And the forum novices should learn about the "secret handshake" which helps the anonymous members to recognize each other when we meet in tournaments.

GMTonyKosten wrote on 05/15/12 at 23:35:24:

Pithy - maybe someone is better in this.

The good -

Adding lines to your posts when discussing openings, giving your reasoning about a book.
Staying short with text.
Supporting the members of the community.
Giving positive feedback.
Showing where someone helped you to develop.

The bad - 

Offending and showing disrespect as a start or an answer.
Repeating the content (posts without adding new information).
Giving negative feedback twice or more often.
Adds without permission.
Hinting to illegal sources and stealing brain work.

The ugly - 

Answering to trolls.
Answering to posts arguing with trolls.
Making people buy popcorn.
Preaching.
Posting long with little content.

Matemax wrote on 05/15/12 at 16:51:18:

Agreed, any suggestions for something short and pithy?

Well, we already have rules against advertising and personal attacks. 

I like the idea of a philosophy statement that reminds everyone that we are building a positive community of chess players interested in publishing and openings that this site stands for.

Stefan Buecker wrote on 05/14/12 at 23:25:58:

I did think about this, and started editing the Registration Agreement, but soon realised that nobody bothered to read it, or if they did then they soon forgot!

Quote:


Yes agree with all above of Stefan.
How wish it to be - a forum for mutual help, a medium for co-constructing and advancing chess theory.
Theoretical underpinning: the ideal social constructivist enterprise. 
Hm maybe even social constructionist (Papert) if you consider chess to be 'making'! I wouldn't go that far.

Moderating - as SF correctly notes, moderators have lives. We don't live for you. For me: family, job, forthcoming PhD, also run a nationwide lit group for teachers. Don't even have time to get to chess tourneys any more.
Avoid ill will, don't be unpleasant just because you are anonymous, try to be more (socially) constructive than destructive.
Right, I have things to do....

GMTonyKosten wrote on 05/14/12 at 21:51:59:

The basics: no adhominem attacks, no ads, etc., which can just be copied from other sites and are respected anyway by 99% here. 
More interesting: you could give the novices an idea how you WISH the forum to be, into which direction it should develop. Obviously the latter would be no rigid "laws", but rather your philosophy for the whole site. Something like: many club players have good ideas which they would like to share or discuss with others. PCs are getting faster. Nonames may have a better library than the titled contributors. ... But avoid to ruin a discussion by doing ... (too many diagrams, shouting, being off-topic, rude German jokes, whatever)