Forum Etiquette

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Nicole said:
Per the Advisory Panel’s recommendation, we have added a bullet about sourcing external sites to Etiquette Guidelines. Here is the full, agreed-upon text:

When citing a source, you must not only link to the source directly, but also provide at minimum a short description of the content you are linking to.

This does not permit you to copy the entirety of the content to which you are linking, as that is plagiarism.
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I am bumping this to remind everyone that we ask our members always to provide citations, and not to copy and paste the entirety of someone else's work.
 
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And, apparently, I am bumping this again.

Please remember that this is a discussion forum, not a chat room. Please limit posts to substantive contributions to discussion. We have reactions available, if people merely wish to share their emotions about a post. A response that is nothing more that an emoji or "thanks" contributes little of value and wastes other members' time.

I invite everyone to read the OP.
 
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So, maybe this is just me, but how do "we" feel about copying and pasting posts from external accounts to here in the forums. For me, it feels at the very least silly and quite disingenuous. I've been around this place for longer than most; before the thoosie era (not to say folks, perhaps myself included, wouldn't qualify as a thoosie back then). There's a lot to be had with the different perspective's we get around here. From avid park goers and travelers, first time visitors, to front line workers and folks who are connected to the numerous back channels that tie the industry together; the conversations that happen on this site represent a lot of folks who are in different places and enjoy parks for many different reasons.

I don't want to go full blast here but certain posts really do rub me the wrong way. In my mind a forum is a place for discussion. If you as an individual are spending time on this site and want to participate in the conversation, I would appreciate a more genuine effort to interact with the other user of this forum as individuals, rather than using the various threads of this forum as a copy and paste landing zone for the posts made on other websites in an effort to further your social media reach.

If BGW themselves made an account and started posting as "we at BGW", I really don't think I'd take too kindly to that either. Am I being too harsh here?
 
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I got to admit - to me it depends. If you are posting a link to your own site it does rub me the wrong way.

But personally I don't mind embedding something you did that might be on a site or twitter or youtube that you host. In fact, if it pertains to what the thread is about (IE the Rapterra thread) - I prefer it this way because if I have questions about the angle, or anything like that I don't need to go through sourcing, find the OG post, ask to find out that it was someone else, then do the whole song and dance to get a simple question answered. If the content creator is the one that posted it, then coo, we can ask them directly.

I would add that often, and this is what I've noticed, are these types of posts tend to end up driving some of the discussion that happens as people spot things in pictures and videos.

Last thought - I feel like in some cases, some people don't want to use personal accounts for things like theme park related content, and create an alternative that they do things like that through. I can tell you this is the case for me - I have one that's a 'burner' that I use to reply to a lot of golf related content that I post things with, but it's a brand and I don't want people knowing it's me posting it.
 
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Can we, or can we not, drop the f-bomb. And what about AI press release about a new bge roller coaster, like so:


Busch Gardens Williamsburg is thrilled to announce the addition of its newest thrill ride, "Eclipse," set to redefine the roller coaster experience in 2025. This groundbreaking attraction will immerse guests in an electrifying journey through the cosmos, combining cutting-edge technology with breathtaking design.


"Eclipse" will feature a state-of-the-art launch system propelling riders from 0 to 60 mph in just seconds. The coaster’s unique layout includes a series of heart-pounding inversions, gravity-defying airtime hills, and a thrilling zero-gravity roll. Guests will experience an innovative blend of high-speed thrills and unexpected twists, set against a visually stunning backdrop inspired by the mysteries of space.


Themed around the awe-inspiring celestial event of a solar eclipse, "Eclipse" promises to captivate visitors with its striking cosmic theming, immersive soundscapes, and dynamic light effects. As riders ascend into the heart of darkness and the excitement builds, the coaster will take them on a high-energy adventure through a series of dazzling, high-tech elements, making every ride a unique and exhilarating experience.


Construction on "Eclipse" is already underway, with the attraction slated to open in mid-2025. This newest addition will enhance Busch Gardens Williamsburg's reputation as a premier destination for thrill-seekers and families alike.


Stay tuned for more updates as we count down to the grand opening of "Eclipse." Prepare to be launched into an unforgettable journey that will redefine the limits of excitement and adventure.





