Forum Etiquette

Certain rules of unspoken etiquette are recommended to be followed when using Internet forums. They include:

Contributors should avoid the use of all CAPITAL LETTERS in posts. ALL CAPS is considered "shouting" and causes readability issues.
Read all the rules and guidelines established by the community. Some communities may have different regulations on a particular subject.
Always be courteous to other forum members.
Before creating a new topic thread, search to see if a similar topic already exists.
Contributors should follow standard grammar and spelling rules and avoid slang.
If the forum is categorized, one should strive to post in the correct section.
When making a technical inquiry, one should include as much technical information as possible, especially in the subject line.
Contributors are asked to stay on-topic.
Contributors should avoid double posting and crossposting.
To avoid appearing self-absorbed, one should respond to topics started by others more often than starting topics of one's own.
One is advised not to resurrect a very old topic if nothing significant will be added. This practice is known as revival, bumping.
One should try to refrain from lashing back at a poorly behaving member or participating in a "flame war"; instead, notify the messageboard's staff of the event.
When quoting a previous post, one should only include the relevant portion of that post. Contributors are requested to keep in mind that their audience can likely still see the message they are quoting on the same screen and can read it again if need be.