June 6th, 2005, 10:00 PM
Conversation Ethics on AO
Ethics of the online world
When people sit down at a computer they may feel a cretin degree of freedom. And in many aspects that is true but that dose not mean you are free from the rules of ethics, and that every one you talk to is a computer with no feelings of any kind, so don’t treat them that way. This tutorial is going to be about the ways to talk on AO without making enemies among the other people working on the site.
Noob or newb of newbie how ever you would like to say it, is the most common insult used on AO. This to me makes no matter of sense at all. This insult is used directed at people new to the web site. Why would someone insult you for your age if they do not really know it? If someone is new to the site they may very well know just as much and more about the topics presented, then the noob caller themselves. So the title means nothing and if it is used in derogatory fashion it may make the “noob” less prone to share the information with you that he/she might have and you don’t.
When people ay things in a post that is known to be false do not go right to insulting the person. Before jumping to conclusions about how what a person is saying is false so the person must know nothing about anything, consider that the person may have said something wrong that may change the meaning of the whole sentence, if false information is presented take the following steps
The information presented may be completely and in every way correct but just something that you failed to read.
It is also possible that the person may have said the wrong thing or used a choice of words that changes the meaning of the entire post. If this may be so then ask the person, (using delicate words) if what they are saying is what they meant to say, if not then have them clarify.
3) Check your information, maybe you think what they said is false and it is really true.
4) If it turns out the person is wrong in all aspects then please inform them of their mistake so that information can be gained out of the whole experience (that is what AO is for) instead of insulting slashing and otherwise wrecking the persons reputation and making enemies.
This place is full of them. Things that are answered in the FAQ and/or things that anyone on this site should know. I know that we are all really tired of hearing them but come to realize that though you’ve read them a million times they have not. And cut a little slack for them, after all they disserve at least that much. Insulting and pestering for making such questions can only make a bad situation worse. And if these questions make you really that angry then just plan ignore them and pretend you never saw it.
When ever you are in a conversation please keep in mind that everyone can read it. So if you are talking to someone you know about a person that is a moron always remember the person you are calling a moron can hear you, so use educate in all places.
Please be sure that you are not insulting people so much that they are compelled to leave this site and never gain from what it can give. And please talk using the basic rules of ethics, all it could possibly do is good.