Bitcointalk posting etiquette

[tranthidung]

The forum has been covered by trash posts, and despite good negatively net-effects from merit system, spammers have still spammed the forum. Fortunately, there are good users who just don't know how to make good posts. They need to learn from somewhere, so I think it will be easier for forum newbies to have somewhere to begin. I spend my time this weekend to make this thread, and hope that it will help them at somewhat extent.

Local rules:
- Spam posts will be reported


Table of contents

• Read before posting
• Search before posting
• Decide to use self-moderated option or not
• Make good topic titles
• Don't over bold, highlight, paint, glow
• Don't over capitalize characters
• Don't over-modify font
• Don't directly leave links to dangerous sites, instead use code block
• Read topic title, OP, a few first and last posts before posting
• Don't plagiarise
• Don't do pyramid/nested quotes
• Edit rather than make multiple posts in a row
• Don't feed the troll
• Don't post in Spam Mega thread
• Check date of last active day and notice warning message
• Lock after receiving answers and problems solved
• Using patrol page
• Using grammarly to check typos, grammar faults
• Don't post in altcoin give-away threads
• Don't send multiple PMs
• Don't leave over-large images in your quotes
• Don't use list block in thread titles
• Managing PM with labels
• Uploading images to get bbcode
• Use appropriate punctuations

Contents


Read before posting
Which things do you must read?

• Unofficial list of (official) Bitcointalk.org rules, guidelines, FAQ
• Newbies - Read before posting
• SMF user help: Posting

Search before posting

• [Guide] Searching effectively
• [Guide] Reporting effectively
• A Complete Guideline to use forum search button properly
• [Tips] Guide for forum search
• [How-to] the Search button
• [Guide]How to detect rule-breakers.Techniques and tips.

Decide to make a self-moderated topic or not
- Decide to use it or not at the beginning, because after creating your topic, you will unable to activate self-moderation option. For some reasons, there are a few boards, in which you can not make self-moderated threads. Honestly, I made same mistakes with my threads and regreted sometimes when spammers join and spam in my threads.
- How to activate it?
You can get it by clicking on Additional Options at the bottom-left corner below the composing box. Tick on the box "Self-moderated". Remember that you is only able to choose it at beginning.

• Self-moderated topics

In most sections, you now have the option of marking topics self-moderated when creating them. In self-moderated topics, the OP can delete replies. The option for enabling this is under "additional options". Topics cannot be converted to self-moderated topics after creation.

Make good topic titles
Please read:

• Topic title style guide
• Make your topic title, posts more attractive

Don't over bold, highlight, paint, glow
Over using those effects is likely distracting readers' attention on those effects rather than what writers want to discuss.

Don't over capitalize characters
Only use capitalization for the first charater, that will keep your title looks more friendly, and readers will be able to fastly skim your title with more time to think of your main ideas.

Use normal capitalization, not "newspaper capitalization". "Thread title style guide" instead of "Thread Title Style Guide". Capitalize the first letter of the title unless it a trademark like "eMachines".

Don't over-modify font
The fact is mobile platforms display default font, and over-modification on fonts might makes your text unfriendly. I also believe that most of users prefer default font.

• San-Serif or Serif when modifying Font Face for your posts/ threads

Don't directly leave links to dangerous sites, instead use code block
Instead of posting direct link to dangerous sites (phishing, eg.), like this: https://siteA
You should post the link this way, with code block

Code:

https://siteA

Read topic title, OP, a few first and last posts before posting
Spend a little time to read topic title, OP is not enough. Users have to spend more time to read (at least) a few first posts and last post in each thread, before posting. If there are answers above their posts, those posts they made are trash, no matter how much time they spent.

Don't plagiarise
Plagiarism will cause permanent ban, so it is one of most important stupid things to avoid.

• [TIPS] to avoid plagiarism

Don't do pyramid/nested quotes
Personally, nested quotes if using without convincing reasons, will result in trash posts.

