Newbie Learning Classroom-How to Use a Message Board Forum | Forums

[nanoukmetal]

..................................

Hi and welcome.

If you are a first "timer" and would like to make a post in one of the forums on this site, I would suggest that you should go and read, the following important informations, to be able to see the big picture and learn where is the best place for you to make a post.

Extra, Extra News

For all infos and guidelines (pictures included) about forums and posting...click here


1- How to make a post and where to post it...click here

New===> Edited
2- All Forums: new signatures and avatar guidelines...click here
Many thanks "Alderbranchh"

3- Netiquette: How and When to post a question...click here

4- How to send a Private Message: walkthrough with text and images...click here

5- How to start a New Topic of your own...click here

6- How to edit anyone of your posts...click here

7- Tutorial for using an image hosting site to share an image on these forums... click here

When one makes any kind of error, it might a good idea to show him/her the right way to post or tell him what you think could be a better way of seing all kind of subjects.

If anyone would like to keep up with the lessons, all he would have to do, is to add this thread to its favorites.


P.S. I did this thread in the spoiler forums in case a lecture could be spoiler-related.

I did ask Marae if she wanted to be the Headmaster but she declined the invitation and BulaRae was "forced" to take the job.

[marae]

Post # 2
Hi Nanouk, as I said in the Uru forum where you invited me, I don't think this is a task I want to undertake. Besides the fact that I already am falling behind in one "educational" thread I'm running, I also discover that this is in the Revelation forum, where I'm only marginally active, and only in the off-topic area. I haven't finished Revelation yet, and really don't want to risk being spoilered.

So I wish you all the best, and again, I am flattered by the offer, but I'm afraid I must decline.

[nanoukmetal]

post #3

Until we get an experienced Headmaster volonteer I will play the role of the assistant. It should be noted that english is not my main language so please be tolerant.

Some new user who post for the first on this site make the same mistake as I did until Marae was kind enough to show me the right way. It is the double posting error.

A double post is when I find something new to add to my first post and I make a second post below the first one before anybody else gives a reply.

I will give an example of "double posting" by making one right now. Check that!!!

[nanoukmetal]

post #4

As you can see that no good nanoukmetal just made the double posting error (two posts in a row).

What I should have done is use the edit post tool to for axample,to correct a typo error or to add something new or even to delete something I feel was wrong.

The way to do this is....
If you look at the bottom right of your first post, you can see three icons. The second one (in the middle) is the one to use for editing your first post. It is a folder and a pencil with an eraser. You click on that icon and it will open a window where you will have access to your first post where you can add or change anything you want and when satisfied with the new result you click again on the box (post now)

If your post is not the first one in the thread, it is even possible to delete the entire post after clicking on the edit icon. If you look carefully in the new window you should see beside the post now box, on the left "delete message ?". All you have to is to click on these words and a new window will open asking you to confirm your choice.

Note that on this site there is no time limit for editing. This is why some old grumpies will take offense if you double post too often.

I am very old but not "grumpy"

[BulaRae]

I like your intention Nanouk, but I feel like it's a little misguided. Why do you care and why are you making it your responsibiity? It feels like you're attempting to talk to 8 year olds and we're all adults here! The youngest we've had since Myst IV came out was 14.

People like myself have been asked to be moderators because we were observed as having a knack for helping people and explaining things in a clear and concise manner. If someone does something that is against "protocol" I will always let them know and I attempt to do it in a way that is informative and not embarrassing. It makes it hard for us sometimes when newbies come along and think they know better or are just wanting to force their viewpoint. Of course, different perspectives are always welcome, but sometimes people need to be reeled in when they make people wrong all the time rather than saying "maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but it seems to me you're saying this, when my experience was that", for example. Furthermore, there are those that are just dying "to help" and they don't actually read the request carefully and will often offer too much information, thus spoiling the experience for the poster.

