OK, if I'm not supposed to post personals, what kinds of articlesshould I post?
Description
This article is from the Singles FAQ, by Trygve Lode tlode@nyx.net with numerous contributions by others.
OK, if I'm not supposed to post personals, what kinds of articlesshould I post?
Think of soc.singles as the electronic version of something
that's partway between a cocktail party and a soap opera.
Appropriate posts should be both interactive and
entertaining--that is, their content should both invite the
participation of others in the electronic conversation and be
entertaining to its readers. You might pose an open question to
the readership about some aspect of the human condition as it
applies to singleness or you might reply to another
contributor's post and add an observation that sheds light on a
different aspect of the issue under discussion or just makes
some people out there laugh and shoot Pepsi out through their
noses onto their computer keyboards. Personal ads are a good
example of what sort of posting isn't appropriate because they
are neither of these--they aren't conducive to public
discussion nor are they entertaining.
Remember, the best way to get a positive response on any group
is to post something that will pique the interest of the other
readers and entertain them as well. On soc.singles, the best
thing to do is simply to post a message that expresses a
stunningly profound observation that is fundamental to the
human condition as it relates to singleness, one that is
unobvious yet clarifies many of the more confusing interactions
between singles and MOTAS and is expressed with succinctness,
humor, an easy, flowing writing style, and-- perhaps most
importantly--good spelling and the effective use of an editor.
Some days we'll just settle for someone who can spell and use
an editor. Then, wait for fan mail while composing your next
opus.
When in doubt, the best thing to do is read the newsgroup for a
while, at least until you get a feel for what's going on; as
the old saying goes, "lurk before you leap." (This is generally
a good approach for any newsgroup, not just soc.singles.) You
may find it easier to leap into a conversation in progress.
Don't feel shy about "butting in": one of the advantages of the
net is that everyone can get a word in without interrupting
anyone else or being thought rude for speaking up. Keep reading
until you get to a message that inspires an interesting comment
or observation of your own and put that in a followup message;
or, if you're feeling really brave, start a whole new thread
and invite others' comments on a subject that you think is
interesting.
Don't forget who your audience is--people will be reading your
words all over the world with all kinds of software and on all
sorts of service providers. They might not have read an article
you're responding to, gone to the dance club down the street
from where you live, be using the same software you are, or
know what the message numbers are on your service provider
(they're different on every system); try to include enough
information so that a typical reader will understand what
you're talking about without feeling too confused.
Continue to:
My Books
