Best Posts in Thread: Guide To Making Good, Spam Free Posts!

These are general guidelines / rules / formulas to use that will help you create a decent post. Now, I don't know much about posting, but I will do my best to bestow upon you what little wisdom I have on the subject.

First things First: Start off with a good introduction. It should be short, sweet and relate the subject of the fallowing post in no more than 3 sentences. Titles, in this case, are not necessary sense the post has it's own. But no harm in adding one.

Structure: Make sure your sentence and paragraph structure is impeccable. Nothing ruins the flow, or makes the author sound silly, than a grammar error or awkwardly worded sentence. Read over your work, make sure it flows and makes sense to a reader that doesn't know what your talking about.
I won't lecture on spelling, sense I am the worst offender in that area.


Quality comes with Quantity: I'm sure you've heard the saying "Quality, not quantity." Sure, this is a good rule to live by, but it does not totally stand firm in the world of forum posting. Many times, people post something really short and sweet. This is not a bad thing, but sometimes a subject requires more explanation beyond one or two sentences.

Many times, people rite as if the person reading it knows what they are talking about. The truth is, they don't know what you mean by "the thing." and "stuff" etc... Make sure you have no anonymous words or sentences in your post.


My Opinion: Opinions are sensitive things. In order to keep a larger fan-base of your works try to keep your threads/posts clear of large opinions. These can stir up unnecessary conflict and tension between people. When confronting a subject of multiple opinions, just try to stick to the facts. If that fails avoid the subject all together. Try to make your posts as general (as far as opinions go) as possible.

On the other hand, an opinion can be a good thing! As long as you make it professional and don't just dismiss any thought of another standpoint someone may have.


The Blob!!!: The "blob" is the thing you should avoid the most when creating a thread. People tend to put all their words into one big paragraph. This is a big turn off for many readers. I mean, who wants to read a big long paragraph with no end in sight? It feels disorganized and sluggish when reading.
Instead, organize your words into paragraphs according to subject. Even label them if you wish (as seen here) so that people can easily find the part they wish to read, and move on with their lives.
It also looks way more professional.


Contrast: Colors can be a good thing to add to a post. It can add some character and personal flair. If you do choose to use colors, make sure they are not very bright or hard to read colors.

These colors can hurt peoples eyes, and make them want to look away. You don't want that do you?

Professional Comedy: It's always good to keep the post "professional." But, in order to keep the attention of your reader you must also be funny, to a sertain extent. Things like memes are fine and all, but they distract from the main post.
I'm not saying you shouldn't add memes, you just have to be very conservitive in your use of jokes, memes and the like. Put the comedy in where it feels natural, don't try to place it, just put it whenever the moment arrives in your writing.
It's a delicate balance of comedy and professionalism while still maintaining the post's goal. if you can maintain this balance, you will always have your audience at your finger tips.

Be friendly: This is pretty self explanatory. Avoid (By that I mean never ever do) insulting people, groups, or other in your posts. It helps no one, and makes reading the post rather awkward. Try not to be condescending when relating information. For some this is easy, and for others it's not. I don't know if I can say much more on the matter. It's just a matter of courtesy, and everyone knows how to be courteous.


Be Open Minded: When your post is done you anxiously wait for user feedback. Of course, everyone hopes for "+1" and compliments from admins and well known folks. But what if someone criticizes you? Many people don't want to hear that and say "keep your opinions to yourself."
This is the wrong way at looking at criticism. Instead, use that as a learning expirience, ask people for honest feedback and alter your post or future posts acordingly. If someone (this person will always be there) is being downright rude to you, just don't reply to him and maintian that professionalism. Be a boss, and absorb that criticism into your mind and learn from it. Do it again and again and before long people will have a hard time finding something to complain about in your posts.


Well, hope this covers everything. That's about all I can dish out at the moment. If I think of anything I will be sure to add it. Let me know if I'm missing something. Have a great day.

-«Nate»