• User Script: Automatically remove nested quotes v1.1.1
• [TIPS] to avoid pyramid quotes (for Newbies)
• [Tips] Posting technique

Edit rather than make multiple posts in a row
Using edit button to edit your posts, if you want to add more details, and no one reply after your original posts. Making multiple posts like mono-conversation will be reported by users, and your posts will be deleted (rule 32).

32. Posting multiple posts in a row (excluding bumps and reserved posts by the thread starter) is not allowed.

Don't feed the troll
Trollers always try to make noise and catch attention from their abundant boring threads (like this). What you should do is don't feed their trolls, then trolls will automatically tail off over time.

Know how to use draft page
It is not very helpful, but sometimes you can use it.

• Draft page - Pros & Cons

Don't post in Spam Mega thread
Spam mega threads are spam ones, in which users post without reading. Please read:

• Spam Megathreads.

If you are good poster or have intention to be a good poster, you should stay away from Spam Megathreads.

Check date of last active day and notice warning message
Threads that are inactive for months/ years (last post made months/ years ago) are mostly:
- Outdated
- Trash
- Problems asked by OPs solved.
- etc.
There is no reason to make those threads lively again. Most of those threads revived by spammers. So, if you are not spammer, please don't do this.
It is the warning message that appears whenever you open the Post Reply page in threads that have not been posted last 120 days.
I got this message in that thread (after clicking on Reply button): Switch forum software?

"Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days.
Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic."

When you see this message, it is time for you to reconsider that you should make your post in that thread or not.

Lock after receiving answers and problems solved
To avoid spammers join party. Lock button is at the bottom left-corner. Click on that button to lock your threads. Most of users forget to lock their threads.

Using patrol page
You can use patrol pages to check potentially spam posts from newbies; then report spam posts to staffs. Giving your hands and make contributions to clean the forum also help your good posts won't be covered by trash posts.
You can also modify which boards you want to check with patrol page. Please read:

• New options for patrol pages and ignore board preferences (profile page), please
• Do you often use report button? There are guides to more effectively report (I wrote more details on steps to customize patrol page)

Using grammarly to check typos, grammar faults
This tool is helpful for all, native or non-native English speakers. Because we all can make typos or grammar faults.

• https://www.grammarly.com/ (I use this one)
• http://www.whitesmoke.com/
• https://www.gingersoftware.com/
• https://apps.apple.com/us/app/correctme-english-grammar-help/id1193750579

You can read a review here: https://www.lifewire.com/best-spelling-and-grammar-check-apps-4176088

Don't post in altcoin give-away threads
The forum has a rule on this issue, and one disobeys it will be temporarily bans. I highly recommend users don't post/ reply in those threads.

15. No on-forum altcoin giveaways. [6][e]

More details, please read: Altcoin give-away rule results in temporary bans. Read before posting.

Don't send multiple PMs
Sending multiple PMs to multiple users might result in ban on your account, if someone in your list of receivers report your PMs to moderator.
Your PMs will be considered as spam if users report. As I know, ban for such a PM-spam is temporarily.

Don't leave over-large images in your quotes
It is very popular to see people quote, then instantly jump to write their replies without spending a couple of seconds to edit their quotes to avoid nested/pyramid quotes ^[11]. That is annoying. Beyond this, quoting over-large images without snip or adjust width / height of original images is more annoying, much more annoying than nested/pyramid quotes without images inside.

Because over-large images will require more unnecessary bandwidth and more time to load pages. I don't think serious users will like to wait and see pages fully display after jumping up and down while loading.

Read some complaints and suggestions here:

• Feature suggestion - Turn embeded images into URLs + thread topic hijacking prev
• The inclusion of large, unnecessary images in threads. Opinions?

In fact, admin took action and restrict rights to display images from Junior Members and above ^[a] due to the kind of annoyance but you can help with your own efforts before admin does more serious restrictions.

^[a] Images in posts disabled for newbies

Don't use list block in thread titles
I mentioned about it there Small reminder for you when name your topic titles and tag with LIST block.. You can read it for more details.

