FAQ - Polite Posting - Our CultureCulture:This forum is an OOC place for EVE roleplayers to discuss the game and roleplaying. It is a place to exchange ideas and share information. It is a place for positive, polite debate. It is a place for discussion, not arguments.
It is a place for civil and courteous conversation. It is not a place for flamewars, bullying, point-scoring or other asshattery. (The Mods reserve the right to define 'asshattery' as behaviour not in line with the forum's purpose). It is not a place for people to show how 'wrong' others are. It is not a place for the ventilation of personal vendettas. It is not a place for insults, either veiled or explicit. It is not a place for telling other people they are 'doing it wrong". It is not a place to carry on In Character feuds.
You are here as the player, not the as the character. We expect that, regardless of the personality of your character, you will behave as an adult and respect the other members of this community.
Racist, sexist and homophobic remarks will not be tolerated. Ad hominem attacks will not be tolerated.
Communication takes two: please consider the feelings of others here both in what you say and in how you interpret what others say. Please bear in mind that if someone doesn't seem to get your point, the fault may be as much in your writing as their reading, and try phrasing your opinion more clearly.
FAQ:Q: What's the difference between debate and argument?
A: Debate or discussion involves people putting forward their ideas and opinions. Argument is when people start fighting over whose ideas or opinions are 'right'. For example, if you find yourself responding to a post with anything along the lines of 'You're wrong, because...', stop and think. Don't sit there working out what's wrong with someone else's idea. Propose your own, and tell us all the ways in which it's awesome. Everybody wins a discussion: nobody wins an argument.
Q: But they ARE wrong! On the internet!
A: Disagreeing with you doesn't make them wrong. Sometimes people do make errors of fact, but its possible to point that out without asshattery. For example, if Joe Bloggs says that Fedos are kept by the Amarr to hunt down escaped slaves, you might say: "I got a different impression from here." and link to the EVO Chron. Also, remember how big the EVE Cluster is. Someone has a different approach to something that the PF is silent on? Think about the difference between Fiji and Siberia, and how many cultures there are on this one planet. Now multiply that by every planet in every system in every constellation in every ... you get the picture.
Q: So you want us to act all lovey-dovey?
A: Yes. Deal with it.
Q: Doesn't being polite to people I disagree with make me a hypocrite?
A: No. It makes you a grown-up.
Q: Isn't that against my right to free speech?
A: Right again. Deal with that, too.
Q: Isn't all this subjective?
A: Yes. The Mods do their best to be fair, but inevitably, this is a subjective standard. Another thing for you to Deal With.
Q: What about free and frank debate?
A: Strange as it may seem, given some of the forums on the internet, but it is possible to have an honest exchange of views without being rude, hostile, offensive, aggressive or bullying. That kind of behaviour destroys communities, virtual and otherwise, and Will Not Be Tolerated.
Q: But I totally know more about EVE and RP than that idiot who just posted!
A: Good for you. Now demonstrate that you also know more about being a grown-up. Your personal experience in EVE and outside it can inform your opinion and provide you with examples for your position, but it doesn't magically make your opinion worth more than someone else's. There are veteran EVE players, life-long table-top gamers, expert LARPers, published authors and many others in the EVE RP community. We all bring something different to the table: so share what you bring rather than trying to use it to knock everyone else's plate to the floor.
Q: How can I tell if my post is out of line or not?
A: It's a safe bet that if you finish typing and think to yourself: "Hah! I showed HIM!" you should probably not post. Other danger signs: personal attacks on the player, including the player's style of RP (i.e. "of course you think that, you RP an Amarr"), insinuations that anyone who disagrees with you is a moron.
Q: So I can't disagree with anyone's RP?
A: Sure you can disagree. Just do it politely, I'll even venture to say nicely, and remember that they have as much right to their opinion as you have to yours. For example: Player A writes: "I see the Intaki as space hippies." Player B answers: "Of course they aren't space hippies, there are no hippies in Eve." That would be the WRONG way to answer. The RIGHT way would be something like "Really? I see the Intaki as more techno-buddhists. That's how I play my character, but hey, it's a big Cluster, right?"
Q: What do I do if someone posts something that's out of line and I can show how wrong they are?
A: DO NOT RESPOND TO FLAMES OR TROLLS. Report the post to the staff by clicking the report button (
) at the bottom right corner of the post, close the thread and leave it alone. We ask everybody to help in keeping the culture here courteous, and that means not responding to people trying to draw others into pointless flamefests.
Q: What else can I do?
A: Glad you asked! You can remember that people have different ideas, opinions and approaches to RP, and be considerate of those differences. You can not take evidence of those differences as a personal attack. Also, you can remember that people have bad days sometimes and not be too thin-skinned when someone makes a post you need to report, or someone reports your post. You can practice saying "Sorry, I was out of line" when it was you who just had a bad day. You can give yourself five minutes to cool down and think before posting in anger. Most importantly, you can remember that this forum is a place for people to come together and talk, not for one person or another to score points.
Short Guide to Polite Posting Words and phrases to avoid: "It's obvious" or "It's self-evident" or any other version of same. Generally, things that are self-evident, aren't. Try 'I thought [evidence] indicated that...' Don't have any evidence? "I've got the general impression that..."
"If you think like that I don't know why you play Eve at all..." Don't. Just don't. It's a big game with a big community and even the people you don't like pay their subscriptions. Which keeps the game alive for all of us. So just don't.
"To be honest..." This is a reliable indicator that the writer is about to say something rude, and is covering themselves with "But I'm just being honest!". Try being honest AND tactful.
"I'm sorry, but ..." Again, a reliable indicator that that writer is about to say something rude. Take a moment, and phrase your thought in a way that doesn't require an apology. Also on the same lines: "I have to say that ..." and "I can't help feeling that..."
Words or phrases to practice using: "It's my opinion that ..." Yes, we all know that you wouldn't be posting it if it wasn't your opinion. But phrases like "I think.." help remind the writer that it IS just an opinion, not The Way Things Are, and they let your reader know that you've taken the time to remember that.
"That's certainly one way to look at it, but I tend to ..." or "I can see how you'd reach that conclusion, but I tend to put more weight on ..." are useful phrases that let the reader know you respect their right to have an opinion, even if you have a different one.
