Don't be rude to others, or make an argument personal

Know the difference between a difference of opinion and a personal attack

Don't try to "win" an argument by repeating yourself over and over

Don't tell others what to post

Keep it clean, don't use profanity

Stay on topic

Edit your original message instead of posting two or more messages in a row

Do your best to use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, etc.

Don't push your site or product

Don't post copyrighted materials

Don't talk about the boards on the boards

Search for existing topics before starting a new thread

Create a thread name that is comprehensive

Don't use all-caps or excessive punctuation in thread titles

The purpose of this board is to provide a place for singers to make connections, exchange information and assist and encourage one another. It is above all a professional environment for discussion and debate.

• Don't be rude to others, or make an argument personal

Why can't I tell this guy what an idiot he is; every single thing he posts is just so wrong?
If you can't find a respectful way to express your difference of opinion, then you're better off saying nothing at all. Don't talk down to other posters, lecture them or be rude and dismissive. Disagreement is fine, but attacking another poster personally will get you banned. We mean it.

But he started the fight by attacking me! Can't I defend myself?
No, you can't. This is a forum for the discussion of singing, not a dueling society. If you feel attacked, report it to the mod and then ignore the troll. Remember, however much you were provoked, if you attack a poster personally then you are just as guilty of breaking the rules. And you, too, could be banned.

Okay, so how do I report someone for making a personal attack?
Go to the "Out of Tune" Forum and post it in the Troll thread. Please be sure to include the name of the offending poster and the topic where the offending post occurred. A mod is checking the Forums daily, so violations should be addressed in short order.

• Know the difference between a difference of opinion and a personal attack

So, what is the difference between disagreeing and being attacked?
Many of us feel passionately about our craft to the point where our identity can become associated with our technique and ideas about voice and the business of singing. And sometimes if those opinions are disagreed with, you can feel personally attacked. But unless someone is insulting you by name, or quoting you directly and then disparaging you, it is not an attack, no matter how disagreeable being disagreed with may feel.

I'm a singer posting anonymously on this Forum, and there is a thread where people are saying they don't like my singing! Isn't that a personal attack?
Well, you become two people here, a Forum poster and a singer. Posters can certainly critique you as a singer without it being an attack on you as a Forum poster. If you feel that the discussion of your singer identity is becoming unnecessarily personal or derogatory, email the mod and the matter will be looked into.

• Don't try to "win" an argument by repeating yourself over and over

This Forum is a place to exchange information; it is not your personal soapbox. The goal is to teach and to learn, not to beat down the opposition. This is supposed to be an enjoyable place to discuss an art that we love, not a battlefield! If you find that you are arguing in circles, then agree to disagree and move along.

• Don't tell others what to post

Why can't I tell a poster that he's breaking the rules?
This board has a moderator, and it isn't you. Telling other people what to do is rude, derails the conversation even further and often ignites flame wars. Report trolls, off-topic violations and such in the "Out of Tune" Forum, and a moderator will address it.

• Keep it clean, don't use profanity

Why can't I curse? We're all adults here, right?
No, we aren't, actually. Young people read these forums also, so conduct your conversations as if you were standing in front of a children's choir. Keep it clean and professional. And don't try to split hairs and argue that using "$$" instead of "ss" or replacing a key vowel with an * means it isn't really profanity.

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• Stay on topic

Think before you post. If you have something of substance to say that was inspired by a thread but has nothing to do with the topic, start a new thread and share there.

• Edit your original message instead of posting two or more messages in a row

If you post and then think of something to add or see something that needs correction, edit your original post instead of posting a second time (or a third). Look for the icon of the sheet of paper with the pencil above your post and use it. If your post is the most recent one in the thread but 72 hours have passed since you posted it, then adding a new post is fine.

• Do your best to use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, etcc.

This isn't an English class, and we have no intention of blasting posters for spelling errors or the occasional bit of bad grammar. But please don't use things like "2" for "to" or "U" for "you", and don't type your messages in all lower case or all upper case letters or without any punctuation. It's hard to read, and can be especially confusing to our members who aren't native English speakers. If it's a long post, a carriage return or two is recommended.

• Don't push your site or product

If you want people to know about your really great site or product, feel free to buy an ad in Classical Singer magazine. The Forum is not the place to sell yourself or your goods.

• Don't post copyrighted materials

Classical Singer can get in trouble if you post copyrighted material, so please don't. Post a link, instead.

• Don't talk about the boards on the boards

Why can't I talk about the boards? I just wanted to say how cool Posters X, Y and Z are!
We're glad that you like your fellow posters, but this is a place to discuss singing. Starting threads about how great a poster is or how you don't like a fellow poster's behavior, complaining that a thread got deleted or that the mod gave you an unfair warning detracts from that discussion. Got a problem with another poster? Post it in the "Out of Tune" Forum and it'll be addressed. Got a problem with the mod? Email the mod (but don't expect it to do you any good). Want to compliment a fellow poster? Send them a private message through the board.

• Search for existing topics before starting a new thread

Check through the most recent 10 pages of threads to see if the topic you want to start exists already. Odds are very, very good that a "Who's Your Favorite Singer?" thread already exists.

• Create a thread name that is comprehensive

Thread names such as "I Need Help!" or "What Do YOU Think?" aren't very helpful to a poster trying to decide if they want to spend their valuable Internet time reading your thread. Try to use a name that gives a more complete idea of the topic of discussion: "Trying to Find Score for Obscure Mozart Variation" or "Puccini v. Verdi" are better choices. You'll probably get more responses, too.

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