PLEASE READ: An alert to all forum posters

[Mootsfox]

In part of taking over the ATI section, it is now my job along with alexgheseger and grunion to clean this forum and keep it a clean and easy to use place for all members. With that, we want to refresh some of OCN's rules so that you as a member of OCN can make better threads that focus more help towards your issue.

Some of this is a direct copy and paste from Taeric's "Professionalism Initiative" thread. After reading this thread, I suggest you take a look at his, which outlines what you can do to become a better, stronger and more productive member of OCN.

Thread titles

The TOS calls for thread titles to be descriptive. This is both to benefit the original poster as well as others who are looking for info on similar topics. To keep things looking professional, thread titles should follow certain guidelines. Below are some tips for composing appropriate thread titles -

• Titles should be both descriptive AND informative - "Help!!!!!!!!" is not a good thread title, and "Help with mobo" is not much better. Something like "Need help with Asus P5B-E overclocking features" conveys an appropriate level of detail.
• Use consistent capitalization - Capitalization should be used for the first word and proper names only or every word but not a mixture of both, e.g. "Need help with Asus mobo" or "Need Help with Asus Mobo" but not "Need help With asus Mobo".
• Abbreviations and capitalization - Use proper abbreviations and appropriate abbreviation capitalization, e.g. RAM, GHz, CPU, etc. not Ram, ghz, cpu, etc.
• Use reasonable and appropriate punctuation - Exclamation points should be use sparingly; if they're used judiciously, they effectively show emphasis, but overuse makes them pointless. Multiple punctuation marks are usually out of place, e.g. there's no need for "?!?!?!?!?!" ever. Ellipses, "...", often hurt the descriptiveness of titles by saying "Need help with..." rather than "Need help with whatever". Finally, "Need help with CPU?" should not have a question mark; it's a statement and not a question.
• Follow specific forum guidelines - Forums such as Online Deals and For Sale have specific thread titles format. Please follow those exactly. For example, use Deal: and For Sale: in the appropriate forums instead of variations of those prefixes for the sake of consistency. Threads that do not follow forum specific guidelines may be deleted.
• How to:, Info:, Opinion:, and FAQ: prefixes - These prefixes should not be used outside of the FAQ section as they imply that the thread has been reviewed by the staff and have been found to meet the site's FAQ guidelines. Please do not use these prefixes in other forums without prior approval.

Spelling, grammar, capitalization

In order to effectively communicate, a minimum standard of spelling, grammar, and capitalization must be upheld. Threads that are so poorly written that it is difficult or impossible to decipher will receive warnings or infractions. Warnings/infractions will NOT be given for a random typo or a misused comma. The purpose of this is to ensure all posts easily communicate their point; we're not trying to force everyone to be polished writers. Posts that are well written tend to get better results, though, so it is to everyone's benefit to put some time an effort into this. For more info, read this thread.

To date, the biggest problem I've seen repeated in the ATI section is the lack of descriptive thread titles. "I need help fast!1!!!!" and "Thinking about this mobo maybe" are NOT good thread titles and you'll get fewer responses from members wanting to help you. Better titles would have included the issue, and the specific part(s) included in such.

Excessive bad and/or improper use will receive warnings via PM. Continued bad and/or improper thread titles and posts will receive infractions and/or deletion.

Please use proper formating, language and capitalization in your threads and titles. Remember that it not only helps the forum convey a more professional feel, but it also will help out your writing skills in other areas such as writing reports for work, school or other places.




Taeric's "Overclock.net Professionalism Initiative" Thread

Taeric's "Why should I use proper English" Thread