Why is it that people will write things on a table tennis forum that they would never even consider saying to someone else face to face? Does the relative anonymity of the net loosen up our social inhibitions? Or is it the fact that they know they aren't likely to get a punch on the nose for being so rude? Or do we all suddenly think we become experts once we sit down and start to type? (Hmmm... don't think I'll answer that last question!)
On most of the table tennis forums that I visit, it is often possible to tell the content and quality of the post before even reading it, just by looking at the name of the poster. Some posters are always on topic and informative, some have their good and bad days, and others post mostly rubbish. Anybody who's spent a few months on some of the forums knows what and who I am talking about - for example, what do these names mean to you? CLegout, LarryTT, CarlDanner, chopkill, Misha Wolynski, Ma Yun, MarcoHere, monkeynip, berndtmann. (I'll leave it up to the readers of the About.com forum to classify these posters as good, bad or indifferent as they see fit!)
Personally, I don't post on table tennis forums all that often these days - I am too busy most of the time working on this website. If you want to check some of my old posts before I became a Guide, look out for posts by DTop or DTopSpirit, which are my forum names. I generally don't post unless I have something I think I can add to the thread, whether it is some humor, insight or a link to an article I may have written that I think might add some value. Whether I succeed or not is another matter!
Tips for being a Power Poster
Anyway, now that I'm sitting down and typing, I might as well put on my expert hat and give some suggestions that I hope will go toward making the table tennis forums that I go to (especially my own!) a nicer and more informative place. You can take them with the grain of salt that I mention in Tip #10.
Tip #1 - Be Kind
I read a post somewhere on the net where the poster repeated 'Be Kind' several times. The general idea of his post has stayed with me ever since, and I'll pass it on to you. When you read other people's posts - be kind. When you are about to post something of your own - be kind. When you think someone has insulted you - be kind. Remember that written communication is missing all those little nuances of expression, body language and intonation that often allows to tell when someone is joking, gently teasing or deadly serious. Try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt before taking offence.
Tip #2 - Use Your Smileys :)
As mentioned above, since you won't be able to give your readers the usual clues about whether you are serious, sarcastic, joking or playful - use your smileys wherever possible to help make it more obvious. Remember, half of your readers are more stupid than the average reader. ;)
Tip #3 - Bring Your Sense of Humor
Some people seem to leave their sense of humor behind when they surf the net. C'mon guys, we all love table tennis, so we have at least that in common, don't we? Get a life and have a laugh, even if it is at yourself every now and again.
Tip #4 - Have an Open Mind - Not an Empty One
It's good to have opinions. Table tennis forums thrive on the thrust and parry of informed people having rational and interesting debates. Well, actually they seem to thrive on opinionated people with varying degrees of knowledge claiming that they are absolutely correct and everyone else is an idiot! But back to my original point - people on the forum (including myself) would love to hear your opinion on any table tennis topic - provided you can explain it coherently and support it with some rational argument. Calling everybody who disagrees with you an idiot doesn't qualify. Accept the remote possibility that you might just occasionally be wrong, and maybe you might learn something every now and again.
Tip #5 - Encourage Your Fellow Posters
For some of the posters out there, making those first few posts is a bit nerve-racking, especially if they have read some of the replies made to other newbies. For all you forum veterans, how about encouraging the new guys and making them feel welcome, rather than ripping into them? We've all asked some dumb questions from time to time - remember Tip #1 and Be Kind. The more posters we have, the more interesting these table tennis forums will become.
Tip #6 - Don't Encourage the Crackpots - and Don't Flamebait
If you've been reading the forums for a while, you'll know who the crackpots are - please leave them alone. Personally, I'm sick of wading through the same arguments time and time again just because a couple of people just can't resist poking other posters with a stick. Grow up already, will you?
