01-20-2011, 12:15 PM
Hello there! There have been complaints regarding the use of tact from a few of the players here, so I thought I'd write this up. In no way do I mean this as a form of attack or disparagement; I too lose tact from time to time. We all do.
This will be short guide, covering only what it really needs to. If you have the means to be tactful, but lack the inclination, I question your role in being a positive member of this server; important in any society.
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The Problems of Textual Communication
A few people may have heard me complain about electronically written forms of communication. This is, simply put, because it degenerates any sort of emotional input and causes confusion. One must know how to manipulate what they say just so they don't look like an asshole. Evoking emotion in text is something professional writers strive to master, as it improves their writing overall or helps to convey a certain message. When you are bantering OOC'ly with someone, you don't exactly pay attention to the quality of your writing to a degree that you feel the need to accent it in any fashion other than one of those devilish smiley shenanigans. It just isn't something you're concerned with.
Summarily; it's hard to understand what someone is saying when they aren't paying attention to how they are saying it in a text-based format. Misunderstandings most often occur and cause severe drama.
Avoiding Miscommunication
One fail-proof way to avoid miscommunication is to clearly, without unnecessary vocabulary, state your opinion, afterwards clarifying how you are presenting this information. Many times, you are simply trying to be factual, even robotic. This can be considered rude to some, and is best avoided. Relative to this, using forms of "1337" speak or lazy grammar and/or typing skills can be seen as trolling. Those without acute finesse in these areas would be well served to mention this in the discussion. A good rule of thumb is really read what the other person is saying. Read it twice. More, if need be. Another very large rule of tact is, without a doubt:
Respect
While it is the #1 rule, it isn't always adhered to. When discussions turn into heated debates, one tends to abandon reason in favor of their emotions. This can be easily avoided using proper forms of tact and diplomacy. One such way is the minimal use of expletives (or any interjections, for that matter). Expletives are curse words, basically, and interjections are simply words used to express a certain emotion in a very basic way (e.g. "DERP!" or even "Yes!" or any other fine example). Also remember that if you neglect to respect a member, the odds are you won't receive any yourself.
Proper speech etiquette also contributes to a respectful tone, such as the use of interpunction (the use of punctuation in the form of commas, exclamation marks, periods, etcetera in a sensible manner). Blizzard GM's have this down like a robot (speculation exists that they are robots - form your own opinion), insomuch that they can be slightly...difficult to deal with. While you don't necessarily need to address someone like the Pope, it's good to show a bit of a professional side to keep things low-key.
Maturity
Another rule of the server. That isn't hard to imagine, as many rules are there to help promote an overall friendly attitude from players. Without maturity, we are incapable of many things; among them, diplomacy! If you, dear reader, have a child, you understand the double-edged sword of parenthood. Watching a child grow instills pride and strengthens the family bond, but you also have to raise the child. Sometimes...this can be trying! Some adults turn to drinking just to relieve the stress (I mostly blame the teenagers *waves cane in the air*) born from dealing with the immature. Dealing with them is nearly impossible.
Nothing you say has credit, you receive cutting, sarcastic remarks in response, etcetera. It is counter-productive. It's also rude. There is no real way of warning you off of maturity - most aren't aware that they are immature, and find offense when accused. The general rule of thumb is; think. Think rationally, and clearly. And above all, think about what you are saying and who you are saying it to. Chances are, they will take it in a completely different way.
This doesn't mean you should get aggravated and turn the discussion into the very thing we are trying to avoid; if the discussion isn't going well, then simply end the conversation. Maybe take a break and cool off.
Citing Sources
Luckily for you, this isn't History class. To cite your source doesn't mean to add an MLA subscript to prove your point. If found on the internet, you could copy the link and paste it into the chatbox (hitting the enter key and pressing alt+v will paste text into the chatbox), or provide directions to the webpage you are referring to. If you can't retrieve text from the chatbox, trying downloading the Elephant Addon. It has a very handy copy tool (it even copies the color of the text!). With either of these methods, it's best to be as specific as possible.
In the case of a source other than a webpage, it would be best to find the particular passage you are looking for on the internet, if possible, and present it thusly. Make sure that it includes a lengthy passage, as certain subjects can (and often are) taken out of context. If this is impossible, a reference to the text you are citing is the least you could do.
Other Guides
Here I will include a few excellent guides relevant to this topic (courtesy of our own CotHites).
Guide to Grammar by (the one and only!) Qaza
RP Etiquette Reminders ~ How to be OOC by Fawnee
Drama and You by Cressy
Useful Links by Nostra
----------------
That concludes this quick guide. Special thanks go to JVNemesis, Amerason, Mitsuki, RiffRaff, c0rzilla, MadFerret, & Eratta.
