Netiquette - Or How To Conduct Yourself Online

The FISHINGmagic Forum is quite well behaved, generally speaking, compared to some forums I've heard about. Let's hear about your horror stories and what you think should be done when we come across bad behaviour.

remember the ponytailed machete carrying taxi driver threatening to meet up with you at the Nene Graham.......? is he still around?

could you imagine his comments on a forum?

Nah, he chickened out when he took one look at me........

Graham, you're right about FISHINGmagic, it is a well balanced Forum. There is good sensible, discussion, lots of banter and the overwhelming majority of contributors, engage in what I would say was enjoyable reading. Considering it's a public Forum and there is no vetting of the mails until they appear on screen, it's amazing...10/10 to FM...

Good article Stewart! One I enjoyed reading and to which I am in full agreement.

So often we forget that we are not just communicating with a computer - which on the face of it - is what it seems! There individual personalities looking at what we write - individual personalities that are/can be sensitive to our own personal views.

I can say from experience that I have written comments on fishing forums that, in hindsight, I should not have written. Equally, I have been upset by comments either directly or indirectly aimed at myself by others. Certainly, faced with a one-to-one situation, such comments perhaps would not have been made!

You have also spoken in your article about "Banter". This is a feature of fishing forums I like very much, but it is something I personally have to hold back on - because, although I have briefly met one or two of you, we do not know each other as such. And as you rightly say, before we attempt to wind each other up too much, we need to have developed some degree of friendship first.

I do feel that one soon learns with whom one can have a bit of a leg pull (no pun there intended), and I have certainly been on the receiving end there - and I might add loved every minute!!

Watching others whilst lurking on a site such as this can be of benefit, in my opinion, because it soon becomes clear who is up for a laugh!! One can also determine which issues to avoid and where to perhaps draw the line.

Another issue as far as I'm concerned is that of 'regional sense of humour' some people can appear to be very abrupt, but don't mean to be, this I think is often down to where they live in the country.

I'll shut up now, and look for someone to wind up!!! LOL

"Let's hear about your horror stories and what you think should be done when we come across bad behaviour."

Am I right Graham in believing you are the only person acting as a moderator on this site? I do also lurk on a few other sites and they have several mods! And, personally, I think they need them!

I was accused on one, of being "another of the lets knock the known brigade" when answering a question on Rex Hunt! It was only my second post on there, and thought I was entitled to my opinion.

Its a job to say, on reflection, whether I was wrong for giving my opinion, or the other chap for being so direct? One of the mods did step in and cool things, but it should'nt have been necessary if both of us had thought about what we were writing as per Sedge's article.

I have seen some threads on other sites that should have been closed immediately, and yet, they have been allowed to drag on, with defamatory and derogaroty remarks being made about individuals, some with no net access to defend themselves! That is (imo) going too far!

I don't see what can be done when we come across bad behaviour other than notifying the site owner/manager or moderator! One thing I would like to see though, in such situations, is an explanation from 'whoever' as to why the thread had been closed, because we are often left with comments from some people that bear no resemblence to what can be read. Hope that makes sense?

scuse bad spelling!!!

Malcolm, you're right about the comment of getting to know people before we banter with them, to know exactly where they are coming from. I'm sure most people who visit the Forum will observe how Brummie and myself have constant comments going back and forth, like a tennis match. But I know paul, I know his sense of humour and so on, and i know he won't be offended,(and also he with me) in fact quite the opposite. As a matter of fact he enjoys being called a Brummie so much, he's re-named his house 'St Andrews'...

I thought he was a West Brom fan (sorry is that going to far - after all, I don't really know him)

he he he he

Malc, yes, I am the only moderator, unless I'm away and then someone else keeps their eye on things. Clicking on the 'Moderator Alert' button does just that too, in case I've missed something, and also alerts someone at head office in London. It seems to work well enough, for we don't have too many idiots making it uncomfortable for the rest of us.

I'm a big believer in free speech, but expressed it in a proper manner. Okay, there are times when we get hot under the collar and get a bit forceful in our views. That's okay too, providing we don't go too far. And usually, we sense when we've gone a bit OTT and try to smooth things over in another message. What has worked very well on FM too, is that we have a great nucleus of sensible, level-headed posters who are quick to point out the error of someone's ways. Many times they have done my job for me.

One of my pet dislikes is the poster who has to take their frustration out on spelling or grammar mistakes simply because their argument within the thread has collapsed around them and they can't think of a logical reply. It's especially silly on a forum which doesn't have a built-in spell-checker and where most of us dash things off on the fly, so to speak.

There is another aspect to this as well. What we have to realise is that for every one of us who post regularly there are a hundred or more who just read the messages. Many of them are just not confident enough to write an opinion for fear of being ridiculed or taken to task.

It's easy for me to tell them there is nothing to be frightened of, but not so easy to accept it and post a message. Which is another reason why we should be extra careful of jumping down somebody's throat, if they are a new poster, if they've said something we don't agree with. It may have taken a lot of doing for them to post that message in the first place.

What you don't realise is what goes on in the background. Many times I'll email someone privately to ask them to tone it down a bit, or to tell them something about the person they're criticising that I think they should know, and which would probably change their opinion.

