sunnymw
New member
Okay, I know this type of post belongs in CMC, but the people who need to see it most obviously won't have access. 
1. Search first. Click on the "search" button at the top of the page and see if the question has been asked before. If it hasn't been answered to your satisfaction, it is a good idea to start your own thread and start by saying "I read in thread X (link) that XYZ, but I was still wondering ABC123." This shows that you HAVE attempted to research the topic and makez you look teh goodz :thumbsup:
2. Some threads evolve and random crap comes up. If you see something that piques your interest and you have a question about it, feel free to first repeat step one, and then start a spinoff thread (ie, "S/O, Britax Laptop questions"). That way you still get your questions answered but you won't completely derail the other thread.
3. Be nice. DON'T SHOUT (like, every word in a whole thread) (I haven't seen any issues w/ this). Use "IMO" or "IMHO" frequently. Use "I" statements (my mom taught me this. You say "I feel like you are trying to control my every move." instead of "You are mean and controlling for not letting me go to the concert!").
4. Do not attack a person's decisions. Some people do the best they can with what they have, and some people make less than ideal decisions in some areas while making great ones in others (ie, my 4yo is rear-facing... we eat fast food frequently). No one is perfect. If they are asking for advice be gentle. If they're not... live & let live or start a respective debate.
5. Understand the overzealous excitement of newbies. IE, when I first learned about the benefits of breastfeeding I thought all kinds of horrible things about moms who formula fed, and thought I knew everything about why they weren't successful. Not so. I grew in my knowledge over time, but I am absolutely positive I said some utterly stupid things in the process.
Feel free to add your own.
When I first came here I lurked a lot... and then posted a ton. I'm sure I was pretty dang annoying. I had the benefit of previous message board experience so I knew how to search/multi-quote/etc, but bear in mind that for some people this is their first message board and it may take awhile to get the hang of things (ie, the advanced search feature took me awhile to figure out. A lot of things took me some time to figure out. I'm slow sometimes).
What I'm basically saying is that for the past few weeks I've seen a few lines barely crossed... and to me, this place is like a second home, a safe place, filled with really awesome helpful people with nothing but the best intentions. When I came here I was welcomed with open arms, and I want every new poster that shows up to feel the same, because even though there are small annoyances and people that get on our nerves, this is still a community, a family, and I think we should treat each other as such. I've been appalled at some of the things I've seen said by long-standing members and while I understand the feelings that provoked those posts, I would have loved to seen some things said in a much kinder way (or, not at all).
I hope I'm not stepping on any toes, I just feel like this is one of the few relatively drama-free forums I frequent, and I'd like to keep it that way. THIS PLACE is my breath of fresh air. Quit stinkin' it up!!
1. Search first. Click on the "search" button at the top of the page and see if the question has been asked before. If it hasn't been answered to your satisfaction, it is a good idea to start your own thread and start by saying "I read in thread X (link) that XYZ, but I was still wondering ABC123." This shows that you HAVE attempted to research the topic and makez you look teh goodz :thumbsup:
2. Some threads evolve and random crap comes up. If you see something that piques your interest and you have a question about it, feel free to first repeat step one, and then start a spinoff thread (ie, "S/O, Britax Laptop questions"). That way you still get your questions answered but you won't completely derail the other thread.
3. Be nice. DON'T SHOUT (like, every word in a whole thread) (I haven't seen any issues w/ this). Use "IMO" or "IMHO" frequently. Use "I" statements (my mom taught me this. You say "I feel like you are trying to control my every move." instead of "You are mean and controlling for not letting me go to the concert!").
4. Do not attack a person's decisions. Some people do the best they can with what they have, and some people make less than ideal decisions in some areas while making great ones in others (ie, my 4yo is rear-facing... we eat fast food frequently). No one is perfect. If they are asking for advice be gentle. If they're not... live & let live or start a respective debate.
5. Understand the overzealous excitement of newbies. IE, when I first learned about the benefits of breastfeeding I thought all kinds of horrible things about moms who formula fed, and thought I knew everything about why they weren't successful. Not so. I grew in my knowledge over time, but I am absolutely positive I said some utterly stupid things in the process.
Feel free to add your own.
When I first came here I lurked a lot... and then posted a ton. I'm sure I was pretty dang annoying. I had the benefit of previous message board experience so I knew how to search/multi-quote/etc, but bear in mind that for some people this is their first message board and it may take awhile to get the hang of things (ie, the advanced search feature took me awhile to figure out. A lot of things took me some time to figure out. I'm slow sometimes).
What I'm basically saying is that for the past few weeks I've seen a few lines barely crossed... and to me, this place is like a second home, a safe place, filled with really awesome helpful people with nothing but the best intentions. When I came here I was welcomed with open arms, and I want every new poster that shows up to feel the same, because even though there are small annoyances and people that get on our nerves, this is still a community, a family, and I think we should treat each other as such. I've been appalled at some of the things I've seen said by long-standing members and while I understand the feelings that provoked those posts, I would have loved to seen some things said in a much kinder way (or, not at all).
I hope I'm not stepping on any toes, I just feel like this is one of the few relatively drama-free forums I frequent, and I'd like to keep it that way. THIS PLACE is my breath of fresh air. Quit stinkin' it up!!
