Unofficial Guide to Double-Posts and Forum Spam

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Jay2a, May 25, 2015.

  1. *Note* I am not making this thread to single out any people, but this has come to my attention recently.

    Everyone has used forums before, but there are times when some rules go unnoticed that really should be made more apparent. Today, I'm going to be talking about double posts, thread hijacking, and using spoilers.

    Double posting
    Double posting is when a player posts two or more times on the same thread without posts from anyone else in between. While it is acceptable occasionally, it can be a problem if it happens too many times in a row, or over a short period of time.
    When is double posting okay?
    • Reserving a post for additional information later, such as on contest threads or giveaways.
    • Bumping a thread, as long as the bump falls under the correct parameters.
    • Helping to prevent possible walls of text.
    • If information doesn't fit in only one post (Posting more than 20 pictures or videos)
    • If the previous post by you is getting old, or is NOT worth editing again.
    When is double posting not okay?

    • If information was supposed to be added to the previous post.
    • If you want to post more, not related to your previous post.
    • Posting too much already.
    • Posting the same thing more than once.
    • Could be avoided otherwise.
    Misconceptions about double posting

    -It's okay if I didn't know the rules.
    --Wrong. New members should take it upon themselves to know the rules in advance. You may be pardoned the first few times, but abusing it because you "didn't know the rules" is not acceptable.
    -It's okay if everyone else did it.
    --Also wrong. Whether or not everyone else did it, it's still breaking the rules.

    Thread Hijacking
    This one doesn't come up too often, but it's something that does happen. Thread hijacking can be described as posting more than anyone else in the thread, and basically treating it as your own. This is even less acceptable than double posting in most cases. The owner of the thread leaving moderation to another person is a completely different topic.
    When is thread hijacking allowed?

    • Thread hijacking is never allowed, regardless of rank or position in the community.
    When is thread hijacking not allowed?

    • When thread hijacking can be prevented.
    • Off-topic posting.
    • Harassment (Included in the bullet above).
    When should thread hijacking and double posting be reported?

    The report system is nothing to be abused, and should be taken seriously at all times. However, these things DO get out of hand. When you first see this happening, give the person a warning, reminding him/her of the rules. However, if the person is persistently breaking these rules, this is when the report function should be used. The Staff members get a lot of reports, so it may be a while before the report is noticed. All you can do is be patient and wait for a staff member to respond. Never spam the report system.

    Using Spoilers
    This topic isn't specifically a rule breaker, but it can be very useful to know about for the future. Spoilers were made to hide information, whether it contains slightly unacceptable content or if it's just a big wall.
    For those who don't know how to use a spoiler, here's a picture showing how to make one (Unnamed):
    Spoiler How To.png
    It's very simple to make, and can help prevent a lot of spam.
    When you're finished, it should look like this:
    Like this.

    How should spoilers be used?
    Spoilers should mainly be used to condense pictures or videos to make the forums more organized and user-friendly. It can also be used to hide information, but the information may be missed this way.
    Spoilers shouldn't be used in the original post (OP) of a thread if you use them for hiding important information, or the entire post. They should mainly be used to hide a large wall of text or pictures/videos, if the post takes up a large amount of space.
    Spoilers should not be used if you have information that you feel like people should see, because there is a decent chance people will skim right over it without any second thought.
    That's the end of the guide. I know there's more information that could be included, but this topic has been in the back of my mind, since these are some of the most important rules/features that get ignored. This guide may be in the wrong place, but I didn't really know where to put it.
  2. +1

    I do double post, but I try not to :)
  3. It's fine on occasion, or depending on the circumstance.