If someone said something that was blatantly slanderous or came out with serious profanities there would be no communication at all. They'd be gone.

Part of my job as editor of this website is to make it it as easy and comfortable as possible for visitors to use. If I have to prevent some people from using it to do that then I will. The website will, eventually, be better for it.

No forum will ever be perfect. There will always be the odd rogue who comes along and tries to be clever. There is little we can do about that except to be philosophical, shrug it off, and then get on with life in the real world.

I can't think of when a thread was closed without explanation. Not an important, on-going thread anyway. So if there was one you want an explanation for just go ahead and ask.

Banter? Dunno about that Peg-leg..........

Thanks Graham! Peg-Leg indeed - I can now run as fast as anyone when its time for my round! LOL Well as fast as these little legs will carry me!

You actually answered a lot of questions for me there, and I think what you have written will help others too.

With regards specific threads being closed, no thanks, I was just generalising, whilst thinking at the same time about other sites and my previous experiences!

Your point regarding some people who just read the threads on this site and lacking the confidence to put across their opinions be it fear of ridicule or whatever: I would just like to add that deep down I am an extremely shy person and I fear sometimes giving my opinion. The reason being that I see the answers that some give and feel inadequate by comparrison! My fishing knowledge is very limited compared to some, I suppose that's why I enter into banter with some and give my opinion when I feel qualified, or advice (though rarely) if I can.

I am now learning - more and more from people I meet, and from people on this site and others! I am not really a beginner, but coming back into it after so many years away and getting into carp fishing as I have - there has just been so much to learn!

I have said the above for one reason and one reason only: that is to try and encourage those who are reading this, but the same as me, lack confidence!

Start a new thread - say hello, there's no better way to begin! )

We learn new things all the time Malc.
I can recall 3 or 4 things that have revolutionised my carping, that I have learnt in the last month.

No-one ever knows it all.......

Don't worry lurkers, I'm shy too, but this medium allows you to have your say.
If you are that worried about spelling or grammer, then form your reply in Word give it a Spellcheck, then cut and paste it into the reply box.....

"I can recall 3 or 4 things that have revolutionised my carping, that I have learnt in the last month."

Spill the ruddy beans then mate? LOL - I need revolutionising!!!??? I certainly need help, put it that way!

Pegleg,
It's me Sedge and Coops!!!!!! he didn't know which end to hold the rod untill we told him!!!!

Sedge,
Now as a friend i think i should point out that this is TWO articles within the space of ONE week, as good as it is this must be really taxing for you,so much work in so little time!!! never in the history of the clergy has so much been done by so few!!! or in this case one!!!! bet you need a months holiday in Africa now!!!! think you could take our Ron with you!!!!! i think he's home sick.......teehee.

Stewart. That is a wonderful article. It embraces everything that some of us put together for the IAC web fishing mailing list a few months back. I wrote a 'codes of conduct' along very similar lines. What I tend to do if I'm pulling somebodies leg or having a joke is to make sure they know it there and then. It's so easy to type *grin* after a comment and then at least people know it was meant in a good humoured manner. I actually did this in a post I made before reading this article. I've been using the net for years so I have seen some very nasty flame wars go on between people. I've had nasty comments directed against me which ended up in a good friend dropping off a mailing list for a short time because he stuck up for me in my absence. It does take some getting used to sprinkling a post with emoticons like or *joke* being added, but it's worth it in the end.

Now a serious bit for Graham. In the picture used of you in the article you are sitting at the computer. Sorry mate but be careful with those wrists. RSI is not very nice and you'll know about it when it starts to impinge on your fishing. As an ex health and safety rep I'd suggest you seriously look at getting a wrist rest. Of course it could just be an old photo...... ;-)

Kevan,
Don't worry about Graham's wrists mate, he must have had plenty of practise at something coz we have tried nailing his wrists to the bar and he still won't relax his grip one the wallet!!! )

Rik is right, you learn something every day. Paul Williams taught me how to run, something he does well when somebody shouts "it's your round!"

But seriously, we do learn things all the time. I had never tried to cast extreme distances with a heavy, fast-taper carp rod, a shock-leader, and a bucket-spooled reel until a few weeks ago. And then Rik showed me how to do it. I still have a long way to go to reach anything like Rik's standard, but I'm certainly better than I was before.

Kevan, that photo was taken just 15 minutes before I posted Sedge's article today, so you could say it's quite recent - power of the digital camera, eh!

I used a wrist-rest for a long time and then I started to get pains in the heel of my hand. So I've done without it for a few weeks now. But I'll go back to it soon. I think what's important is to change the position of your hand and arm every so often to avoid the repetitive part of the RSI.

But thanks for pointing it out anyway, it's served as a timely reminder that the wrist rest is due to appear again.

Are you still practicing Marsden?
They'll be a test on it next week........

Graham. Try one of the gel filled rests, they are excellent. I got one or two of my work colleagues those before I left my last employer. You certainly won't get pain in the heel of your hand with those. I shalln't mention the lumbar support because somebody is bound to make a funny of it.