Magic Forums

I've noticed that many members are unaware of the general unspoken ways of forum etiquette.

Forum Etiquette is the way to go about posting that will cause the board to be more orderly, threads to remain consistent to one subject, and to allow you and everyone on the board to have a more positive experience.

~QUESTIONS~

RESEARCH by using the the search feature at the top of the site to see if anyone has already answered similar questions, made an article or posted information on the topic you wish to learn more information about.

People generally do not like reading the same questions and repeating themselve. You will get a poor response rate when making a topic subject that has already been answered in past threads.
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If you do not find anything pertaining to your question using the search bar, THEN post a NEW topic in the appropriate forum section.

Do not bring up old topics. Make your own.

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~TOPICS~

A thread should remain consistent within the topic of the topic creator.

[b]DO NOT post questions that are not consistent with the topic subject. [/b]
For instance, if you have a question about wands, do not post it on a thread concerning spirit guides. Not only is this disrespectful to the topic starter (changing the attention from one subject to another entirely different discussion) but most people will ignore such posts. Your question has a very high chance of being ignored because it is considered "rude". If people are discussing sports at a gathering, you wouldn't just walk up and say "so what's your views on the economy?!" It is considered "interrupting" a conversation and this will be more likely ignored or approached with hostility.
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[b]Have a descriptive subject name.[/b]
When writing a topic, name the subject appropriately. "Help" is not specific. "Help with a ritual" is better. "Ritual ingredient help" or simply "Ritual ingredients?" is even more precise.

People skim topic names and select ones they are interested in reading or replying to. Many people write "help" and at times I've looked at the "newest" tab to find a variety of "help!" "Help?" "Help me!" "Please help" all down the line. I can't recall which "help" topics I have answered or read because there is no subject clarity. People can also pass up a "help" subject because they answered a "help" topic and believe it to be the same one. So being specific is beneficial.
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[b]DO NOT pull up old topics.[/b]
Check the dates before replying to a thread. Old topics should be left in the order that they were originally "new". The people who made that topic have had their question answered and it is now old news. Asking a question on an old topic is unnecessary. If you cannot find an answer to your questions in past threads, make a new one.

Replying to an old thread is considered "bumping" and should only be done if the topic was informative, entertaining, etc and you feel it would be enjoyable or educational for others to read. If you do "bump" a topic, don't do it excessively. Once in a while is fine. Consistent "bumping" is considered spamming and is rude. It will bury new topics.
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~BEING POLITE~

In general, when posting a question, be polite and patient.

No one is obligated to answer your question and demanding an answer will only cause people to ignore you or write a negative reply. If no one has answered your question within a day or two, a simple reply to your own topic asking nicely for a response will be enough to provoke someone to respond. Sometimes the forum experiences a high volume of posts in a short amount of time, and your topic may have been overlooked.

Give people time to answer. Forums are not a chatroom. And people are not always looking at through the board. Especially at night, fewer people are online. So be patient, and give your topic at least 24hrs to gain notice and replies. If you post aggressively or angrily because no one has responded, the likelihood of receiving an real answer is very small. Like attracts like, and the more positive you are, the more positive the replies will be. On the same note, the more negative you are, the more negative the replies will be. So remain positive and kind!

If anyone wishes to add more to this, please do.