ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2794
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

I'd like to say this without pointing fingers or referring to anything specific:

There are times when someone is screwing up on the forum, and you, as a senior smitemaster, take it upon yourself to keep the young pups in line. In this case, please do it politely and briefly. I don't want people to feel foolish or unwanted. If you must bring flawed behavior to someone's attention, speak carefully, like a butler disagreeing with his master's undignified choice of dinner jacket.

-Erik

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DiMono
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1181
Registered: 09-13-2003
IP: Logged

I think tactful is a better word than benevolent, since the latter actually means generous, but I agree with the post contents none the less, knowing that I might very well be one of the people Erik's referring to.

Sometimes we have a bad day, or we're up at uncommonly late hours, or we're distracted, or some other temporarily brain debilitating condition occurs while we're making a post, and it comes out much more bluntly than intended.

I've made a few unintentionally blunt posts, only to realize my error after everyone's already read and responded to it, or evacuated the thread like roaches scattering from a random light source (heh, DROD reference). I'm sure nobody here means to be mean, and I'm genuinely glad to know all of you because we're all good people.

I have a suggestion for ensuring you're not presenting your stance too harshly: Before you hit send, figure out what you'd think and feel if someone made that post about you. If you'd be hurt, so will they. With a little thought, it's very easy to get your point across while sounding encouraging instead of mean-spirited.

It's the difference between "Dude, all your posts are useless. Get better." and "You're not really telling us anything here. Come on, what do you think?"

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trick
Level: Legendary Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2580
Registered: 04-12-2003
IP: Logged

Um.

*bows head in shame*

Sorry.

Mattcrampy
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2388
Registered: 05-29-2003
IP: Logged

Hey, it's probably me, not you, Gerry.

I'll, uh, be more careful. Again. Erk.

Matt

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The_Red_Hawk
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 783
Registered: 09-02-2003
IP: Logged

I've often had a lot of "non-tactful" posts pointed at me, mostly when I was a newbie. So I know how it feels. Sort of offended, a little angry, perhaps a touch of shock, etc. Of course it might be different for other people. Still, the people on this forum seem to be really critical of them, and I don't think that's very good.

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Screeching, flipping, gliding, sliding,
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.....the king of the skies.....

Mattcrampy
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2388
Registered: 05-29-2003
IP: Logged

I think we may be a little criticl of newbies, a bit, kinda.

But I have to say, I've seen worse. There are forums out there that require newbies to go through initiations of some sort before they'll even be acknowledged, and some that will even flame newbies regardless.

However, I understand that it's often isolated incidents, and while you've attracted more than your fair share of impoliteness, Red, I think that keeping it polite is something that we do the majority of the time.

Of course, it should be all the time, which is what this is all about.

Matt

____________________________
What do you call an elephant at the North Pole?

The_Red_Hawk
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 783
Registered: 09-02-2003
IP: Logged

Mattcrampy wrote:
...while you've attracted more than your fair share of impoliteness, Red...

Oops. I was meaning to say something else at the end of my last post then I forgot.

I know that sometimes I and everybody else do wrong things, but still, I don't think any of us deserve this type of stuff. Again, it doesn't happen *that* often. I registered maybe six months ago, and maybe it's happened to me in seven or eight different incidents.

____________________________
Slashing, whirling, diving, twirling,
Snapping, turning, rising, swirling,
Screeching, flipping, gliding, sliding,
The red hawk's dance of death.

.....the king of the skies.....

Mattcrampy
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2388
Registered: 05-29-2003
IP: Logged

When I posted here before, the forum decided to eat my comment. I didn't come back to replace it.

I have noticed an interesting pattern of behaviour creeping up though, which I haven't seen with anyone else. Some of the regulars are getting rather frustrated, and it's leading to some childish behaviour from the regulars and some hurt feelings, and I think I see what Erik is saying here:

It's a big waste of everyone's time to publicly vent your frustrations all over the board. Isolated incidents are fine, but not half your posts. Keep it to PMs or e-mail - like a butler quietly having a word in the ear of his master rather than saying it out loud so the gardener having his dinner can hear.

I really can't see this as a pattern of behaviour related to newbies, as for the most part we're rather polite.

Let's get this sorted out so we can all be happy again. Happy family, yes, happy happy family...

Matt

____________________________
What do you call an elephant at the North Pole?

trick
Level: Legendary Smitemaster
Rank Points: 2580
Registered: 04-12-2003
IP: Logged

GROUP HUG!