Tell Me About Your Message Board Pet Peeves

[ivey]

I frequent a few message boards. I think we all get annoyed to some degree. What do you get irritated with? One thing that bugs me is when someone asks a question, you put a lot of thought and time into replying and then you NEVER HEAR BACK from the person. I also get annoyed at being a thread assassinator (which I've found that I frequently am). You know, I'm the "last person" to post on a thread. I try to tell myself that nobody has anything better to say than what I said but it doesn't always help. I have many other pet peeves for message boards. But I want to know yours before I go any further.

[Seeker]

Slow update times Illogical organization Ungodly clashing of colors No Coherance to a theme Too cute Trolls

[ivey]

Too cute? LOL

[Clairity]

Posts with no Punctuation (use a period or a comma now and then)!! People who type in all CAPS.

[pj]

I also get annoyed at being a thread assassinator (which I&#39;ve found that I frequently am). You know, I&#39;m the "last person" to post on a thread. I try to tell myself that nobody has anything better to say than what I said but it doesn&#39;t always help.[/b] Yeah... that. I&#39;ve come to look at it a little differently now, for the sake of my own sanity. I figure it is just that I&#39;ve done such a perfect job of summing up and/or concluding the thread that nobody else wants to spoil it. </sarcasm> It bothers me when online communities start getting "clickish"... like when a certain mentality - be it religious, political, age related or whatever - clearly dominates and starts making those who don&#39;t fit in uncomfortable or irrelevant. Yeah... trolls. And then there&#39;s the guy who has to respond to EVERYTHING, even when he has nothing to add. You open the new posts and you see the same user as the last poster on EVERYTHING. That drives me nuts. Spambots. But that&#39;s another story - an irritation from the administrative side.

[Burns]

People who type in all CAPS.[/b] And then there's the guy who has to respond to EVERYTHING, even when he has nothing to add. You open the new posts and you see the same user as the last poster on EVERYTHING. That drives me nuts.[/b] Yeah I definitely agree with these two peeves. It also annoys me when someone types up a huge long post with no paragraph breaks - it's just an enormous block of words. Honestly when I see that, I don't even bother trying to read it. oh also, that STUPID internet slang (LOLZ I LUV TEH INTERNETS!!!11!one). I can't stand it. It's the most immature thing, and it's extremely annoying.

[ivey]

oh also, that STUPID internet slang (LOLZ I LUV TEH INTERNETS!!!11!one). I can't stand it. It's the most immature thing, and it's extremely annoying.[/b] Oooh that's one of my "favorites", too. And "OMGZ!!!!11111ONEONEONEONE" Whenever someone sarcastically writes "ONEONEONE"... I laugh. EVERY TIME. Cliqueyness irritates me, too. But also (from an admin standpoint) when people accuse ME of being cliquey because I have a board to run and (god forbid) I have to talk to my moderators about the behind-the-scenes stuff. That bugs the crap out of me, too. Or when I'm told that I'm being "policing" because we have certain rules that I ::gasp:: bother to enforce.

[pj]

Cliqueyness irritates me, too. But also (from an admin standpoint) when people accuse ME of being cliquey because I have a board to run and (god forbid) I have to talk to my moderators about the behind-the-scenes stuff. That bugs the crap out of me, too. Or when I'm told that I'm being "policing" because we have certain rules that I ::gasp:: bother to enforce. [/color][/i][/b] I've owned and run a few boards myself. You'll totally understand and appreciate this one: I have ZERO tolerance for people who feel they have some kind of innate right to be on a privately owned and run board... and who express that sense of privilege though exactly what you are describing above, or starting to shout about censorship or unfairness or the "right to free speech" being curtailed. When you are a guest on somebody else's property, respect that status and you might remain welcome. This attitude isn't arrogance. We all recognize that the users make up the community and if they aren't respected as well and made welcome they won't be there... and the community will die. But these are not democracies - they are benevolent dictatorships. Ok... I'm done.

