Forum policies

Browsers

Lindsay Haedt — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 16:59:39 GMT

If you're posting on the forum using a Mac, please note that your browser will not display the formatting tool bar if you use Safari or Internet Explorer. Safari doesn't have the proper support for the rich editing surface the formatting tool bar requires. Microsoft dropped support of Internet Explorer back in 2002/2003 and said that they will not develop future versions of IE for Macs.

If you have a Mac, we recommend that you use Firefox, which will display the formatting tool bar. You can download Firefox for free at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Disclaimer

Lindsay Haedt — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 19:10:26 GMT

The opinions expressed on this forum are the views of the individual forum members. They are not the opinions of Kalmbach Publishing Co.

Forum Rules & Guidelines

Lindsay Haedt — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 19:09:46 GMT

1.) Three strikes and you’re out. When a member receives three warnings from the moderator, their membership will be locked and they will be blocked from taking out new memberships. Warnings will be given for the following:

• Inappropriate language or content - This forum is intended for jewelry artists of all ages. Swearing and crude language will not be tolerated. Please note that implied swearing is equally unacceptable. Adding asterisks or using abbreviations does not disguise the intent behind the word(s).

• Negative, antagonistic comments - This includes name-calling and deliberately instigating conflict. It also includes rude, unconstructive criticism. Please keep in mind that words do not translate as well in writing as they do spoken face-to-face — be careful using sarcasm.

• Posting personal e-mails on the forum - If you are experiencing an off-forum conflict with another member, keep it off the forum. An exception to this is spam e-mails sent via the forum. One example may be posted as a warning so that other members know to delete it.

2.) Keep discussions on topic. We realize that people will make comments about their personal lives in the course of talking about jewelry. This is perfectly acceptable as long as such comments adhere to the other forum rules of appropriate behavior. However, it is against the rules to deliberately start a thread that has no relation to jewelry. If you want to discuss your pets, your recent dinner party, or the new movie you want to see, please do so via e-mail or an instant messaging service. Repeatedly posting off-topic threads will result in a warning.

3.) Posting advertisements is not permitted. Posting advertisements will result in a warning and/or membership deletion. Some exceptions that may be permitted are:

• Members looking for a specific item - If your store/business carries the specific item that another member is looking for, you may reply with a link or information on how you can be contacted.

• If you're posting an introduction in “Meet the community,” you may, within reasonable limits, post some information about your company, products, and/or services.

• As an active member of the forum helping out other members, you may provide a link back to your Web site within your signature.

In general, we will not permit solicitation from companies, distributors, or private individuals, except for the exceptions listed above.

Forum Etiquette

Lindsay Haedt — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 19:09:03 GMT

• Post new topics with a suitable subject title. Instead of "Help!" try and be more explicit with the subject title. Rather than posting a subject title of "Source," post "Sources for 10mm bicone crystals.” If you use explicit subject titles, your topic has a better chance of being answered quickly and efficiently.

• Perform a search before posting a new topic. Your question may already have been answered. If there is already a similar thread but you still need clarification, add your question to the original thread.

• Post new topics in the appropriate forum. If you post in the appropriate forum, your topic will receive more responses. For example, a question about starting a jewelry business should be posted in “Marketing & Business” rather than “Bead Talk,” which is a more general forum.

• Refrain from using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are generally recognized on the Internet as shouting and SHOUTING IS RUDE.

• Welcome newcomers. It will take time for newcomers to understand the subtleties and nuances of the community. If somebody makes a mistake, welcome them to the forum and give them a friendly reminder of the rules and guidelines.

• Remember our dial-up members. Large banners, logos, graphics, etc. slow them down. If they can’t access your information quickly, they will move on to another post.

Building a positive community

Lindsay Haedt — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 19:08:10 GMT

Guidelines for building a positive community:

1.) Be positive. Constructive criticism is allowed. Rude, antagonistic comments are not; they are grounds for a warning.

2.) If you don't like a member's posts, then don't read them. Leave them alone. If you have multiple conflicts with the same member, stop posting on each other’s threads.

3.) If you feel that a forum member is breaking the forum rules, report it using the "Report Abuse" button located at the bottom righthand corner of each post.

4.) If you feel the need to address a personal problem with a fellow forum member, contact them off the forum. Any personal correspondence that takes place in this manner is just that — personal. Posting a personal e-mail on the forum will result in a warning.

5.) If a conflict develops, notify the moderator then leave it alone. Every post on a flame thread, no matter how well intended, contributes to the bandwagon effect and keeps the post at the top of the list.