Looks like it is definitely an Ireland attraction 💯
 
qdeathstar said:
And what about AI press release about a new bge roller coaster, like so:
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I mean you can, sure. If you pass it off as a real thing, people will hate you. If you're just using it for an example, concept, joke, whatever else, sure, no rule against it.

I personally feel like people would do well to disclose when they're sharing something created with or with substantial assistance from AI, but again, not a rule, just something I think would benefit the community.

And yeah, @RollyCoaster fucking nailed it re: your other question. As long as it doesn't violate any of our written rules, you're good*.

* Technically for exceptional and exceedingly rare circumstances the advisory panel can step in and request a change in an individual's behavior outside of the posted rules via the member censure procedure, but that's almost certainly never to be relevant to anyone reading this.
 
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GoHokies87 said:
So, maybe this is just me, but how do "we" feel about copying and pasting posts from external accounts to here in the forums. For me, it feels at the very least silly and quite disingenuous. I've been around this place for longer than most; before the thoosie era (not to say folks, perhaps myself included, wouldn't qualify as a thoosie back then). There's a lot to be had with the different perspective's we get around here. From avid park goers and travelers, first time visitors, to front line workers and folks who are connected to the numerous back channels that tie the industry together; the conversations that happen on this site represent a lot of folks who are in different places and enjoy parks for many different reasons.

I don't want to go full blast here but certain posts really do rub me the wrong way. In my mind a forum is a place for discussion. If you as an individual are spending time on this site and want to participate in the conversation, I would appreciate a more genuine effort to interact with the other user of this forum as individuals, rather than using the various threads of this forum as a copy and paste landing zone for the posts made on other websites in an effort to further your social media reach.

If BGW themselves made an account and started posting as "we at BGW", I really don't think I'd take too kindly to that either. Am I being too harsh here?
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I apologize; I somehow missed this post previously.

I tend to agree with @GoHokies87’s sentiments here. I, too, am here for discussion not a series of links to external sites. The power of this forum is that it brings together a wide range of experiences, expertise, and perspectives. If something legitimately contributes to the discussion, I think it deserves to be linked. If someone is just trying to get more clicks on their personal site, then it isn’t really serving the community in any way and is probably wasting everyone’s time.
 
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Nicole said:
In light of some patterns I am seeing, I wanted to highlight this post again. We have reaction buttons for a reason. Unless you are contributing something of substance, please don’t clutter up the threads and people’s Unreads.
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It seems this point needs to be made again. Please use the reactions buttons, if all you are doing is, you know, reacting.
 
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mcmehler said:
Thanks for the reminder. I tend to just react to each thought. Will try to be more concise. Although not exactly sure what difference it makes 🤣
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Because it is a community norm, which has been explained to you directly and highlighted in this Forum Etiquette thread more than once:

Gavin said:
I understand that some threads are very active, but can we please keep the double (and triple) posting down. It clutters up the forum and can end up spamming people with unread notifications. You can reply to multiple posts using the quote function and edit your post if you feel the need to add any additional thoughts. I do understand that it is sometimes unavoidable, like if a thread has died off, I just ask that you use your best judgment.

Thanks.
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Nicole said:
I want to remind everyone that we have the Quote feature, so people don’t double and triple post. It has gotten particularly bad recently. Please combine all of your responses into a single post.
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Zachary said:
It was decided by the Advisory Panel that the old "Forum Etiquette" section of the forum rules should be removed as they were not enforced standards but rather encouraged guidelines of conversation.

I firmly believe that new users (especially those unfamiliar with internet fora) who are motivated to become great contributors need a place to familiarize themselves with what is expected of them. That is what this thread will be.

For now, the unofficial forum etiquette guidelines below are largely based on what was previously featured on the forum rules page (put together by Nicole, Gavin, Shane, and I). I will be using that joint effort as a base to build off of as I evolve this collection of recommendations as needs arise and dissipate in the future.



