Tip #7 - You're Not as Good as You Think You Are
Trust me, you're not. (And no, neither am I!) Until you are winning national championships or coaching others who are winning them, how about showing some respect for those who have? Give us your opinion for sure, but don't claim to be the last word on the subject. Don't you realize how silly that makes you sound?Tip #8 - Contribute When You Can, and Shut Up When You Can't
If you can't add something of interest or use to others to the thread, why bother? And believe me, those posts insulting other posters or telling us how great you are or why everyone else is an idiot aren't of much interest to anybody else but yourself and the person you are insulting. Why not email him direct and save the rest of us from having to read it? I'm on the forum to read about Table Tennis - not about you!Tip #9 - Quality Over Quantity
I sometimes feel that some people are posting just to get their post count up - and it generally shows in the usefulness of their posts. Others don't post as often, but when they do, you know it's going to be something interesting to read. It's the old 80/20 rule - 80% of the useful information is coming from 20% of the posters.Tip #10 - Don't Believe Everything You Read
Remember, anybody can post pretty much anything they want on these forums, without having to prove it. Take anything you read with the proverbial big grain of salt - including what I have to say, of course!Tip #11 - Check the FAQs and Search Features
Before posting your question to the forums, take the time to check the FAQs or use the Search features for the forum - chances are your question has been asked and answered already.Tip #12 - Spellin' and Gramma
Er - grammar, that is. ;) . Some people don't care about spelling and grammar, others do. It's up to you I guess. But please spare me from the hacker-speak - or provide me with a translation or something, for goodness' sake! I'm getting to old to try to decipher it.Tip #13 - Promote Table Tennis
I shudder to think what new readers must think about our sport and the people that play it when they visit some of the table tennis forums. Can we all try to give the new guys a positive impression of table tennis and its supporters wherever possible?Tip #14 - Praise Others, Not Yourself (From Carl Danner)
Praising yourself will not gain you the respect of others -- but posting interesting and useful thoughts will.For those unable or unwilling to understand the list of points, I recommend a classic text: "How to Win Friends and Influence People," by Dale Carnegie. Without pointing to anyone by name, I can see a substantial need for this book in some quarters. :)
