Some Do’s while Discussing, Documenting and Blogging

Some Do’s while Discussing, Documenting and Blogging

Jogeswara Rao Kavala

The following is a compilation of few personal views of the author which he felt time to time while posting and participating in Discussions / Documents / Blogs in SCN. This is with an objective to maintain good  forum environment. It is so believed that this post might certainly benefit some, especially beginners, the status to which the author belonged to, not very long ago.

• When you are posting a Discussion or a Blog, be clear in mind about the intended objective, and mention the same.

• As far as possible, ensure the correctness of your answer before it is posted, while providing technical solutions to the forum.
  

• Also focus on good grammar, expressions and good vocabulary with a sole objective  to effectively communicate, what you want to say.

• Structure your post with screen-captures wherever possible. As we know that pictures are the most effective communicating medium.

• Go through thoroughly what you've just posted, and if you find scope to improve the expression use EDIT and do it, until you satisfy and before someone replies to your post, whichever is earlier.     

• You’ve posted and soon realized that your post is not relevant to the query, use Delete facility, to remove your post, before someone replies.

• Avoid guess work. (Though this sometimes scores), This is one area, which very likely leaves you embarrassed.
  

• Suppose someone replied to your query by referring  to an earlier SCN thread and you are benefited. In this situation do not forget to reward helping posts inside the thread by giving a  Like(This is valid in the case of Documents and Blogs also)

• Often it happens that good comments are received, praising the content of the article, but members forget, or in some cases not aware of giving a Like to the article.  Had you given a Like, the Document / Blog would display for a long time on the Home screen making many other members go through the same.

• In a similar way, often it is forgotten, to give a star-rating when a post (Document / Blog) is liked. (Good rating is either 4 stars or 5 stars)

• Please do not forget giving a Like to the replies inside the discussions wherever you liked, even if you are not the author of the thread, or even if you are not participating. Such gestures are very essential to encourage Good Quality replies also this builds good-will among members.

• When you are replying to a thread in a similar lines to an earlier reply in the thread, do mention the name of the member, by using phrase like "As rightly pointed out by ....."

• Also please rate the Original Discussion posts with Stars for their Quality.  (Stars are provided below the original post for this purpose)

• You should even Like the original post (Discussions are often ignored) , by clicking on the link given on the right side of the original post.

• When you've found some article interesting and of your use, and then book-marked this for later reading, then please do go through such book-marks and rate these articles. (Though SCN lists such book-marking under acclaims, this activity does not attact any scores, I suppose something is on the anvil)

• One more important thing is Tagging. We do not Tag our Posts. If you Tag the postswith suitable strings, it will be easy for others to find the same.  See the following picture, the place where to Add Tags  (below the original post)

•   Forum community home page displays related Tags  below the Related Content on SCN head.

         For example, in EAM  it is as under.

• We should avoid to Tag an article with two words relating to same community. For example, If I use both PM and EAM as Tags here this article would appear twice in this space, and thus consumes space of some other article.  ( Let's expect this correction from SCN, if it is possible)

• Also please try to avoid two or three word acclaim comments. It will be helpful and encouraging to the authors, if you can explain briefly, (atleast in a full sentence) what appealed to you,

• Be tolerant to redundant answers, If you choose to inform about the redundancy ( which becomes essential in some cases),  choose your words too.

• Keep away from posting Redundant replies in discussions. This quite likely will put you in a situation.
  

• Beginner?  Do not get discouraged, when you face harsh/critical response to your post (while initial trials to contribute to the discussions). It is very natural that unintentionalredundant answers or mistakes happen. Harsh responses are rarely seen, but do happen. Mistakes do happen by all without exceptions.

• An old and very valid advice, Never react.  If it is a constructive criticism, accept and thank the friend. Answer in a cool state of mind if it is a must.
  

• In situations similar to the above, laugh-it-off, admit if some mistake really happened,  and make use of the emoticons for better expression.

• We have around us in our community itself, few  members (including Moderators) from whom we can learn these things,  who in fact stand as examples for all good practices in the forum. (Perhaps this post is an inspiration from them)

At the end, only to say that this list is not exhaustive, and every member will certainly have his/her views on such many Do's, to provide better knowledge sharing environment.

Cheers

Jogeswara Rao K

Post Script

Can you guess who is the first admirer of your work? ......No clue?..

It's YOU.

I am hinting at a feature presently available for the Authors to rate their own Documents / Blogs (No scores please)