In short, some users who have enough experience on the forum do know how to adjust the list block to help displaying the thread title correctly. Unfortunately, newbies don't know how to edit original thread titles and it will mess up their posts.
It costs you only a several seconds to use {List} or {list} rather than the list block. I don't think using the list block in thread title is necessary but if you still want to use it, let's change it to {} rather than [].

The change is helpful for you and for other forum users too.

Managing PM with labels
If you don't have too many discussions in PMs, it's not important but if you have many PMs, it's time to organize it. Read the topic from joker_josue to organize your inbox, outbox better.

• Mini tutorial for using PM

Uploading images to get bbcode
Imgur.com used to be a most favorite website for image uploading to get bbcode for using in Bitcointalk. The party was over with their policy change so it's time to use alternatives.

• Image uploading websites/ scripts for Bitcointalk users
• If you want to use TalkImg.com, read this guide from the owner of that website.
  
  • TalkImg.com - Image hosting for BitcoinTalk

Use appropriate punctuation
If you write a sentence, without any punctuation, it's bad.
If you write some sentences, without any punctuation, it's terrible.

• Read A Quick Guide to Punctuation ^{University of Lynchburg} to learn about punctuation and use it appropriately.

Other resources

• How to convert a Word .doc to bbcode for Bitcointalk -- Pmalek

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[hatshepsut93]

If you are replying to someone, try to always quote their post (while removing unnecessary parts of the post, like advised in the OP). Also try not to modify the header of quote (the the date and message link). The reason for this is that some people are using quote notifying services, and they would miss your reply if you just write a post beneath the person you are responding to. Also someone else might post while you were typing, so it wouldn't be clear to whom you are addressing your post.
This doesn't happen too often, but still it annoys me when I see people replying to my posts without quoting me.

[LTU_btc]

Good stuff OP. Maybe these points were already discussed in older threads made by other members, but I'm sure that lot of members haven't saw it.
I want to talk about pyramid quotes. In past I've been making pyramid quotes, because I saw other high ranked members doing same thing and I didn't realised that's bad practice and that can be annoying. Only after release of Merit system I saw people complaining about pyramid quotes and it's one of reasons why they aren't giving merits. And I wasn't aware about script which removes part of quotes. It's helpful thing and I will give a try. But unfortunately I make most of my post on mobile and this script won't work on it. And it's not very convenient to edit quotes on mobile, especially if you have fat fingers .
Another point - don't post in spam megathreads. It's not very likely that you can add something new to 50 pages long topic what wasn't already said.

[tranthidung]

This doesn't happen too often, but still it annoys me when I see people replying to my posts without quoting me.

It's true, especially if threads have lots of replies. Simply posting will make your post looks a bit off-context, and readers have to guess who you want to discuss with, OP or anyone else posted previously.

Good stuff OP. Maybe these points were already discussed in older threads made by other members, but I'm sure that lot of members haven't saw it.
I want to talk about pyramid quotes.
< ... >
And I wasn't aware about script which removes part of quotes. It's helpful thing and I will give a try. But unfortunately I make most of my post on mobile and this script won't work on it. And it's not very convenient to edit quotes on mobile, especially if you have fat fingers .

Making posts on mobile is one of worst experience, for quoting issue you mentioned, and it takes more time too.
If you don't want to edit quote, I think you can quickly quote like this:

< ... >

This quote style only let users know they are mentioned in your posts, but it does not giving them more details on which of their posts you want to discuss.

Hence, if I want to let others know which specific posts they want to discuss with, I will do have to quickly quote like this:

< ... >

Then, replying. In this case, I think it is better to spend a few seconds to copy the whole quote details (post author, topic number, message number, date of post).

Good stuff OP. Maybe these points were already discussed in older threads made by other members, but I'm sure that lot of members haven't saw it.

