Cavy Cages Posting Etiquette & Rules

**CavySpirit** · #1 02-11-05, 01:10 am

In case you missed the paragraph at the top of the Post New Thread page:

Please use proper English: NO CHAT-SPEAK, spell out your words (for example, do NOT use "u" for "you"), use proper punctuation and capitalize the beginning of each sentence. In this international forum, please use slang with restraint. Easy to read and understand posts get faster and better replies.

This ALSO means:

no "i" for "I"
no "2" for "to"
no "2" for "too"
"2" means "two"--thank you very much.

I am SERIOUSLY considering censoring LOL as if it were a curse word. I truly hate seeing it in posts. Some people fill their posts with it. They sound like lunatics to me. Once in a great while, if you absolutely can't figure out a way to express that you find something funny, fine.

If you are quoting someone else's post, PLEASE put it in italics or use the quote feature to set if off so people can see that you are quoting something.

If you don't have one already, most people should invest in a dictionary to keep next to their computer. I consult mine almost every day. Why? Because I respect my readers. I try to do my best to write clear, intelligible paragraphs and sentences. In fact, in this post alone, I had to look up 'etiquette' and 'intelligible.' I expect you to do the same. Make an effort. Show others some respect. This is NOT a teenage chat room. This is a forum with an international audience. If it's not worth saying well, then it's not worth saying at all.

I understand if English isn't your first language. That's usually pretty clear from some posts. But if it is, then you are expected to sound like it is.

I thank you all for making an effort in this world of chatspeak and chat short-hand or whatever it is they are calling it these days. This forum is for us old fogeys who prefer plain English.

Thank you.
Teresa

**dagwellismypigy** · #2 02-11-05, 02:21 am

I have a quck question. I was just wondering how to say "LOL" with out sounding you know, well , really old or whatever. I can't see myself saying "I find that funny." I do understand that alot of adults don't understand what chatspeak is or how to use it or something of the sort. So I am trying to better my online vocabulary. I also find "haha" or "heh" annoying too.

**Emily F.** · #3 02-11-05, 08:36 am

Great post Theresa. Maybe this will get it through people heads about the rules.

**CavySpirit** · #4 02-11-05, 09:35 am

Frankly, who cares if you laughed? I don't. I laugh, I smile, I frown, I find things interesting. I find things disturbing. I find things challenging. ....... Get the idea? If you've got something to SAY, then SAY it.

And LOL is not a punctuation for the end of every sentence. THAT really bugs me.

**phantac** · #5 02-11-05, 09:56 am

I have a question for you CavySpirit since you are the administrator. And please dont take this the wrong way and dont attack me. I get enough and see enough of that here.

Don't you think you should be more concerned as an administrator on how the future of this forum is running more than how we laugh at the end of a sentence?

Doesn't the hostility that takes place here and the loss of members disturb you?

I know what this forum is based on and I totally agree with it although I disaree with the way people speak to one another which in turn decreases your membership list considerably. It seems that actually there are only a handful of members here since there are always the same names listed.

What is the goal with this forum?

Like I said earlier I dont mean in any way to be rude. These are genuine questions that I am just very curious to know the answers to.

**CavySpirit** · #6 02-11-05, 06:55 pm

phantac,

First of all, you've made these same complaints before, which I thought I addressed:

Quote:

phantac, first of all, you are in the "Kitchen" forum, where topics and discussions are allowed to get heated. Hence the name of the forum and the description at the top -- if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Second, prior to you joining this forum it was stated "This forum is run by a guinea pig rescue and is a rescue-friendly board. Intentional breeding and/or showing discussions are not welcome in this forum. For more information on breeding, see Cavy Spirit's Breeding Page."

If you somehow missed that message, it's quite clear from all the postings if you do any reading before you post--which is advisable for any online community.

Third, I'm not apologising for it. There are AMPLE forums, groups and lists out there that welcome and support all kinds of breeding, showing, buying of animals at petstores and treating of animals as commodities. To my knowledge, there are only TWO that are very much pro-rescue, pro-adoption, anti-animals in pet stores, etc. This and GL.

90katrina90 is/was close to being banned for the whole of her posts (comments such as "I think the people who are saying you should buy from shelters should mind there own bussiness.."), not just this thread. Although, one of the things that really bugs me is posting ones' erroneous suppositions/assumptions as fact, especially as it relates to breeding, and especially when your 'facts' can put someone else's animals at risk.

You say, "dont attack me," yet you phrase a question like this, "Don't you think you should be more concerned as an administrator on how the future of this forum is running more than how we laugh at the end of a sentence? Doesn't the hostility that takes place here and the loss of members disturb you?"

How are those so-called genuine questions not an attack in and of themselves? They are. They are negatively and sarcastically phrased. Be that as it may, this thread is about posting etiquette and policies. I felt like addressing that issue, had the time and inclination to do it, and created the post. It is NOT necessarily a reflection of my priorities in life. Far from it. Nor is it a reflection of my priorities regarding this forum. Far from it. I felt like posting it and I did.

