You've just discovered the LOTR Discussion Forum. This is for all things relating to the world in the game
I'm glad you asked, especially if this is your first visit. So settle into that chair you're using and take a moment to read the answers to the questions that follow, all of which have been asked many times by forumers just like you.
Let me offer you some do's and don'ts to get you started:
It is a forum for members of
The Moderators consist of HG Seraphs, Angels and Cherubs, referred to as Staff, who are here to see that members keep to the rules of the forum and the
You can expect to meet just about anyone who is of age to operate a computer and access the internet. Forumers are boys, girls, men and women. They range in age from as young as pre-teens to the more grown-up members who have finished their education and are pursuing working careers. Some are self-employed and some even are retired from daily employment.
Members come from just about anywhere in the world you can name where people have personal computers. The official language of the forum is English. So sometimes it is difficult to understand the sentences of those whose primary language isn't English. One of the forum's rules of etiquette is to be tolerant of imperfect English and not unfairly criticize a forumer for language errors. There's more to be said about that later.
No. The LOTR Discussion Forum is not the kind of forum where spamming and flaming is appreciated. In fact, the surest way to have your privileges in LOTR Discussion Forum suspended is to repeatedly spam or flame other forumers. Quite a number of our members are long time participants in HeavenGames Heavens and know the ropes, so to speak. Listen to their advice should they give it and study how they post. You'll learn the ropes quite well that way.
Yes, but not without at least one "Warning." What is more, if you are banned from LOTR Discussion Forum, you will also be banned from all HG Sites. Now do understand, moderators do not want to ban anyone if it can be avoided. Stay within the forum rules, the CoC, and forum etiquette and being banned is just not likely to happen to you.
This guide is probably causing you to think that posting in LOTR Discussion Forum is like walking on freshly laid eggs. Not so, but there are some things you should remember when you begin using your keyboard to post a new topic or a reply in an active thread. Let's go over a few of these things now.
-Do write your replies in English and try to use words almost everyone will understand.
-Do write text in complete sentences to the very best of your ability, and include capitalization, proper spacing and punctuation.
-Do tell fellow forumers English is your second language if that in fact is the case.
-Do stay on the subject at hand.
-Do quote other people from the internet or from the thread, but be sure to use the quote BB Code for this purpose. For reference here is a list of BB codes commonly used:
-Do state the forumer's name in your reply if you are directing your reply to one forumer in particular.
-Don't criticize a forumer's English if it is obvious the person's primary written language is something different.
-Don't win a debate by losing a friend.
Whew! That seemed like a lot of do's and don'ts didn't it? Not really. They boil down to these three actually:
1. Write the best English you can and recognize that other forumers have varying skills and knowledge.
2. Argue the important points, support what you say and ignore all of the rest.
3. Respect the diversity among our forumers and treat their writings the way you would like your own writings to be treated.
The rest is nothing more than internet code and keyboard mechanics.
Here's a few to help you out:
AFAIK = As Far As I Know
ATM = At The Moment
IIRC - If I remember correctly
IMO = in my opinion
IMHO = in my (humble) opinion
IMNSVHO = in my not so very humble opinion
ITT= In This Thread
OMG - Oh my god!
sp? = spelling? - if in doubt
Fun
CIS = Chuckle In Silence
LOL = Laughing Out Loud
ROFL = Rolling On Floor Laughing
LMAO = Laughing my a** off
Other expressions
Newbie = someone who's new to a forum.
n00b = someone who seems to be new and acts stupidly however long they've been there.
COC/CoC = HeavenGames Code of Conduct
For more information:
Okay, that's it. You should be ready to roll. So once more, welcome!
My thanks to Civis Romanus who let us borrow his Library guideline to alter for our own to give our forum some ground rules, and we also thank those whose guidelines were an inspiration for this one. Jayhawk, MemoryMe and thurdl01 for the use of the text in their previous forum notes. A special thanks to GillB whose Forum Guide in Outside Discussions was the model for this Forum Guide.
Seraph Lady Arcola
"I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." -Walter Winchell
~ BFME2 Heaven | Stronghold Heaven | Stronghold 2 Heaven~
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