I don't think my thread is helpful for all, because there are lots of users don't care about those things even they see my thread. They might fastly ignore my thread at first glance, because it contains so many words inside. Only serious users will do care to spend time and read it.

Another point - don't post in spam megathreads. It's not very likely that you can add something new to 50 pages long topic what wasn't already said.

In some good payment campaigns, posts in Spam mega threads won't be counted. The definition and identification of Spam Megathreads depend on perspective of each manager.

[cynical]

I think the "search" facility is completely overlooked by the majority of users.
If you are in a signature campaign you just want to post and using the search facility could potentially knock your efforts.

We a know that the forum is riddled with repeat posts throughout as number of years like
Who is satoshi...... (Or anything about Satoshi)
Is now the best time to buy/sell

Good thread and info thrianthidung

[UserU]

One more important thing to add, don't simply leave negative reputation(s) unless you don't mind receiving them in return as a form of revenge, unless you're a scam victim or the recipient really deserved it.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

One more important thing to add, don't simply leave negative reputation(s) unless you don't mind receiving them in return as a form of revenge, unless you're a scam victim or the recipient really deserved it.

That's true, but people shouldn't be leaving retaliatory feedback anyway unless they really don't trust the member who left them the neg--and that's often the case, but my point is that feedback shouldn't be left out of revenge.

This is sort of related to the OP here:  I thought a lot of senior members had agreed to make most of their threads self-moderated, but I haven't really seen that happening much, and I think I've been guilty of not making some of mine self-moderated.  I'll have to bear that in mind next time I start a new thread, which isn't that often, but it's important to keep a lid on spam and being able to delete shitposts is a fantastic tool. 

Fortunately the spam problem hasn't even been as bad as it has been lately.  I haven't been seeing heaps of low-value posts in Meta or outside of Bitcoin Discussion much.  Or maybe I need a new pair of glasses, who knows.

[JollyGood]

I think using ~snip~ when quoting a post is a very good idea if the quote is a wall of text or very long and if you just want to highlight one part of it and reply to it rather than the whole post.

[tranthidung]

I suggested to avoid using list block in thread titles for a long time ago. Small reminder for you when name your topic titles and tag with LIST block. It is definitely not a big issue but it is inconvenient for sure. So if you can, please avoid using list block in your thread titles.

Today, I decided to add it into the Bitcointalk posting etiquette, as the last point.

[Timelord2067]

You forgot to add that users will Tut-Tut you for using the rare profanity and then cheer on or lament TMAN's absence for his copious amounts of swearing and abuse.

#DoubleStandards.

[tranthidung]

Others for the bitcointalk posting etiquette

1. Keep your links for threads as shortest as possible
It is not always a matter for you and the others because most of time, you won't face with character limits for your posts. Unfortunately, sometimes you have a long posts - when you have a list thread that collects links of other threads, and with such ones it is more convenient to save more space for later updates or expansions.

Let's take the thread as a case study.

If you click on the OP (as the image shows), you will get the full link: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5184741.msg52459430#msg52459430

How to get a short link?
It is very easy. Simply click on the thread title above OP (as the image shows). Then you will get a short link like that:

2. Include a description for your links
Rather than leaving a link (short or full, it depends) without a description as that: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5184741

It is better and is the way you should do: spend a litte seconds to include a description for your link:
Bitcointalk posting etiquette

Such a description catches more attention from readers and also saves their time because they quickly have a guess on contents of the link you share.

[CarnagexD]

This doesn't happen too often, but still it annoys me when I see people replying to my posts without quoting me.

It's true, especially if threads have lots of replies. Simply posting will make your post looks a bit off-context, and readers have to guess who you want to discuss with, OP or anyone else posted previously.

It is not only those off-context posts that I'm getting uncomfortable with, but also those cliche statements that they are saying over and over again even if there's a statement like that already. Same thoughts and same ideas are got me annoyed, and that only means that they are not reading the whole discussion because they still reply with the same concepts.

[jademaxsuy]

Useful thread I never notice this one in this section until OP made a bump.

