Six Tips On Proper Neoboard Etiquette

1. The name of the game is respect.

This tip is of the utmost importance: if you want somebody to show you respect, you need to show respect first. You get what you give. For example, if you are asking somebody for tips on how to play a specific game, don’t be commanding and impolite and don’t demand an answer. Simply ask nicely, be patient, and show some compassion. When you’re respectful, people feel like responding to you and helping you out. When you’re rude and obnoxious, why would anybody take the time to type out an answer to reply to your question? They wouldn’t. Or they would imitate your attitude and be rude in return, which really isn’t much better than ignoring you. It would be a never-ending cycle of impoliteness. You probably wouldn’t get your question answered either. So avoid it all, steer clear of conflict, simply show respect in the first place and you’ll be met with respect as well.

2. Patience is a virtue.

Another important tip for proper neoboard etiquette is to be patient. If you’re waiting for somebody to reply to your post, be calm about it. Somebody will eventually answer your question or reply to your comment. Continuously repeating your question will not make anybody reply any faster, nor will it make people want to reply any faster. On the contrary, it may annoy a potential replier to the point where they change their mind and choose not to reply to you at all... in other words, they ignore you. See where I’m going with this? ;)

3. Your font does matter.

Now before you start criticizing this tip and getting ready to accuse me of judging somebody based on their font, that’s not what I mean. Calm down, take a deep breath, and let me explain. If you’re on the neoboards and ask a question or simply make a comment, you’re expecting others to read your post. The fact is, when people read your post, their eyes are met with the sight of your font. This doesn’t mean you need to be a spectacular font maker or have an extraordinary font in order to be replied to. However, if you want people to read your post and reply, why not show a little compassion and make reading your post a somewhat pleasant experience? For example, let’s say your main font color is yellow, and not just any shade of yellow: it’s the brightest yellow you could find, because you wanted it to match your bright personality, or you thought it would make your font stand out. I speak from experience when I say bright yellow typically burns the eye, and makes the font really hard to read... to the point where text has to be highlighted to be read. That means a potential replier first has to try and read what you wrote by highlighting the text, and then reply, which is a lot of hassle compared to simply being able to read text without highlighting it. So my point is you may want to choose a font color which can be read without having to be highlighted first. Continuing with the topic of how the text meets the eye, you may also want to consider using a moderate font size as opposed to using a really large or really small size. A large size may come off as extremely bold whereas a small size may strain the eyes. Overall, just make sure your font is readable and easy on the eyes, that’s all I ask. It does not have to be extraordinary-looking. ;)

4. DoNt TyPe LiKe ThIs or L1k3 7h1s.

Typing like 7h1s, using chat speak and alternating between capitals and non-capitals does not usually attract positive attention. First of all, when you type l1k3 7h1s, it’s really hard to understand, and a potential replier probably wouldn’t appreciate having to decipher the meaning of your post before being able to reply to it. It’s not ‘cool’ to type like the above, and it honestly doesn’t save typing time either; in fact, it takes longer to type text Lik3 7h1s than it does to type like this. So just type normally and you shouldn’t be ignored. Look at it this way; if you’re not using chat speak, you can’t be met with criticism for using it. ;)

5. Typing using all capitals is a no-no with a capital ‘N’.

Oh no: the dreaded all-capitals. This makes the top of the list for what not to do on the neoboards. Typing in all caps is the equivalent to yelling. Yes, you heard me right. Typing all in caps does not make somebody want to reply to you any more than they would if you typed normally, in fact, it makes them not want to reply. I have seen people resort to typing in all capitals because they are being ‘ignored’ otherwise. Typing in capitals is honestly not much better and it will not make anybody more eager to acknowledge your presence or reply to your question. It does draw attention, but essentially the negative kind, so the next time you’re tempted to use all capitals because you’re being ignored, decide against it; it’ll be better for you in the long run.

6. Correct spelling and grammar are always a plus.

The fact is that the neoboards are message boards. People go there to communicate and converse with others about topics such as avatars and plots, etc. You are expected to be literate on the neoboards. Type in sentences, begin your sentences with a capital, and end with a period. I won’t go so far as to say use commas, hyphens, etc., but you get the picture. All in all, correct spelling and grammar make you seem literate and may make people more willing to reply to your post.

    So those were my six tips for everyone out there who wants to know what proper neoboard etiquette consists of. I am in no way saying you have to follow these tips or take my advice, or that you are guaranteed to receive a reply the next time you post something on the neoboards. What I am saying is that following these tips will give you the impression of being a much more literate Neopian and will aid you in giving off the right impression on the neoboards. Just keep these tips in mind the next time you decide to post a message on the neoboards. =)