IMHO, everything was really running smoothly for the last year in this particular forum until the last two months when several newbies have come in and set up camp and not really being supportive, even though they believe they are. My recommendation to all who "love to help" is to observe and really ask yourself if your post is adding value and clarity to the requestor or if it's more for your own ego to prove to others that you know the game or whatever the hidden agenda might be.

And just to clarify, double posting is actually when a poster posts the same question on two different threads, not within the same thread. This often leads to confusion because multiple answers then ensue and the original question may be lost or the requestor may not see the answers or it can lead to a dynamite thread in one place when the original poster is looking in the other place.

Thanks for your concern! Are you a teacher for a living?

[nanoukmetal]

post #6

No BulaRae I am not a teacher. I am only a retired city bus driver and I was only trying to use my past experiences when I began posting here not very long ago and was told I was not doing doing it properly. Until Marae had the patience to show me the right way, nobody else saw fit or had enough patience to teach me.

Since it seems to be a very touchy subject you have my permission to delete everything. I think I have just lost my motivation.

P.S. In the past many of my questions were not responded to, and if Marae had not been there I would still be waiting. It was like that in the beginning and even today for that matter.
Some of the new visitors to this site are pretty young and mayby not in your age bracket and even less in my age bracket. I was doing this for them only.

And I should thank you for this great lesson.

[BulaRae]

It's not a touchy subject and not intended for you to get upset, just that I'm really confused as to why you're bringing this up here, on this particular forum. The instances you are referring to when you were new to the board with Marae (whom I've never heard of until tonight) were not here, so I don't quite understand the relevance. It's like you're telling the wrong people. Why not start your Learning Classroom where you experienced the issue?

I can assure you that on this particular forum: Myst IV Spoiler Discussion, posts never go unanswered and the most amount of time until someone gets to them might be 3-4 hours, tops, but 90% of the time it's minutes, rather than hours and when newbies even in your age bracket (or any age bracket!) come along and need some guidance, all they have to do is ask! One thing we're not, is the psychic hotline, so if people don't ask for what they need we probably won't hit the mark in terms of helping them!

[nanoukmetal]

post #8 This is exactly why I did choose this forum.
It is all about your caring and your patience as a moderator.

I figured that if a more experience user, specially in other forums could detect that someone could use some help, she/he could provide a link and point to a post # or post the suggestions here. After a while we would have most of the subject covered and I would have re-edited my first post with a subject list, post page and #.
This way there would be no more need to rewrite the same thing over and over. A simple link could be enough. It would be up to the new user to choose if yes or no they want the help.

If ever you would like to know more about Marae and me getting lessons, I will give you a link where it all started not too long ago. It is more or less in the middle of the page.

click here

And the reason I am looking for some kind of Headmaster is to make make it easier for the moderators.

Btw how do we call two successive posts ? and on this thread is it accepted ? Thank you

[nanoukmetal]

Post # 9...Since my first posts were done in the Uru forums I thought the rules were the same everywhere.
Marae just told me it was not so. I was stupid for not checking each forums posting guidelines.

Beware: I went to check and found that many topics do not have some kind of "read me first" or "guidelines" threads so I suggest to check for each game forum if you can find one within that age who would have something like it.

[nanoukmetal]

Hi,

Yesterday, ToriaUru from the Uru forum showed me something very interresting. I have asked her to come over here to teach us but it seems she afraid of being repremanded. So I will give it a try.

We will not have to use numbers anymore for each post because there is a better way to provide a direct link to a specific post in all forums and threads on this site.

At the top left of every post there is a yellow icon at the left of the date. If you click that icon, you should see a change in the URL address bar. It is the specific location for that post you wish to provide a link to.
You then copy that new URL line and when you make your reply you can use the URL tab of the reply window where you paste the URL address you wish to provide as a link. You give it a title of your choice (usually "click here"). Do not forget to first position your cursor where you want that link to appear in your post.

P.S. You may use this thread to test this application. We are in school after all.