[pj]

Oh... and one more thing... I hate people who overuse elipses... ...

[pj]

And who double-post.

[ivey]

LOL PJ great ones! So funny. YES I completely understand what you're talking about. Even though I have a disclaimer on the front page that says that *anyone* who posts here agrees to our terms and conditions, MAN I've had SO MANY problems about "censorship". And the thing is, all I'm asking for is some basic human compassion. Don't judge people. That's the bottom line. Just follow the golden rule! Sheesh!

[TripleX223]

people who cant take a joke.... people who hate me... theres a lot.. the non puncuation does bother me, as u can see..

[Artelis]

Replies simply to say "lol" People who find the need to make all of their posts in a different color. Senseless trolls. Bad threads that just won't die. Threads that everyone posts in but no one reads - "What are you listening to right now" People that don't follow the evolution of a long thread.

[PenguinLord13]

Replies simply to say "lol" People who find the need to make all of their posts in a different color. Senseless trolls. Bad threads that just won't die. Threads that everyone posts in but no one reads - "What are you listening to right now" People that don't follow the evolution of a long thread.[/b] I agree with all of those. Also, i can't stand jerks like Leo Volont (for those who remember him), who go about thinking their thought line is supreme, and that they have the right to put down and crush every single thought, question, or idea that a new board member posts. There is a reason he got banned from like 6 boards. I also hate when people post 95% techniques or who say, "Oooh! I have an idea! It is so cool, OMG! Now I am going to make you wait for it " *cough* malac *cough*. Finally, I hate it when people have unreadable spelling and grammer to the point of giving a headache. I make my fair share of mistakes that I don't bother fixing because i don't think they interfere too much (or I just don't know the spelling), and some people don't have perfect english, but I hate the post that are like, i have a tecnik taht is verygood, and make happy dream (that was intentionally exaggerated for emphasis).

[ivey]

People who post in different colors? Like moi? Honestly I try always to post in green because I like to known when someone is replying back to me. Also so I can more easily refer back to my own posts. And it's my favorite color. But I guess I could see how someone might find it annoying. Of course... that doesn't mean I'll stop. Largely, though, I agree with you. I don't like it when there's an enormous thread that won't die, and nobody is reading it--everyone is just posting and posting. (like the "what are you listening to" thread.)

[asher]

[Ynot]

I hate people who overuse elipses......[/b] yeah, I hate that too

[PenguinLord13]

People who post in different colors? Like moi? Honestly I try always to post in green because I like to known when someone is replying back to me. Also so I can more easily refer back to my own posts. And it's my favorite color. But I guess I could see how someone might find it annoying. Of course... that doesn't mean I'll stop. [/b] I actually kind of like the variety of color on a board, as long as it's just like a readable color like green, blue, or red. It gives it a bit more personality. I used to do that, but I've gotten too lazy to, and just post regular now though. What is annoying is when someone uses colors like hot pink, yellow, or lime green, or any other painfully bright color. I did that a few times when I first joined, but realized how annoying it is, and stopped (unlike some people who do it anyways because they think it's funny or something to make your eyes burn as you read, which brings about another pet peeve - people who do annoying stuff to be "funny").

[Artelis]

emoticons thread bumping - also really old threads that people post in. I'm talking threads from over a year ago. TripleX223 Also so I can more easily refer back to my own posts.[/b] Yes, because it's so hard to find your own posts.

[ivey]

Oh yeah--people who are possibly being sarcastic on a message board, but you can't tell for sure because they show no sign of it by using an appropriate emoticon or just saying "I'm being sarcastic." If I'm scrolling very quickly back up the page, green pops right back up at me so that I know exactly what I've said within context when I've been quoted.

