Internet forum do's and don'ts

[wickednick]

I've often given my two cents around the internet and have found that there seems to be un-written rules on how you should write your posts. The one I get yelled at for the most is double spacing paragraphs and sentences. People say this makes posts easier to read, personally I don't see it. The way I look at it is books and most printed material with the exception of children's books keep their paragraphs single spaced and I have no problem reading those, as I have no problem reading anything single spaced on the internet.
I know its easy to hit the return button twice and make everyone happy, but I find it pointless to do so and in really long posts just makes them overly huge.And I find that double spacing a paragraph does not make a post any easier to read, because there are many people who can't make a paragraph in the first place, so you end up with two or more paragraphs that should be together, but have been separated making what ever they are talking about disjointed, kind of like a fragmented sentence.
I think the reason people have such a hard time reading on the internet is because they often skim through articles with out really reading them and double spacing does make that easier. Two, their type font is too small and they sit far away from the screen and three, they don't read anything actually printed anymore. Im convinced that reading a printed document is easier and helps you retain information better than reading off a computer screen.
So I would like to know am I wrong for thinking this and is there any other do's and don't of internet posting that you think are stupid or that everyone should adhere to.

[Newt]

In writing in general, it has always been my understanding that separate paragraphs are separate thoughts or points.  One paragraph can follow from another, but there is a break between them.

It has been my observation that when I am posting lengthy explanations or discussions, if I break between paragraphs with an extra space I have a much higher incidence of readers actually getting all my points and with what appears to be greater comprehension.

So I would have to say that my own experience has given me the habit of adding in that 'extra' line space between paragraphs.  It reads better and heads off a good bit of frustration: I don't end up having to repeat myself as much!

Besides, I never was one to economise on keystrokes.    

Edited for spelling

[Rev. Powell]

Newt's response was easier to read and easier on the eyes then the original post.  It's not a huge deal but I do approve of the convention.

Books don't double space at paragraph breaks, but they do indent the beginning of the first sentence for clarity.   

The one that outrages others but doesn't really bother me is TYPING IN ALL CAPS.  I don't find it harder to read than normal writing.  I actually prefer it to people who don't capitalize at all (which I find really annoying).

[Jack]

I think a lot of people tend to sit back from their computer screen, so reading one huge block of text can be difficult.  A double space between paragraphs makes things easier for everyone.  With a book you can hold it at whatever distance is ideal, but sitting bent forward in front of a computer monitor for long periods of time isn't comfortable.  And if you increase the font size too much, you run into problems with page formatting.

My pet peeve is words that sound the same but are spelled differently, and have different meanings.  Like there, they're and their.  Or here and hear.  I mean, this is elementary school stuff, surely it can't be too taxing on a person's brain to do it correctly. 

[trekgeezer]

On the forum, I like when folks put line spaces between paragraphs, makes it much easier to read because of what Jack said.  I do tend sit back away from the screen.

If everything is in one big block do text I tend to have to use the cursor to scan one line at a time.

[Nukie 2]

Also, never call someone names over the internet , nor make threats. If you're going to argue, do it logically.

[Raffine]

Be very cautious in the use of sarcasm.

It usually doesn't translate well to the written word. I've seen several temporary flare-ups here and on other sites over misunderstood sarcasm.

Or at least, utilize the " ".

This site has a nice spell check function. I use it all the time! I realize good spelling doesn't matter that much to some, but it sure can add weight to your point you're trying to make.

[zombie no.one]

People Who For Some Unknown Reason Capitalize The First Letter Of Every Word They Type In A Sentence.

Seen quite a few people do it (not here), including one guy who was a moderator of a forum. Where did this come from, Is it some kind of recognised system of writing?

Top spelling annoyances:

"loose" instead of lose. This just looks so dumb, no offence.

"then" instead of than. e.g. He was better then you.

Any variation of 'Definitely'...this word is so rarely spelled correctly, and a little bit of my soul is crushed whenever 'Definately' or 'Defanitely' decide to gatecrash the party.

[Raffine]

However, the misspelling of 'the' as 'teh' can be very effective, particularly when used as in caption of a photo of an adorable kitty.

[InformationGeek]

If you're going to argue, do it logically.

Oh how I wish people would do that on other forums.  I always keep running into people who just say something is bad or tell someone they are wrong without backing up their arguement.

One big thing I found that is a big don't is that you should never say your opinion is right and that everyone's else is wrong.  You will get so much flack for that.  I never said anything like that before, but I have seen a lot of people say it and get yelled at hard.  Most of the time they deserved it though.

[Allhallowsday]

Don't confess to evil sh!t and then get cocky about it. 

[retrorussell]

I find all caps or no caps rather irritating, but not using periods after a sentence, abbreviating a lot of words, or just flat-out abominable misspelling, or a combination of all of the above, really should receive a mention from a moderator.

[Trevor]

I find all caps or no caps rather irritating, but not using periods after a sentence, abbreviating a lot of words, or just flat-out abominable misspelling, or a combination of all of the above, really should receive a mention from a moderator.

from TREVOR WHADDAYA meen yew dont laaik all CAPS or NO CAPS & abb. lotz of wudz. MI SCHPEEllings is KO and not related to the Abominable Snowman. 

[Jack]

I hate it when people quote an extremely long post just to add a one word agreement at the end 

[3mnkids]

Don't be a troll. If your only contribution is negative, get off the computer and seek counseling. I hate people who only post to knock others. How sad their lives must be.

When someone cant debate an issue they immediately go into grammar Nazi mode.