6.) A thread that starts out innocently can sometimes degenerate into a flame thread. If this happens, the person who started the thread should request that people drop the subject immediately. This request should be a red flag to other members that posting on that thread is no longer allowed — no apologies, no last words, just leave it alone until a moderator can lock it.

If you have any questions, please contact me at lhaedt@beadstylemag.com.

Discussion Group Survival Guide

Lindsay Haedt — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 19:07:24 GMT

The following was written and posted on a site that has nothing to do with the subject of beading & jewelry making. However, many of the points made by author can be applied to any forum/discussion group on the Internet.

For the complete guide, click on the link.

Discussion Group Survival Guide
Posted by T W Duff on 17.Feb.00 at 08:05 PM.

01. Before you ask, SEARCH!!!
This is one of the single most important things you can do. In most cases, someone has had the same problem you've had before. There's a fair chance that you'll find your answer without having to post and wait if you do a search first. There IS a chance you'll do a search and not hit the right key words. Someone will probably be kind enough to point you to a prior posting. But posting "How Do I Do Sequential Numbering?" is a dead giveaway that you haven't looked first...

02. Make your topic descriptive.
Simply posting "Help me!" or "URGENT!!! NEED IMMEDIATE HELP!!!" will not get as many responses as a post titled "Mail-in Agent Not Running On Receipt". Everyone's time is valuable, and many people scan the topic titles to see if there's anything of interest. A generic posting title will be largely ignored. Also, it makes it harder to find your posting during a search. If someone is searching for help, seeing "Help me!" in the title line doesn't give them much information to go on.

03. Why is your question more URGENT!!! than anyone else's?
While it might be tempting to label your post as URGENT!!!, it really doesn't accomplish much (except to annoy others). Everyone who has a problem would like a quick resolution to it. Don't expect people to fall all over themselves to help you just because you are having a crisis.

04. If there's no answers, they don't know!
If you post a question and no one responds, you shouldn't take it personally. And you really shouldn't submit another post stating "See My Previous Post". If someone knows, they'll contribute. If they don't, they won't. There are some really valuable minds in this group, but they don't have the answers to all the problems.

07. Post a followup with your results (or at least acknowledge the help)!
If you take the time to post a question and someone takes the time to post a possible solution, PLEASE be kind enough to acknowledge the help AND post a followup to tell whether it worked or not. Many people use this board as a reference point, and it's very frustrating to find possible solutions with no hint as to what worked or not. It's just basic courtesy... Even if you've figured out the answer for yourself, please post the result as there are many who could benefit from your experience. Please don't think in terms of "Boy, was I stupid in not seeing that". Nobody is going to judge you and everyone will benefit.

08. In most cases, don't post to a specific person.
The benefit of this board is that it's a "group" discussion board. Even though it's tempting to try to get some of the "regulars" to answer by asking them specifically, don't! If they're hanging out (and they always do), they'll answer anyway. In addition, many others who may have an answer WON'T post due to the directed nature of the question. You may miss out on some really good solutions by not including everyone.

09. Continue the thread whenever possible.
If you have a followup issue within a couple of days of an original post, try to keep it with the original. If someone is trying to help, they won't want to search through days of other posts to find the original discussion. Keeping everything in a single thread makes it easier for others to help. It also makes it easier for others in the future doing searches on the same issues.

10. Don't duplicate your postings.
Posting the same question two or three times in a row will not lead to a faster response. It just clutters up the board, splits any potential responses between two (or more) threads, and frankly irritates everyone. Also when posting, if the browser displays the error message "The server connection was reset...", refresh the browser page. Your post was probably successful.

11. Remember, you're global now...
Keep in mind that this discussion board isn't restricted by national borders. English isn't the main language of everyone here, so be considerate if someone's English isn't the best. Also, keep in mind that humor and irony doesn't always translate well to email, and it REALLY doesn't translate well in a multi-cultural setting. Use it sparingly, if at all.

14. Everything you should do here you learned in kindergarten...
Here are some miscellaneous items that are important to remember in order to get along here...

Guesses and suggestions should labeled as such...

Avoid arguing unless you have a useful point to make. Avoid any objectionable language or ideas. Do not write anything that could not politely be said face to face.

Be brief without being too terse. Be descriptive without overwhelming us with too much.

Stick to the topic of the forum.

Spam Procedure

Lindsay Haedt — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 19:01:21 GMT

If you come across spam on the forum, please e-mail me at lhaedt@beadstylemag.com. Or, use the "report abuse" button located at the bottom right corner of each post.

Thank you for your assistance in keeping the forum spam free.