Netiquette

To make this site more accessible and enjoyable to its users, it is helpful to keep the content reasonably ordered and readable. To assist in this endeavour, users should note the following points and try to adhere to them, as a general guideline:

1. It is not intended to stifle friendly banter but it is not a good idea to post messages containing only personal greetings. Use your e-mail for this unless the greeting is a small part of the message.

2. In discussions, try to avoid posting a message of the kind that contain only "I agree/disagree with Fred Bloggs" without anything more constructive.

3. Avoid unnecessary capitalisation - this is generally regarded as shouting!

4. If a reply is not of general interest, consider making a reply to the sender direct by e-mail rather than through the forum. Sometimes the original poster will request this and, if so, it is pointless to post the reply to the forum.

5. Try to adhere to the subject or "thread" of the discussion. Inevitably, some discussions wander a long way from the original thread. This is not a bad thing but, in such cases, it is generally best to create a new subject when the time seems right. This will help to maintain readers' interest in the original thread and they are less likely to be put off by a thread title saying "Piles in chalk 'when people active in the discussion have somehow got around to talking about "Footings on sand".

6. Identify yourself. Use your name at the very least but also consider giving others an idea of your standing. A reply to the question "Tell me about piles in chalk," would probably get a different response if you were a student than it would if you were head of the Department of Piling Studies at the University of Chalksville!

7. Ask questions but don't, particularly if you are a student, do so merely to save you a browse through the library or doing your own research elsewhere. It has been known for some forums to be plagued with questions like "I have to get my assignment on piles in chalk in by Monday. Has anyone got any ideas?"