Unofficial Forum Etiquette Guidelines​

Posting in a Thread

— Content & Tone
  • Keep posts relevant to the thread topic
  • Ensure your post makes a substantive contribution to discussion [Additional Thoughts]
  • Maintain civility—pleasantness wins more debates than rudeness [Additional Thoughts]
  • Try not to post the same content in multiple threads
  • Provide links and short descriptions, when citing other sites and/or sources. [Additional Thoughts]
— Formatting & Presentation
  • Use proper capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and grammar
  • Include descriptive text captions with all external links and file attachments
  • Cut down quoted text to exclude anything irrelevant to your post
Creating a Thread
  • Search the forum for an existing applicable conversation before creating a new thread
  • Post new threads in the appropriate discussion category
Modifying Your Profile
  • Keep your user signatures small and subtle
  • Do not use animated profile images
  • Avoid potentially offensive material in your username, signature, and profile image


Discussion of these (and possible future) guidelines is encouraged below. I have had a hand in managing this forum for seven years now, but I am in no way an communication expert. Ultimately it is up to the community—not me—to determine what is expected of its members.
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Zachary said:
A few tweaks have been made to the etiquette guidelines above in light of a handful of recent complaints. The real reason for this post though is to address one in particular: Useless nonsense.

Long ago there was a rule that disallowed "useless nonsense." Naturally, this was a problem as it constructed an environment where users didn't know what was or wasn't acceptable. It was a bad rule, but it wasn't without purpose.

The issue behind that old, long gone rule has become a common point of frustration for a number of people who have messaged or spoken to the admins recently.

There have been an increasing number of posts that lack real substance. Posts that serve only to thank or agree with someone are often better skipped in favor of a simple press of the Thanks button. Posts that serve only to contribute a one-liner quickly pile up to make a thread that consists of a hundred of them. This can clog up discussions and, worse, discourage people from reading at all.

This forum has been specifically, visually designed to put a large spotlight on the words of our users (compare this to this or this). We cast this spotlight on our user's content by separating each user's posts by a lot of screen real estate dedicated to that user. While each post is part of a larger thread, each post is also designed to stand alone as a small blog entry of sorts.

Furthermore, through the "Unread Posts" feature, we actually notify all forum users when anyone makes a post. When you post, you're not just commenting on a piece of content like you would be on Facebook or YouTube—you're writing your own small piece of the site. Each and every member will then be notified of that contribution and encouraged to check it out. This is not the standard operating procedure on most fora out there.

Because the forum is designed to place so much weight on each post, when a post doesn't contribute anything substantive to the discussion, it hurts.

All I'm asking here is that before you hit "Post Reply," ask this: If someone came to ParkFans.net, clicked on the "Unread Posts" link, entered the top thread in the listing, and found your post as the only new post since their last visit, would they feel that their time was well spent? If the answer is no, you should try to add some additional substance to your post.

Say that you want to make a joke about something relevant to a forum discussion. By all means, do it—I want to read it! That said, follow that up with something that contributes to the larger conversation. Sometimes that'll be contributing to a topic a few posts up from the one you were originally going to reply to. Sometimes that will be introducing a new thought or idea. Sometimes it can just be as small as posing a new question to drive conversation forward.

Note that not once have I suggested that people post less or that they refrain from jokes or the like. In fact, the wide range of personalities on the forum are one of our best assets and I don't want to suggest anything that will tone those down. Keep the jokes, puns, references, etc coming—I enjoy them too—just don't let them rule the conversation.

Anyway, anyone who made it this far, thanks for reading and thanks for caring!


tl;dr: Ask yourself if your post is worth people going out of their way to read. If not, add content, use the Thanks button, PM the user, etc.
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As has become tradition, I am (once again) bumping this thread to highlight our Forum Etiquette rules with our newer members. Please pay particular attention to @Zachary's post about "Useless Nonsense." His main point is that you should limit your posts to substantive additions to conversations.
 
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Nicole said:
As has become tradition, I am (once again) bumping this thread to highlight our Forum Etiquette rules with our newer members. Please pay particular attention to @Zachary's post about "Useless Nonsense." His main point is that you should limit your posts to substantive additions to conversations.
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@Nicole do you have any guesses when Pantherian will reopen?
 
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zachclarke said:
@Zachary are we still allowed to enrich our posts with racist undertones? I guess I'll just start my own blog, if not.
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You can, but you'll probably be bullied, you may end up with some strikes, and the panel may decide to ban you.

All I ask is that you share the URL for your new blog BEFORE rage quitting or getting banned—I'm still very bummed that I can't read Foghorn Leghorn advocate for the immediate demolition of X2, Backlot Stunt Coaster, Boo Blasters, or other relatively well-liked attractions on a daily basis. We really lost something special there. 😔
 
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