This will be short guide, covering only what it really needs to. If you have the means to be tactful, but lack the inclination, I question your role in being a positive member of this server; important in any society.
----------------
- Contents
--1. The Problems of Textual Communication
--2. Avoiding Miscommunication
--3. Respect
--4. Maturity
--5. Citing Sources
--6. Other Guides
The Problems of Textual Communication
A few people may have heard me complain about electronically written forms of communication. This is, simply put, because it degenerates any sort of emotional input and causes confusion. One must know how to manipulate what they say just so they don't look like an asshole. Evoking emotion in text is something professional writers strive to master, as it improves their writing overall or helps to convey a certain message. When you are bantering OOC'ly with someone, you don't exactly pay attention to the quality of your writing to a degree that you feel the need to accent it in any fashion other than one of those devilish smiley shenanigans. It just isn't something you're concerned with.
Summarily; it's hard to understand what someone is saying when they aren't paying attention to how they are saying it in a text-based format. Misunderstandings most often occur and cause severe drama.
Avoiding Miscommunication
One fail-proof way to avoid miscommunication is to clearly, without unnecessary vocabulary, state your opinion, afterwards clarifying how you are presenting this information. Many times, you are simply trying to be factual, even robotic. This can be considered rude to some, and is best avoided. Relative to this, using forms of "1337" speak or lazy grammar and/or typing skills can be seen as trolling. Those without acute finesse in these areas would be well served to mention this in the discussion. A good rule of thumb is really read what the other person is saying. Read it twice. More, if need be. Another very large rule of tact is, without a doubt:
Respect
While it is the #1 rule, it isn't always adhered to. When discussions turn into heated debates, one tends to abandon reason in favor of their emotions. This can be easily avoided using proper forms of tact and diplomacy. One such way is the minimal use of expletives (or any interjections, for that matter). Expletives are curse words, basically, and interjections are simply words used to express a certain emotion in a very basic way (e.g. "DERP!" or even "Yes!" or any other fine example). Also remember that if you neglect to respect a member, the odds are you won't receive any yourself.
Proper speech etiquette also contributes to a respectful tone, such as the use of interpunction (the use of punctuation in the form of commas, exclamation marks, periods, etcetera in a sensible manner). Blizzard GM's have this down like a robot (speculation exists that they are robots - form your own opinion), insomuch that they can be slightly...difficult to deal with. While you don't necessarily need to address someone like the Pope, it's good to show a bit of a professional side to keep things low-key.
Maturity
Another rule of the server. That isn't hard to imagine, as many rules are there to help promote an overall friendly attitude from players. Without maturity, we are incapable of many things; among them, diplomacy! If you, dear reader, have a child, you understand the double-edged sword of parenthood. Watching a child grow instills pride and strengthens the family bond, but you also have to raise the child. Sometimes...this can be trying! Some adults turn to drinking just to relieve the stress (I mostly blame the teenagers *waves cane in the air*) born from dealing with the immature. Dealing with them is nearly impossible.
Nothing you say has credit, you receive cutting, sarcastic remarks in response, etcetera. It is counter-productive. It's also rude. There is no real way of warning you off of maturity - most aren't aware that they are immature, and find offense when accused. The general rule of thumb is; think. Think rationally, and clearly. And above all, think about what you are saying and who you are saying it to. Chances are, they will take it in a completely different way.
This doesn't mean you should get aggravated and turn the discussion into the very thing we are trying to avoid; if the discussion isn't going well, then simply end the conversation. Maybe take a break and cool off.
Citing Sources
Luckily for you, this isn't History class. To cite your source doesn't mean to add an MLA subscript to prove your point. If found on the internet, you could copy the link and paste it into the chatbox (hitting the enter key and pressing alt+v will paste text into the chatbox), or provide directions to the webpage you are referring to. If you can't retrieve text from the chatbox, trying downloading the Elephant Addon. It has a very handy copy tool (it even copies the color of the text!). With either of these methods, it's best to be as specific as possible.
In the case of a source other than a webpage, it would be best to find the particular passage you are looking for on the internet, if possible, and present it thusly. Make sure that it includes a lengthy passage, as certain subjects can (and often are) taken out of context. If this is impossible, a reference to the text you are citing is the least you could do.
Other Guides
Here I will include a few excellent guides relevant to this topic (courtesy of our own CotHites).
Guide to Grammar by (the one and only!) Qaza
RP Etiquette Reminders ~ How to be OOC by Fawnee
Drama and You by Cressy
Useful Links by Nostra
----------------
That concludes this quick guide. Special thanks go to JVNemesis, Amerason, Mitsuki, RiffRaff, c0rzilla, MadFerret, & Eratta.