StP etiquette

[Kim Chee]

Occasionally a member takes a minor bashing for not observing proper etiquette. I'm not talking about the rules which are written and available. This is about the unwritten expectations that I'm sure many members of the community harbor (including me). I'll confess that I'm not a mind reader and when I came here I was quite a "forum noob". So, I felt the need to sit back and watch what was going on for a few days before making my introduction and written contributions. I think it might be a beneficial thing for the community to openly discuss this subject and maybe prevent future "uncomfortable situations".

What would you like to have people know about what you expect in terms of "StP etiquette"

Or: What etiquette failures have you experienced with other members? (no names, please)

 

[Kim Chee]

I gotta problem with people who start lame threads, like this thread. Hold on, I started this thread.
Seriously, does anybody have anything to add that might help improve the experience here on StP?


*bump

 

[zhivago]

not posting catch out spots publically.

 

[Doobie_D]

im a big fan of copying and pasting the WHOLE story into the thread and not just a cotton pickin link. I cant be bothered with clicking on a link.

 

[Kim Chee]

im a big fan of copying and pasting the WHOLE story into the thread and not just a cotton pickin link. I cant be bothered with clicking on a link.

I think Mr. Derrick recently addressed this very same issue indicating that when you put in a link that after time it often ends up going away and there is no writing left behind here on StP to
refer to. He suggested copying the link AND the entire story (or at least the relevant parts).

 

[Tude]

I think this forum is so important to all you people traveling out there ... meet ups, what to do, what to build, railroad stuffs - omg railroad, just a lot of great information and companionship - and just how to live on your own without the confines of society (btw - I do not travel - but am a person who is cool with you and wish to support you - and really enjoy reading of your travels). On the many other forums I'm on, especially a couple of them - trolling is the big thing. I think many of them are members of the Anon as well. To do that here would hurt the community that really has come together to here.

So yeah (after a big winded dissertation) - etiquette is important here - course an eff bomb - k FUCK is very appropriate - but it's just the community that is important.

Well my .02 cents

 

[wizehop]

I think not ragging on new kids who come on here looking for a point in the right direction is a good start (run on sentence?). I think we need to remember everyone needs to start somewhere, and this or any other forum should see it as a privilege to help shape the kids to come.
Of course questions like "Yo wat is da catchout spot for chi town, like how to I get on without getting busted?" should be met with the same amount of enthusiasm as the question. However, when some kid is starting out and looking for direction HE/SHE/IT shouldn't be shot down right of the bat. By showing respect and understanding we can teach it.

Just saying is all.

Forums and communities are about bringING people up, not knocking them down. Lets shape the future together, one little shit er prospect at a time (OOOOOH SNAP! with the cheesy ass line)

 

[Asar]

StP etiquette, specifically, for me is about respecting the people who know what they're talking about and paid their dues. I'm in my late 20s, and am a seasoned traveler, but I never argue with people over my 'feelings' about things. Being informed and giving respect where it's due is far more valuable than talking back to someone because they hurt your feelings because you're naive.

 

[venusinpisces]

A lot of people seem to have a misconception about what etiquette actually means, thinking that it is necessarily about proper table manners or getting stressed about the particulars of grammar. Really, the most important part of etiquette is just treating others with respect, plain and simple. It's not so much about what you say as how it's said and in what context.

In my opinion, it is particularly important for people in squatting cultures to treat others with respect because of the particular kind of person that the "transient lifestyle" can attract. There is this belief that it is always going to be a great thing to be marginalized by society, however if you think about it a lot of people who don't fit into society are stuck out on the margins for very good reasons, such as rape, child molestation and generally fucking other people over. Basically what you have is people who exist on the fringes because they have burned all their bridges. So this means that, in any environment where lack of respect is the standard, parasites like this will thrive because their empathy deficits are not only tolerated but accepted. And this ruins it for the majority who are not so inclined to take advantage of anyone in their immediate vicinity.

As for giving newbies a hard time, it kind of depends on why you're doing it and how it's done. If you see someone who is majorly fucking up and doing stupid shit that is either self-destructive or disrespectful, a little bit of harassment is not the worst thing in the world, depending on how it's said. I definitely did some dumb things when I was in my teens and if I had someone telling me that it's not cool and exciting to be running around bragging about smoking crack or whatever other stupid shit I was doing, then I can't imagine the effects would have been too terrible. Again, it's all about the context because arbitrary cruelty is pretty pointless and ultimately harmful to building any functional community.

 

[EphemeralStick]

biggest pet peeve : useless posts that contribute nothing to a topic. please have something relevant to say. hell its fine if you even get off track but darn it there's a like button for a reason! Use THAT to show that you like the content that people are posting instead of something like "I think this a good thread". no one cares about post counts!

as far as respect goes, yeah i think people should talk to each other courteously (be it the seasoned traveler or the noob, no one is exempt from respect) but lets not forget this is the internet. People are going to talk shit and insult each other (though there hasn't been a whole lot of that recently) regardless. If you're in the mood to talk shit take it to 4chan or something.