I think it should be a rule....

[MrLang]

I also think there is so much room for interpretation in text that people can come of as rude or mean even if they had no intention in doing so.

I tend to respond in very direct language. I find if someone is acting out of ignorance that brevity and simple language is the best way to communicate with them. I'm also a wildly sarcastic person by nature. These things combined requires you to be thick skinned to be my friend in real life and makes me look flat out rude on the net. I don't really care much because I value the opinions of the people that can cut through the nonsense and understand what I'm saying. In a lot of cases, especially with people who are.. let's call it 'prone to ignorance,' I have found sarcasm to be very effective in encouraging them to reconsider a different perspective. Sometimes people need their own irony shoved in their face to see its flaws. To other people, that approach breaks their fragile little ego. I think those people should toughen up and I will consider myself instrumental in their acclimation to world. Very high and mighty of me, I know. /soapbox

[Rob]

I'm also a wildly sarcastic person by nature.

Same here, generally people I'm writing to actually know me and get my humor. But yeah in forums people can get the wrong idea lol

[BrandiR]

I tend to respond in very direct language. I find if someone is acting out of ignorance that brevity and simple language is the best way to communicate with them. I'm also a wildly sarcastic person by nature. These things combined requires you to be thick skinned to be my friend in real life and makes me look flat out rude on the net. I don't really care much because I value the opinions of the people that can cut through the nonsense and understand what I'm saying. In a lot of cases, especially with people who are.. let's call it 'prone to ignorance,' I have found sarcasm to be very effective in encouraging them to reconsider a different perspective. Sometimes people need their own irony shoved in their face to see its flaws. To other people, that approach breaks their fragile little ego. I think those people should toughen up and I will consider myself instrumental in their acclimation to world. Very high and mighty of me, I know. /soapbox

You are actually one of the people whose posts I like to read. I don't think you're rude, I think you're just to-the-point. There is a big difference between stating what you need to state in a matter-of-fact manner and being a jerk off just to be a jerk off.

I know a lot of very nice people who communicate the way you do, and they certainly take some warming up to. But that doesn't mean they're jerky people. I am not personally offended when someone acts like an ass to me. Like you, I have a pretty sarcastic nature and attitudes don't bother me too much. But I try to take into account when dealing with people (especially strangers) that not everyone is like me and some people are easily offended. Not to mention that some of the people who post here are younger kids.

I just think people should be nice until they are given a reason not to be! Is that too much to ask!?! (that was a pretend cyber-freak-out, not a real one. So don't quote it and tell me I'm too thin skinned)

[xFenrir]

I agree with this completely! Even as someone totally new and inexperienced, I see, "Help! Stuck Shed!" and I think to myself, "Really? This again?" So I understand that it must be incredibly frustrating for people who have extensive knowledge and have been at this for years to constantly be bombarded with the same questions that are very easily answered.

At the same time, I think a lot of new people know that they can easily find what they're looking for but they want to ask on the forum because they want to make their presence known and gradually melt into the group. When you're new, you just don't have the new and cool questions and comments that are interesting to the more advanced members.

I can kinda see that point, and it doesn't usually bother me. It's the ones that come on and ask the basics, then get all offended when people tell them they're doing something wrong. "no im ttly doin everyting rite wut r u talkin about? ur all (insert insult here)" and all that niceness.

Honestly, I watched and lurked for MONTHS, and I only started posting when I got my first BP. First I would post pictures, then I would comment on other people's pictures or would share my opinion on how cool owning a snake was. It was only about half a year to a year before I actually started giving serious advice, because by then I could answer basic questions confidently and I knew some of the lesser-known questions.