Regarding membership and posting statistics, you are off base. Sorry, but membership continues to grow at increasing rates as does posting by many members, not just the same members. I have statistics reports and graphs to prove it. Yes, we may lose a few members here and there, but we gain many more new members every day. I'm not worried about it. At all. If you don't like it here, there are many alternatives. I don't consider this a forum popularity contest. Different people like different kinds of communities. They are all different, unique.

I have instituted the policy of moving controversial and heated discussions to the kitchen forum. If you don't like it there, don't read it. It's as simple as that. The rest of the forum stays nice and friendly that way.

I have added a new moderator to help with keeping an eye on things since I'm working full time again.

The goal of this forum is to provide people who want more info on bettering their cage environment a place to get ideas and information and a place for those who have already done it to show off, exchange, and get additional ideas. It's grown into more than that, but the mission of this site and forum is virtually accomplished by a person's first visit to the site in general. The forum is just there for backup. So, it's also become a place where cavy people can 'commune' but it's not just another pretty forum. It's one that's willing to stand up to the tough issues. Tough love I guess.

I'd like a few members to tone down their responses, but it usually only goes over the line when provoked by the clueless. Then it's usually fair game anyway.

**dagwellismypigy** · #7 02-11-05, 07:34 pm

Cavy Spirit, I have to say even though other site aren't "hostile" I think this is the best guinea pig forum ever.

Poohbear · #8 02-11-05, 08:45 pm

I agree with dagwell, this is the best cavy site in the world.

**Ly&Pigs** · #9 02-11-05, 10:21 pm

Sorry I disagree. Cavy Cages and Guinealynx are the best forums in the guinea pig community! This is the best place to learn about environments for your piggies and gl is the best place to learn about the medical aspects and both are excellent when it comes to cavy care in general.

I am the new moderator that Teresa mentioned. I am formerly ChattyCoCo for those that don't already know.

Teresa, how about maybe using *laughs* instead of LOL but again in moderation. I find post filled with it as well and it does get to ones nerves. Using it once in a while is okay and I have done that myself if I find something particularly funny. Also isn't LOL chat-speak?

The other question I have for you Teresa is can you please state your policy on using curse words on this forum. I believe they have no place here at all.

**LiciaMommycott** · #10 02-11-05, 10:39 pm

In my opinion, this is Theresa's forum and she can make whatever rules she likes. If you don't like it, you can go somewhere else. There's a lot of good info here and although some of the bickering gets on my nerve that will happen anywhere you go. Personally, I prefer reading plain English rather than trying to decipher netspeak.

**CavySpirit** · #11 02-12-05, 12:27 am

I definitely prefer no swearing on the forum. The really bad ones are *** out. But I prefer to have people not using curse or vulgur words. Unlike some other forums, such as GL, we have a higher population of young people. I expect people to use language that they would use in front of their own kids. For some people, I guess that includes curse words, but it shouldn't. I'm okay with the very occassional damn or hell. But that's about it.

If LOL weren't so over used, I wouldn't mind it. But I do mind it. I consider LMAO to be on the border of cursing. Why? Would you use that language in front of your children? I wouldn't. Or I would try not to.

**Ly&Pigs** · #12 02-13-05, 11:43 am

Thanks for that Teresa. I believe you and I both have the same views when it comes to swearing on this board.

**dagwellismypigy** · #13 02-15-05, 03:26 pm

I think that maybe you should make a rule that only moderators or authority people can say stuff about impropper grammar or something of the sort. I understand that it is something that annoys people, but many people only bring it up during an argument, just to make them seem more correct. I personally find that more annoying than forgeting to capitalize a word every now and then.

**LiciaMommycott** · #14 02-15-05, 04:00 pm

No one should really comment about an isolated misspelling or uncapitalized letter because that could easily happen to anyone. However when someone writes a multi-paragraph post with not a single capitalized letter and no punctuation, they are just asking for complaints.

**Ly&Pigs** · #15 02-15-05, 05:40 pm

I have asked several people to please use punctuation and capitalization. Mostly it is either a new poster who may not know the rules or if I have seen the same poster repeatedly not use capitalization or punctuation. Part of my job as moderator is to make sure that the rules of the forum are obeyed. I do think it might be best to let the administrator and moderators say something. That way we (admin/mods) take all the heat if the poster has a problem and you all don't have to.

**ChadWPB** · #16 02-16-05, 08:20 pm

Funny, I'm having the same discussion on my forum. I've put in word censors to help tone down the flaming, yet some of my staffers are asking me why I'm doing it and if they can be removed.

I ask them: Why the need to swear? Thjere's plenty of good words out there. I refuse to remove the censors.

RE chatspeak: "ur" for "your" or "you're" make me wish I could beat the poster with a cluestick. I despise chatspeak on all levels.

I'm one of the ones that go out full bore (boar?) on the clueless. I've done my best to tone it down lately. My exposure to GL has served me well on dealing with the clueless. And I don't mind taking some heat for correcting the punctuationally challenged.

User Name		Remember Me?
Password