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PSA: Stop Making Bad Posts

Zaraphayx

By Zaraphayx,
in The Watercooler

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Zaraphayx Newbie

Zaraphayx

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makethebadpostingstop2.jpg
You are giving Zara, the friendly dog monster a headache, please think of the dog monsters.

Greeting Furriends,

It has come to my attention lately that there is a serious issue facing the fine fursons of phoenix.corvidae.org. As your Posting Prophet, it falls upon me to pontificate upon this issue for your edification.

As you may have guessed from this thread's title, the problem is indeed Bad Posting. Some of you may be guilty of this grievous sin and not even know it, but despair not for the Posting Gods are merciful, and as their voice in the mortal realm, it is my sworn duty to guide all posters to salvation.

You may be wondering, "But Zara, how do I know if a post is Good, or Bad?"

This is a question as vexing as life itself, and although I cannot innumerate in entirety what makes a post Good, or Bad. I will lay down a few Posting FUNdamentals that should be straightforward and easy to follow. I believe that adherence to these principles in and of themselves would drastically increase the quality of posting on our fine Furrums. After all, change is an incremental phenomenon, and I believe that it is important to establish a solid grasp of the basics before moving on to more advanced material.

1.) Posting should be fun.

Not just for you, but for everyone involved. We are a community, a group of fursons united by our love of manimals, but also our love of posting. You should never dread posting on the furrums, nor should you foster a posting environment which others find unpleasant to post in. Both of these things reduce the quantity, and quality of posting across the board, and result in a furrum devoid of quality content, quality people, and quantity of fun. When you write a post, you should ask yourself "Is this something I would want to read if I was on the other end of the screen?" if the answer is no, you should reconsider the tone or content of your post.

On the other paw, if you are reading a post please think carefully about the tone, source, and intended message. If a poster is known for a satirical or light-hearted posting style, it is probably not their intention that you take the content of their post super seriously. An important aspect of having a well-rounded fursonality is a capacity and willingness to take oneself lightly when it is called for.

2.) Staff and users should not be adversaries

Moderating the furrums is trying and often unrewarding work, posters generally come to you when disgruntled or otherwise in a state of duress and when something goes wrong, everything is your fault. It is important for staff to understand that some fursons are simply doomed to ceaseless malcontent, this is unfurrtunate for them, but it is not indicative of failure or responsibility on your part. Often times these users simply have a vision for the furrums which is vastly different from that of the majority userbase and the only opportunities they have for self-expression are that of dissatisfaction and manufactured outrage. It is important to be able to distinguish between constructive criticism and self-indulgent complaining. You will mess up, and it is important that well intentioned users feel comfortable bringing concerns to you without fear of retribution. Establishing this functional relationship is the responsibility of both users and staff.

As a user, assuming the worst of the staff is already establishing an adversarial tone which will then guide the conclusion of the discussion into one of mutual animosity. This results in staff burnout, low user retention, and perhaps worst of all, a furrum with no posts.

Establishing an adversarial relationship with the site staff, while historically proven effective in enacting change, is a presently ineffective method of determining the future of the furrums. I, Zara, your savior, once spearheaded the campaign against the likes of the Nerd Triumverate which cast a terrible shadow over the innocent, and stifled dissent and criticism with an iron paw. These days are behind us, the war has been won, and now we must work together, paw-in-paw, to create the best furrum on the Infurnet. It will be a long and often trying process, but I believe in Good Posting, just as it has believed in me.

3.) Posting is not a contest.

Contrary to what you may believe. Phoenix is not a place for you to prove how much smarter, cooler, or well-adjusted you are than other fursons. It is expected that throughout both digital and meatspace adventures, you will encounter people with vastly different lifestyle choices, perspectives, and prefurrences than yourself. This should not be a jumping point for posturing about how fursons who are not like you are inferior or less worthy of consideration. This behavior most commonly manifests in the Nerd Essay, a vile mutation of the Effortpost in which the poster assumes the role of authority figure and patronizes the audience with a long-winded and often self-aggrandizing wall of text that is intended to represent the finality of the discussion. This is not a style pf posting that facilitates discussion and the exchange of ideas, it is a thinly veiled attempt to talk at others and not with them.

"But Zara, aren't you guilty of this yourself, in this very post?"

It is easy to see how one would arrive at that conclusion. I am, after all, composing a very long post in which I give prescriptive advise on how best to Post Good. However, there are a few important details to note.

- I am a credentialed and trusted authority on the subject of Good Posting. My Like:Post ratio is impeccable and I have displayed a mastery of Posting Good.
- I am the author of this thread, a PSA, in which I am not derailing an already established discussion to slam my virtual wiener on the table and talk down to other posters.
- I am posting this thread with the intent to start a discussion about how best we, as a community, can come together in the shared goal of Posting Good, not to ridicule or condescend to others.

Furrthermore, the Nerd Essay is a highly restrictive measure and a barrier to participation in posting. Many people do not have the stamina or free time to respond or read a Nerd Essay, and often check out of confursations where a critical mass of Nerd Essay-ing has been reached. In the context of a discussion or a debate, if you cannot make a point in a paragraph or less, the furrums are generally not an appropriate medium for that point.

In conclusion, the temptation of Bad Posting is ever present, but with constant vigilance, and the guidance of those who have embraced the teachings of Good Posting, you will have the internal furrtitude necessary to also Post Good yourself.

thx4reading & godbless,

Zara, King of Posting.

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Zaraphayx Newbie

Zaraphayx

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Just now, Liovaire said:

firefox_2016-06-26_20-28-22.png

There is a typo here. So i am going to disregard everything else you have said and nitpick this for the next five pages.

It has already been corrected, furriend Liovaire. Please refresh your browser.

Good Posting to you!

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Zaraphayx Newbie

Zaraphayx

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Just now, Sidewalk Surfboard said:

My posts go through quality control, although some bad posts slip through.

This is to be expected, everyone Posts Bad sometimes.

The important thing is that you remain steadfast in your conviction to Posting Good in the future.

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Zaraphayx Newbie

Zaraphayx

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12 minutes ago, Sourdough said:

I was expecting to be told to shitpost and that you are gay. Not sure if I'm disappointed or impressed, but you are most assuredly gay <3

I assure you furriend Sourdough that I am, and will furrever remain, incredibly gay.

Good Posting to you!

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fennecbyte Newbie

fennecbyte

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1 minute ago, #00Buck said:

You put more effort into your effortposts than I do. 

You actually made art to go with it. 

I'm too lazy to compete with that. 

*swims away*

Good post!

Wait, are those amazing posts we see from both of you just you two trying to see who is better at posting?

Also, good post!

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Hewge Newbie

Hewge

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Terrible posts are the birthright of FAF

They may be terrible, but they'll continue to happen. Even if they're totally bad, such as this one. And this whole thread. And every other thread here on this forum.

So... bad...

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