[Tsen]

Contractions like "ur", "lol", "k", "l8r" and such. You're not in a chatroom. This is a forum. I'm sure it wouldn't kill you to type TWO MORE CHARACTERS. I don't mind people who use abbreviations to lend character to their posts. I say "'cuz" and such a lot, because that's how I talk in real life. I have no problem with that. But every time somebody says "r u..." I get this lovely mental image of a fat, ugly eleven year old with no friends sitting alone in the glow of his monitor deep in the basement. ARE you a fat, ugly eleven year old? Then don't talk like one. And while we're at it, MISSPELLINGS. Firefox 2.0 and up have a built in spell-checker. USE IT. If you're one of the poor, sorry bastards using IE 7, they've got a plugin to do that, too. If you use IE 6, you have my pity. I also hate newbies who take it upon themselves to correct absolutely every single detail in everybody else's posts, just because they want to prove that they know what they're talking about. Mostly because usually it's exactly this sort of people who have no fuggin' idea what they're talking about. EDIT: Oh, and the politically-correct police, who jump on you for criticizing somebody's ideas. Just because you have an opinion doesn't make it valid. "Opinion" isn't a get-out-of-thinking-free card.

[Kaniaz]

How about some common forum types, observed by yours truly: Trolls. Not trolls themselves, but the word. It's so vague, I've never really understood what a troll is meant to be. "Someone looking for an argument?" Come on, it's a forum, the main reason people come here is to argue in the first place and you can't call someone a troll based merely on that. You do have a point when this person shows no personality other than wanting to argue, but it's still not a huge problem. People that call each other trolls should just kill each other. I'd like that. Prime example of a real troll: sitboy. Boring, Noisy Fuckers. What's worse than someone who's out for an argument all the time? Someone who NEVER says anything slightly useful. They make posts that aren't even useful, they just talk a lot and never make any useful points. Scrolling fodder. You feel like they've just wasted your time. A lot of these on a forum can really take the spark of life out of the place. "I agree,", "lol", or the worst kind of Boring Noisy Fucker - a long post that says nothing. Prime example of a Boring Noisy Fucker: Leo Volont. Bong Man and Bong Lady. Metaphysics, psi-balls, all of that. I really have trouble taking these kind of people seriously. I just can't. I have to laugh. And try not to breathe in whatever they're smoking. Probably solvents. Often congregate in groups, you know, so the fumes (from both their arguments and whatever drug they're using) become all the more overpowering. Prime example of Bong Man/Bong Lady: Beyond Dreaming anyone? Tough Guy. Can't resist swearing at every opportunity, tries to be Maddox and fails, says that everything "needs to be punched in the balls". Hates gay people, hates anything, to be honest, you have to wonder why they even bother coming to a forum when you could just put their argument as simply as "I hate ______ and think they need a kick up the ass". Really, we're all impressed. When confronted, threaten to kill you. With no address. Or ability to spell. Prime example of Tough Guy: Let's go with...Techboy. Rebel Without A Clue. People who are angry with the administration because they're the administration, or can't deal with the fact that there's actually some degree of moderation on the board. That's not to say I don't have my own beef with the administration at points, that's perfectly fine, but it would be really nice if you A) had a reason and B) made it clear instead of concocting silly, childish little plans that will never come to fruition to "take over the forum". Really, this is a forum, not a playground. Prime example of Rebel Without A Clue: Oh, they'd kill me if I mentioned any names. Overly Sensitive People Who Show Absolutely No Signs Of Ever Growing A Thicker Skin. I'm sarcastic, yes, and I'm often prone to tell people straight up what I don't like about them and so on. This is not a huge problem. But what really gets me is when I find people who get offended by any little thing, or who spend more time crying about what someone said and feeling insecure than being part of the forum. It's the internet. If you don't like what someone said, don't reply to it, or just ignore the person. Really. Nobody's forcing you. Of course, use common sense. Prime example of an Overly Sensitive Person Who Shows Absolutely No Signs Of Ever Growing A Thicker Skin: well, I obviously can't answer that one. Date Line Man/Woman/Eunuch. The forum is not your hookup place. The forum is not your hookup place. No, no, stop making sexual innuendos in every other post! Stop creating sex harems, sorry, groups of friends! Stop using your boobies or penis to influence the weaker minded peons! JUST STOP! The best part is when a Date Liner can't actually get anyone in the least sexually attracted to them. It's just painful to watch, but funny nonetheless. Prime example of a Date Line Man/Woman/Eunuch: nameless Airhead Savant. The kind of person that thinks they're really good at something and wants everyone else to know about it too. Takes any opportunity to be as condescending as possible, and yet never quite reaching that point where you can call them out on it. Often so smug you want to telepathically punch them in the face, just to see if Smart Guy saw that coming. What's worse, they don't actually know anything. They just pretend they do, or copy crap from Google and Wikipedia that makes them look like they do. Prime example of Airhead Savant: Damn, I regret examples now. You take a guess. Autistic Airhead Savant. Same as above, except they also happen to have self diagnosed themselves with OCD, ADHD or some other pop culture psychological disease (that makes those who really have the disease have a much harder time explaining themselves). This makes them all the more clever, apparently. Prime example of Autistic Airhead Savant: God, just look anywhere. Interior Decorators/Grapists. I don't like it when people abuse the formatting facilities. To be honest, I don't see why forums should even provide facilities for you to write your text in a different colour or, even worse, a different font. One person on their own is not overly obnoxious. One largish signature is OK. But soon the problem snowballs and you've got a thousand flashing neon coloured things on forums from users who have followed suit. It starts to look like eBay with "L@@K" and god knows what else. What's worse, interior decorators get really mad when you ask them to restrict their artistic license a bit. Prime example of an Interior Decorators/Grapist: Casualtie. He stopped. Ivey likes to colour things in green. But she's OK, she's a special exception. Ivey, ivy, green, y'know? It's an obligation, comes with the name. The Hilarious Avatar Pirate. Yeah, OK, it was funny the first time, but when you "impersonate" someone by merely taking their avatar, you're not doing anything except being a thinly veiled attention whore. Just don't. You're not even original in the avatar pirate getup: it's been done before. Prime example of a Hilarious Avatar Pirate: er, werburn?

