Read This Before Posting!

[formermarcher]

Hiya's!

Its that time of year again where I get to make this standard post for the upcoming marching year. I know alot of you have seem some variation of this before, so you know where I'm going. For those who are here for thier first marching season on WoP, I bid you welcome and I invite you to enjoy many a conversation, joke, and fun times that we will see this season.

I don't want to spend too long discussing things, so here we go:

1. Treat All Members With Respect

Over the next few months we are bound to have a few dsiagreements. I ask that when facing someone who doesn't agree with you that you don't call them a name that would degrade them, thier family, thier program, or someway cause negativity to be spread across the boards. Lets remember that we are all entitled to our opinions and sometimes those conflict. Lets also remember that other people have opinions as well, and that we shouldn't be hostile because someone disagrees.

Be happy!

2. Search Function

This is going be a problem that we'll have, simply because we've had it every year for the three years I've moderated these forums. That is repeated threads. Please please please PLEASE check the forums before making a new thread to make sure it doesn't already exist. We have a wonderful option out there called the search function...let it be your best friend. If you can't find it, follow this link:

search.php?sid=d272cf49e2b2a904947ace001be6ba27

Its really easy to use, I promise. I know we may all be excited about a particular thing, or we may all want to know a score, but we don't need a dozen threads on it. One thread will do! Help keep the forums clean!

3. Think Before You Post

If you think something you are going to post may not be the best thing to post for whatever reasons, then you probably shouldn't post it. You can always PM a message to a moderator and we'll gladly look it over for you. Thats what we're here to do...make sure everything goes along smoothly and without problem, but also to be a guiding light for new posters, old posters, and the posters we keep locked up in the closet.

I'm not going to go into examples of bad posts...be smart when you post and think before you act.

4. Circuit Threads

I know I speak for the other Moderators when I say we don't want to see them. I know that it may seem harmless, but every conversation I've ever seen regarding circuit threads gets real ugly real fast, or ends up with everyone saying "We can't really compare these circuits". So if you want to discuss WBA vs SCSBOA or whatever, I can tell you right now the answer is that they can't be compared.

5. Talking About Your Program

I know we have alot of people posting who really have alot of pride in thie programs, and thats a great thing to have. I'm all for pride within the program, but we all need to keep this within moderation. These kind of threads really can get sticky if taken the wrong way.

A bad way to post is something like this:

"OMG MY BAND ROCKZORZ TEH BIGONE!!!!111one"
"WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MY BAND? WE KICK BUTT!"
"MY PROGRAM IS BETTER THAN YOURS!!!"


A good way to post is something like this:

"Looking for positive feedback on our performance"
"My band is called Band X. What do you think we do well in, and what do you think we need to work on"
"Can anyone who saw us maybe give us some advice on some things you saw?"


This isn't a place to stroke your ego. What we can do though is use it for productive feedback.

I should also mention that no matter when you make a thread, if you have the title or post in all caps, chances are we're going to delete it. We'll see your thread just like everyone else...no need to make it stand out.

Thats the most prominent things I can think of. If you have something that you think I should include, send me a PM and I'll add it in, or PM any other Moderator and we'll edit it in.

And as always, if you ever have any questions about anything feel free to IM us or PM us!

Happy posting

[formermarcher]

One thing I have recieved a few requests for ties directly to the subject of each thread. One or two people doesn't warrant a suggestion, but when enough people speak...

If you are going to make a thread looking for information on something, looking for someone, or any sort of information gathering, its generally a good idea to exhaust all your options first. Try the search function here on WoP to find an older thread, go to the website of the school you want to inquire about, or go to one of the circuit websites to find information relevent to that circuit.

We have a ton of threads here and some of what I see ends up being a post where someone asks a question, one or two people answer it, and the thread is done. Lets try to cut down on that a bit by being a tad more assertive in our search.

I'm not saying don't post these things, but lets try to keep this gigantic forum to a more managable viewing size. If you detest looking things up, by all means post away.
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Another thing I'd rather not happen is the threads asking for scores from such and such a competition.

Bandmaster does a great job of updating the website with scores as soon as he gets the information. However, he is human and sometimes can't get the website updated the night of the competition. As such, please have some patience in looking for scores. Don't post asking for them...they *will* be updated within a few days on the webpage. If you don't see it on the scores page after 4 or 5 days, then its probably ok to make a post asking for the scores.

For the most part, just be patient...Bandmaster will have them updated for you in a quick manner.

Now if you have the scores from the events, by all means post them for us to see, or send an e-mail to Bandmaster ASAP so he can get them up on the site.

Thanks!

[formermarcher]

This update has to do with thread resurrection. Its not something that has spread to this forum too much (thankfully), but its beginning to crop up in others.

As you all may have noticed, we have quite an archive of threads in this forum. You may also notice that we ask that you always use the search function before posting a new thread. This is to avoid repeat threads and repeat discussions.

Generally, though, you only want to bring back a new thread if there is something brand new to introduce, and even then you may want to consider making a new thread about it. If a discussion took place a year ago, then people might have new thoughts or insights regarding whatever it is the thread was about. Bringing back a thread from the dead generally never serves a purpose.

Think of it like having a conversation with someone. You have the conversation, you finish it, and then you leave. You don't call up that friend 6 months later and pick up from where you left off on that convo. You start something new.

The main reason is to avoid further cluttering. When the season picks up there will be many good discussions, but if people are logging on to find conversations that are outdated...well that clutters the forums up a bit.

[formermarcher]

*copies Kevin's idea*

Bump, cause the season is upon us!

[formermarcher]

I understand that we are all excited about each week of competition, and eagerly look forward to the next week as soon as the current one is over. With that said, threads asking for lineups (especially on Sunday) tend to flood and clutter the forums. Not to mention there are tons of such threads everyday. I would strongly recommend waiting until at least mid-week to see if someone posts the lineup for whichever competition. So far, the forum-goers have been very good at putting those line-ups on the message boards.

I know we all get excited. Just wait until mid-week to see if the lineup you want has been posted or not. Also, make use of this link:

http://www.worldofpageantry.com/events/index.php

It tends to have a fair number of events listed, in advance. It may not always have the lineups up to date, but rest assured that as soon as the lineups are known, it will be in that section.

[Hostrauser]

If I may jump in here, FM...

Please, before making a post asking for a schedule or results, check the following:
Events Calendar (for schedules)
2007 Scores Page (for, duh, scores)

Please do not make line-up requests for events more than a month in the future. There's just too much flux in scheduling up until that point. Four weeks before a show is usually (not always) when an event has their line-up pretty much set it stone.

Please do not make score requests until 48 hours after the event have passed. We are quick: many events will have scores submitted that same day. Some will not. Give people Sunday to get the scores up. Give people Monday to get the scores up (many band directors toss the recaps into their office when they get back from competition Saturday night and don't have access to them until Monday when they're back at school). I think by Monday evening if the scores are still missing then it's reasonable to make a score request, but please try to remember that in this age of instantaneous information, some things still take time.

[Hostrauser]

*bump*

Just a reminder for the upcoming year.