Here's a few simple rules that will make everyone's life a lot easier (and infinitely more pleasant). They're designed to make it easier for everyone to get along, and to make it easier for everyone to communicate.
New topics
- Check to make sure you're posting in the right forum. For example, if you want to start a new thread about getting the most out of your website statistics, post it in the “Technical support” forum. Presenting your website to members should be done in the forum titled “Your websites”, etc.
- Always search first before creating a new topic – your question may already have been asked, and answered.
- When you have a question you want to ask, try to make your title as clear and explicit as possible (avoid titles like “Help!” or “Aghhhh!!!” - it doesn't help you get an answer faster). If you can, make your title short and try to include a description of your problem (like “How do I reduce the dimensions of an image?”).
- In the body of your message, detail your problem. Explain it clearly to help others get you the answer you need (feel free to include screen captures if it helps describe your problem). When you're finished, check what you wrote, and see if you can make it clearer before finally posting it.
- Try to pay particular attention to spelling and grammar (use a spellchecker - it helps!), and avoid using SMS-type language or uncommon abbreviations.
- In the interests of everyone, and in order to make everyone's experience of the community as pleasant as possible, always respect others, be polite and follow general netiquette (don't write in ALL CAPS, for example).
General rules
- Choose your category according to your topic. Any off-topic posts will be moved to the correct category or simply deleted.
- All forums are moderated; if your message breaches forum rules, it will be edited or deleted by a forum moderator. In the event of continued breaches of the forum rules, you will be banned from the doomby forum without notice.
- You alone are responsible for what you say on the forum, and we are required by law to maintain a certain level of traceability of all forum posts. For this reason, you must be registered to post on the forum with a valid e-mail address, and your IP address(es) will be recorded when you post messages.
- Signatures should be kept brief, and any images or banners in the signature zone should not exceed 468x60 pixels.
- Thank those who help you. It may seem obvious to say so, but the nature of a forum is to help each other. If you need assistance, and someone answers you, remember that in order to do so meant they stopped, took the time to reply, and may have even done research, going out of their way to make sure you got the answer you were looking for. Whether or not they got you the answer you were looking for, the least you can do is to thank them in return.
- When your topic has been solved, and after having thanked those responsible (see above), please mark the topic as “solved” by clicking on the link in the first message (the one you first posted).
- Double posts and bumps: it really doesn't help anyone to post the same question twice, and any new topic that duplicates an existing one will be automatically deleted by the forum moderators. If you're not sure where to post your question, just ask a moderator who'll be more than happy to point you in the right direction. Bumping a topic (reposting a message in an unsolved topic to move it back to the top of the list) is not allowed unless absolutely necessary (for example, if a topic has sat for several weeks without being answered, you could “dump” it back to the top). However, if your post hasn't been answered, try rephrasing your question to help people help you, rather than simply posting “bump” or “up” in the topic.
- Don't use the forum to settle a score with someone else. It is a “general public” and “user-friendly” environment, not a place to belittle or insult others. If you've got a problem with someone, send them a private message and try to settle things calmly between you.
- Aside from the the forum specifically devoted to “your websites”, any form of promotion or advertizing is strictly forbidden, particularly messages whose sole purpose is to advertize your own website or to link to it with the aim of improving your search engine or directory ranking.
- Your signature should not be used as an advertisement. If you want to, you may include a single link to your own website, but no more than one. We would also request members to avoid the use of banners that “flash” too much, or otherwise make reading the forum a visual chore, rather than a pleasure.
Any breach of these rules may result in immediate banning – temporary or permanent – from the doomby forum.