[ivey]

LOL Thanks for making me the exception. You're so funny. I loved those examples. Like I said, even if it is annoying to some people that I post in green, I wouldn't stop. (Well, unless a mod told me to, obviously.) I'm not so easily pushed around, although I think I'm extremely easy to get along with. Oh I also get irritated with "suicide" posters. I used to be on a very specific type of support message board, and the same girl would claim she was going to commit suicide about once every three months. It was annoying after a while. If you genuinely need support, that's one thing. But doing it time and time again, for pete's sake, you're driving people to irritation! Especially when the rest of us are there for the same kind of support, but apparently you have it just "so much" worse. Oh, also I think I am a bit of a smiley whore. One of my first posts here, I couldn't post because I had exceeded the smiley limit! LOL (To be fair to me, it was quite a long post.) I also get irritated with people who don't even know you, but totally get snarky with you because they're so "above" what you just said. Even when it's just a general statement or observation. Also, people who perpetually speak in 3rd person irritate me. Not often that you find them, however they exist and I never read their posts when I find them. For example: "Ivey feels that you should do constant reality checks for the next 24 hours." That kind of thing. Annoying.

[Tsen]

Oh, and Nesgirl. She deserves her own category. Sort of falls under the "suicide posters" category, sort of under the "airhead savant" category, sort of under the Bong Lady category.

[dodobird]

Oh yeah--people who are possibly being sarcastic on a message board, but you can't tell for sure because they show no sign of it by using an appropriate emoticon or just saying "I'm being sarcastic." If I'm scrolling very quickly back up the page, green pops right back up at me so that I know exactly what I've said within context when I've been quoted.[/b] I love the green posts, and that my favourit color too, but I don't like the Italics, it's hard for me to read long texts that are all in Italics.