candle magick" with no please or thank you's is insulting enough, but after putting the time and effort in to give an in depth response, it is even worse to receive a response of "ok", if you want someone to give you information, at least have the decency to use please and thank you, give an introduction and some information more than just a demand.
Just because we are behind our own separate device doesn't give you the right to treat us poorly while asking for help, or readings. Talk to us as though we were standing right in front of you and always think before you type.