Now that the SWD Forum has almost 4,000 members, we thought it was a good time to talk about forum etiquette (or netiquette, as it's often referred to). Thankfully our forum members are a friendly bunch and most follow the rules without question. But as our community is broadening out we thought it would be helpful to pull together a few hints and tips. As we allow suppliers as well as brides on our forum there are rules for business users but this guide should be taken on board by all members. And if you ever want to ask us anything or suggest changes to the forum then please start a thread.
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Personal information is a no-no!
Never post personal information like your home address or email address. If you want to share information then send a personal message (PM). This means other people and spammers, in particular, won't be able to access your personal information.
No name calling
It's OK to disagree with someone's opinions but name calling is not an acceptable response. Deliberate insults or personal rants are known as flaming and are not permitted. We pride ourselves on being a practical, informative and inspiring forum and will never permit name calling or bullying on our site.Please don't scroll
Posting the same thing over and over again is called 'scrolling' and is a banning offence. If your post has been removed, it's been removed for a reason (i.e. it's breaking the rules in some way) and this does not mean you should re-post it. If you have an issue with a post that has been removed then please contact us to discuss it.
DON'T USE ALL CAPS
Don't post in ALL CAPS - this is considered shouting and very rude, as well as being hard on the eyes. You can post one or two words in caps for emphasis (e.g. I did NOT want to go!) but never an entire post.Lurking is OK to begin with...
It's completely fine to lurk (looking at threads but not posting in them) a little when you're new to a forum. Read the recent posts, the most popular ones or even have a trawl through the archives. Once you have a feel for what type of topics the forum community like to talk about you'll want to get involved with all the wedding chat!Name it right
Post in the right place, with the right title, if you can. A decent title is
essential if you want to get the right people looking in and answering your posts.
Stick to the point
To help make sure the forum is easy to navigate and to ensure that everybody gets the best from its content, then it's good to try and address the content of the original post. If the discussion is drifting off in other directions, then feel free to start a new thread.Use the smilies
Try to be as descriptive as possible when making posts. Words can sometimes be misconstrued when written; facial expressions and inflections go a long way to clarifying your meaning. Make life easier by using emoticons when posting about a tricky topic and be sure to ask for clarification if you are unsure of another member's posts too.Be yourself
Say online exactly what you would say in person. So if you wouldn't say something to someone's face then don't do it online. Treat others the way you expect to be treated.Share positive recommendations
We pride ourselves on being a place where brides getting married in Scotland can share recommendations for suppliers who offer good service, great prices and fantastic customer service. But, as the saying goes, if you have nothing nice to say then don't say anything at all!The SWD forum is a discussion forum for brides (and grooms) to share information and offer positive recommendations; and a place to talk to suppliers online. It is not a place for companies to plug their business services! Posts that are blatant adverts will be removed without warning.
