Sean’s Guidelines For A Better Forum

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Sean Bradley

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Sean’s Guidelines for a Better Forum


In the past week since launch I’ve been getting slammed with PM’s from new members concerning information that is already listed in the forums. After typing ‘Please search the Forums’ thirty or so times I decided that we needed a guide here for new members and old to help facilitate a better forum. To avoid clutter and having your threads locked or deleted please read these guidelines, and feel free to comment on these guidelines and I will update them when necessary.

PLEASE NOTE: All members will need a significant number of posts before they can start topics in the other sections of the forum unless otherwise noted.

F.A.Q.’s

1. Q: I really want to make Mjolnir Armor, can you help me?
A: Yes, that is what this site is all about. If you are looking for someone to walk you through the process step-by-step however you may be asking for too much from our senior members. We each have our own projects and most of us get these types of messages several times a day. Your best bet is to read the pinned Tutorials in the creation discussion forums, and to follow them the best that you can. When you get stuck at some point in the process, do an advanced search on this site using the search function and your keywords.

2. Q: Can I buy/rent/borrow your_____?
A: While this may differ from member to member, my answer on the renting and borrowing question is always NO. These handcrafted props and costume represent thousands of hours of research and HUGE investments of time and money. Renting and lending them out to people just isn’t something that most costumers will ever consider. If you’re in a pinch and need a suit fast your best bet is to quickly produce a Pepakura costume on cardstock, and resin it IF you have time.

Although the general rule of Mjolnir Armor and 405th.com is WE DO NOT SELL ARMOR!, some members here do sell their creations, or will make something for you to order. Reading through the forums you should be able to quickly deduce who creates items for sale, and who doesn’t. Posting ‘I want to buy this, PM me’ messages is generally frowned upon because it implies that this site is here for sales…it isn’t. The goal of this website is to organize the growing community of Halo armorers, and to educate those who want to know how to make their own armor. If you are unwilling to learn how to make your own armor it is your responsibility to do your own research and PM a manufacturer…

3. Q: Why did my topic get deleted/closed/etc?
A: In most cases when this happens it is because the question that you asked has already been covered in the forums, or that there are multiple threads covering the same topic. PLEASE USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION BEFORE POSTING A NEW TOPIC! Most members will tell you where to find such information, but with dozens of new members every week it becomes frustrating answering the same question over and over again. Click on the Search feature, and go to Advance Search, enter your keywords and begin looking there. Also just spending enough time reading through the forums here will familiarize you with knowing where to find answers to your questions.

4. Q: Somebody said I broke a rule, where are the rules posted?
A: Well at the moment our rules simply follow general etiquette and good manners. We don’t like to be strict with our members, and don’t want to be so authoritarian as to give you lists of ban-able offenses. It just makes bad first impressions for new members, and generally erupts into arguments over the semantics of rules between members. There are some general guidelines to follow though:

1. Be nice… Treat your fellow members and moderators with respect.
2. Do not post Spam , or duplicate topics.
3. Do not use coarse or vulgar language.
4. Do not make double posts (posting twice in a row in any forum).
5. Do not conduct armor transactions or list prices openly in the forums, use the PM system.

5. Q: I don’t understand how to do ______, Help me!
A: The tutorials and pinned topics in the Armor Creation sections cover almost everything you need to know. Please read them thoroughly and avoid asking questions that have already been answered. The forums are becoming too cluttered with duplicate questions… use the Search Feature and help us keep this forum as a useful tool for our members.

6. Q: HAy canU mak sum armer for me plz and I can't spend alot of munney forit RU going to give me UR armer if I ask nicely and congrats and stuff for HALO armor yadda yadda yadda?
A. Huh? I can't help you if I can't understand you. Please use some level of reasonable grammar and punctuation. Not all of us use the same TXT lingo. Make it understandable if you want an answer... Use spell check if possible.

***UPDATE 4/09/08 PLEASE READ:

Necro Posting Guidelines:
The rule of thumb to follow here is whether your adding to an old thread is appropriate. If you're dropping by to say 'cool' or 'probably' :cautious: to a months dead thread, then you should definately not 'necro' bump the thread. To be clear, this is a form of bumping which is against forum rules, both here and almost universally across the web.

However, if you were about to start a new topic for a question, request, or substantial update and came across an old thread on the same subject, then it is perfectly permissable to necro.. In this instance you are doing the forum a service by keeping the information and discussion of a particular subject organized within the same thread. In short, it helps in keeping the forum organized.

I understand a few mistakes here and there because it is a subtle difference, but some of the necro and zombie threads we've seen lately are very obvious abuses of the fact that we have not been more strict with this rule. I think it's safe to say now that this is a punishable offense and therefore will be added to the 'Guidelines for a Better Forum'

Well, that’s about all I can think of for now, so please read these over and let me know if there’s anything I’ve missed.

Happy Armor Making!

-Sean
 
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