Several fellow OSW members and I have noticed lately that there has been a rash of new threads with vague or misleading titles & posts. Often it has been new members who have done this, but some veteran members are also at fault. The problem with this is that people who are looking for help or who have questions often miss out on getting the help or answers they seek. To help alleviate this problem, here are some tips to help properly put together an effective thread title & post.
Be Precise If your thread title is simply "Help", "Help Needed", or "Question", you may get several views of your thread, but no solid help or answers. Instead, put into your thread title what you are looking for, in as few words as is necessary. For example, if you want help with outfitting a figure of a British soldier in the Crimea in 1854, using "British Uniform" as your thread title is too vague; instead, try something like "Need help with British uniform in Crimea, 1854". That way, you will likely catch the attention of our resident experts on the British military who can answer your questions.
Use Proper Spelling and Grammar Although this forum is U.S.-based, it has an international membership, and many of them learned English as a second language; it's also likely that some of them write it better than you do, even though you may be a native speaker. Please attempt (to the best of your ability to do so) to use proper spelling, grammar, & punctuation to communicate effectively. For example, capitalize proper nouns: it's John Wayne, not "john wayne", and it's WWII, not "wwii". Also, know the difference between "there", "their", and "they're", as well as "your" and "you're" (particular pet peeves of mine).
Be Concise Please get to the point. If you're asking a question, ask it, then close up your post. If someone who replies needs more info, then you can post a reply with the needed info.
Do Some Research Before Posting If you want to know what the going rate is for an out-of-production Hot Toys or Soldier Story figure, please check eBay first before posting here. If you want to know when the Woodland BDU was first issued, then please check Google or Wikipedia. If you can't find the answer in those places, then post here.
Be Polite It should go without saying that this is a high priority around OSW. Compared to another well-known forum (which shall remain nameless), we're a pretty darned nice bunch of folks around here, and we appreciate the same treatment in return. For example, if you have something complimentary to say about a kitbash, please go ahead and post it. On the other hand, if you have nothing nice to say, please consider carefully what you post. When offered in a friendly manner, constructive criticism is often welcomed; if you can point out any inaccuracies or offer advice to improve something, it is generally appreciated. When posting an opinion about a manufacturer's products, honest opinions (either good or bad) are valued by the members, so feel free to let your true feelings be known; just be aware of the fact that some manufacturers are members here too.
In closing, I didn't write this to demean or denigrate anyone here, it was just written as a (hopefully) helpful guide to make things go a bit more smoothly around here. I hope I haven't offended anyone, I sincerely just want to help make OSW a better experience for everyone, whether a new member or a veteran.
David
Be Precise If your thread title is simply "Help", "Help Needed", or "Question", you may get several views of your thread, but no solid help or answers. Instead, put into your thread title what you are looking for, in as few words as is necessary. For example, if you want help with outfitting a figure of a British soldier in the Crimea in 1854, using "British Uniform" as your thread title is too vague; instead, try something like "Need help with British uniform in Crimea, 1854". That way, you will likely catch the attention of our resident experts on the British military who can answer your questions.
Use Proper Spelling and Grammar Although this forum is U.S.-based, it has an international membership, and many of them learned English as a second language; it's also likely that some of them write it better than you do, even though you may be a native speaker. Please attempt (to the best of your ability to do so) to use proper spelling, grammar, & punctuation to communicate effectively. For example, capitalize proper nouns: it's John Wayne, not "john wayne", and it's WWII, not "wwii". Also, know the difference between "there", "their", and "they're", as well as "your" and "you're" (particular pet peeves of mine).
Be Concise Please get to the point. If you're asking a question, ask it, then close up your post. If someone who replies needs more info, then you can post a reply with the needed info.
Do Some Research Before Posting If you want to know what the going rate is for an out-of-production Hot Toys or Soldier Story figure, please check eBay first before posting here. If you want to know when the Woodland BDU was first issued, then please check Google or Wikipedia. If you can't find the answer in those places, then post here.
Be Polite It should go without saying that this is a high priority around OSW. Compared to another well-known forum (which shall remain nameless), we're a pretty darned nice bunch of folks around here, and we appreciate the same treatment in return. For example, if you have something complimentary to say about a kitbash, please go ahead and post it. On the other hand, if you have nothing nice to say, please consider carefully what you post. When offered in a friendly manner, constructive criticism is often welcomed; if you can point out any inaccuracies or offer advice to improve something, it is generally appreciated. When posting an opinion about a manufacturer's products, honest opinions (either good or bad) are valued by the members, so feel free to let your true feelings be known; just be aware of the fact that some manufacturers are members here too.
In closing, I didn't write this to demean or denigrate anyone here, it was just written as a (hopefully) helpful guide to make things go a bit more smoothly around here. I hope I haven't offended anyone, I sincerely just want to help make OSW a better experience for everyone, whether a new member or a veteran.
David