The list of topics being mention above consider as guide on how to post here in bitcointalk. I admit that I myself did not know how to post right because of the language barrier to which english is not my language.The good thing is that there are some users extending their effort just to guide every users here in the forum like this one. Inl have tried some to post decently little by little to change bad habit thay should not be done. This is a way already to help the forum getting infested of shit posting activities.

This is a good move of OP consolidating the topics to be use as a guide. If all users will going to allow themselves ti learn here then higher chances we can get the best out of this forum. So with this, we should encourage all users to do the same and let topics like this visible to all.

Bump to this thread! My little way of helping.

[Jet Cash]

You don't need ro quote if you are making a general reply to the OP.
You don't need to quote if you are replying to a post that is immediately above your reply.
You don't need to quote images.

[jademaxsuy]

You don't need ro quote if you are making a general reply to the OP.
You don't need to quote if you are replying to a post that is immediately above your reply.
You don't need to quote images.

This is the proper way of doing a reply. Yes indeed qouting a general reply should not be encourage. The reply itself directly to the thread is already indicated as the reply to the OP.

More users here tend to do replies like qouting a post directly above it is not a bad idea? Because the reply should be address properly on the post with so many replies on it then it could be confusing where the reply could be indicated.

I do need to correct myself on qouting a picture. It is not good thing to do it as what I have too been observing when I qouted some pictures in the reply.

I think many are doing this and had not been learning about it. I was happy that someone had shared this information based on the observation being done.This because they do not visit often meta and bh sections? This is why I consider this section as an important part of the forum. I can learn a lot here on the things how should be done here.

Learnings here are for free but only for those who seek for it.

[NavI_027]

You don't need to quote if you are replying to a post that is immediately above your reply.

Oh! I'm guilty of this one but not totally . For me, I used to quote the post above mine to avoid confusion. To show that I'm reacting to the statement of that particular member not on OP's.

But unlike the others, I do not quote the whole post especially when it is long. I only pick the sentence or phrase I want to emphasize (like what I did right now). But if there's an instance that the thought will lose once you cut some of its parts then I simply use [snip] or [...] so that the thread will not flood.

I guess my way still had a right etiquette. What do you think?

[tranthidung]

I guess my way still had a right etiquette. What do you think?

If you want to reply to userA in a thread and he has only one post in that thread. There are some ways to make your reply:

• No quote, just use @userA in your reply.
• Quote his post, but using snip (snip all or snip parts that you won't discuss with.

It is unnecessary to try make expansion for your replies. If you can answer with 10 words, that is the best. It's a waste of time to expand it to 100 words (also boring, and annyoing).

[so98nn]

[...]

[...]

Or just put up the dots like this!

It's even best if in some instances we give references to another thread where the answers has already been discussed for that matter.

Just a thought . . .
There should have been auto-link generation when we put @userA within the post. Like those in another social media platforms. It could have been easy to click the user profile.

[-CryptoViking-]

I don't see anyone mentioned multi quoting which I find very useful, especially in topics that I started and lots of members replied to.

I see some newbies do 2 posts in a row with quotes to 2 different users to reply to both posts, because they don't know how to do multi quoting or don't know about "insert quote" option.

So I'll just add the picture to show where you can find "insert quote" button.




Here is the example how multi quote looks like when you are replying to more posts at once.

[tranthidung]

There are some quote patterns: multiple quotes; nested/ pyramid quotes.

What you mentioned is fine, nothing wrong with the style but you can improve by snip unnecessary parts of each quote to keep each quote shorter and points straight to what you want to discuss with.

To help readers understand who is the user you want to discuss with, use the horizontal line with hr to seperate between each user.

Code:

[hr]

The below quote style is called as Nested/ pyramid quotes. This is a very annoying style.

If I comment with such quote, readers don't know who I am discussing with or which post of yours I want to discuss with.

You can avoid it easily with a few spent seconds but if you want to have a tool, here it is User Script: Automatically remove nested quotes v1.1.1