x360 Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Australian Xbox.com Forums

by GrathiusXR

© 2008 Arthur Kotsopoulos

So we have a little something called the Australian Xbox General Forum, and we all frequently scroll up and down the page looking for threads to post our excessive knowledge in them to help other people out, but sometimes there are those that instead of doing good they do bad!.

Over the past few days I have been on the forums searching and looking at different posts to see the different replies that have been left, some good, some bad, some informative and some just plain ….

So I decided to put together my knowledge of the forums, read other FAQs and Guides and put it in my guide basically how to use the General Discussion Forum and what sort of stuff to really post and do in certain situations from your average Joe gamer.

Table of Contents:

• 1. What topics to post about.
• 2. What topics not to post about
• 3. Before posting you topic.
• 4. How to behave in the forum.
• 5. What to post in a topic.
• 6. People have posted offensive comments in your thread.
• 7. People are flaming each other in the thread.
• 8. Politics – Religion ?
• 9. Keep the thread on–topic
• 10. The thread has gone completely hay-wire

1) What topics to post about.

So you have stumbled onto the General Discussion forum but have no idea what to post about in them? Well basically the General Discussion Forum is a place where you can post about;

• Preview of an Upcoming game (Example Here
• Articles regarding features in a certain game (Example Here)
• Special deals of different retail stores on games, accessories and other gaming needs (Example Here)
• Problems regarding your Xbox 360 (Example Here)
• Impressions on a games BETA (Example Here)
• News regarding DLC for a certain game (Example Here)
• Information on cheapest price for a certain game/different store to find it cheap. (Example Here)
• Hosting for a certain game and want to get people to join and build community relation (Example Here)
• Question regarding things in a game (Example Here)

The list goes on and on, as it is a General Discussion Forum for the Xbox 360, posting about games, accessories, questions, information and so on can be posted as it brings out a good discussion and further grows your knowledge not only on the game, but the general gaming scene, and also helps out the community as well. Basically post something that can be a contribution to the community.

Make sure to read the Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting in the General Discussion Forum to ensure that you abide by these and stay within the guidelines. Actually, you should read through these before joining up for the forum, as most don’t, and it’s very easy to do things that are a breach of these TOU (Terms Of Use) and COC (Code Of Conduct). So spend a little time reading through them. They can help you out much more than you realize.

Moderator and Gamer Xtramalt has a guide *Read before Posting* which tells the basic use of the forums which outlines the main things to consider before posting. It is a good read and something to read before embarking on your journey on the forum.

2) What topics not to post about.

Well now that the, what to post about has been covered what don’t you post in the General Discussion Forum?

Basically you don’t post about;

• Links that direct you to sites that include articles on how to mod your Xbox 360 and play burnt or downloaded games on them.
• Topics regarding rumours surrounding certain games, these are just rumours and are not true what so ever until stated by the publisher to be true, they only tend to bring out the hate from some forum users and make the thread an evil place to be in. (Example Here)
• Recruiting for your clan as there are 2 other perfectly good forum areas to discuss that Friends Forum for Australia & New Zealand and Xbox LIVE Australia. (Example Here)
• Starting a new thread regarding an issue if there is clearly many others on the same topic (Example Here)
• Don’t post topics with links to phising sites (Example Here) and tranceVib’s Warning: Phising Sites & Xbox Live
• Threads with referrals to sites that will win you a free Xbox 360 or I-pod or any other electronic device, big no. These are just schemes to get your personal details,
• Definitely NEVER post links to sites where you can download games, programs and such for free these are called torrents, and go against copyright infringement laws, and is completely wrong.
• Also never post topics about wanting to sell, trade your games or hardware or any goods, or doing any swap meet thing. The General Forums are not for that kind of stuff; over at PalGN they have a swap-meet forum for trading your games with fellow gamers. (Here)

These are some of the main things that you do not post about in the General Discussion forum as they tend to cause controversy, flaming, and bring the negative out of people. If you do end up posting a thread regarding any of these topics will most likely get locked, deleted, or you could get the Ban-Hammer coming your way for posting it.

3) Before Posting Your Topic

So you typed up what you want to post about but are a bit hasty as to if you should, well before posting your topic always make sure you have checked the following;

• Has your topic been posted already?
• Have you searched the first few pages of the forum in case there is a recent thread that is loosely based on your topic?
• Is your topic going to be a thread that will require some personal knowledge from other forumites?
• Is your topic suitable and within the guidelines of the General Discussion Thread?

These are simple, yet important things to always remember before posting your topic, because if it has already been answered, then there is no need for you to post it again, as the only feedback you will get will be negative or dismissive.

4) How to behave in the forum.

This one gets the best of everyone every now and again, but isn’t that hard to follow. There are only a few things to abide by on how to behave in the forum these include;

• Do not post negative and offensive comments in a topic as it will generate flaming, and forum users will become negative towards you.
• Do not put anyone down by posting harassing comments towards them.
• Treat everyone on the forums as equal.
• Keep topics on topic, sure a little bit of joking is fine every now and again but if you take it over-board then the topic will get locked.
• Do not act all tough over the forums; it is one thing so say and another to do.
• Never assume you ‘know’ the person or what the person may be thinking, as in reality, you do not know the person on the other end of the net, nor do they know you. And it’s very easy to be misinterpreted from something you type.

5) What to post in a thread?

Okay, so now you have found a thread and basically want to know what to post it in, that can ‘seem’ simple however, the post needs to include the following;

Do’s

• Answer the original posters question, and be informative in your answer as well so that it helps out the original poster so that they gain some knowledge on the situation should it ever arise again, and hopefully be directed to their answer, or have their answer supplied in a mature fashion,
• If the topic is about sharing your thoughts on a game, share your thoughts and impressions, but remember the rules regarding forum etiquette. Abide by them, and others will respond in kind.
  Your views on the issue the topic is about

Don’ts

• Posting one line replies that do not add anything but actually detract from the topic. It’s basically rude and curt.
• Posting negative, offensive comments is just a simply no-no. It’s basic common sense. Would you do it in real life with a friend, then don’t do it online with other ‘online community members’. I stress again this brings out the negative in people and creates a flame war.
• Posting comments that are irrelevant to the topic and the original posters question.

While these points seem relatively simple, they are however, very important points they should be followed before posting in a topic of your choice. Think before hitting that Post Button . . would I normally say this in real life, and would it get me in trouble if I did . . ? Nine times out ten the answer will be “no” I wouldn’t say that, and if the answer is “yes” it would get me in trouble, then simply don’t post it.

6) People have posted offensive comments in your thread.

The best thing to do if anyone has posted any offensive comments in you topic or any topic for that matter, is to not continue the conversation by posting anything that will further ignite the negativeness. You have two choices that will help the thread, and possibly save the thread from being locked.

Use the ‘Report Button‘ right next to the Edit Button. that is what it’s there for. It can also be used for good, so if you see a really helpful post, then let a mod know, as you may well help that poster out in having their CUL raised or show admin they are a helpful member of the community.

PM any of the Moderators that monitor the General Xbox Discussion forum which include Putnum, tranceVib, Xtramalt and Pidgeo. Inform them of exactly which thread the particular gamer has posted in and then the moderators will take the correct course of action in fixing this. Include the url of the page you are referring to, so that have immediate access to the page, rather than sift through several pages of a long Thread.

7) People are flaming each other in the thread.

Again this is the same as the above point but this time it is between 2 other forums users arguing or flaming each other within your topic or any topic regarding that. Again, use that Report Button or PM a Moderator about the situation at hand and inform them of exactly where and what is happening and they will take the correct course of action. Involving yourself in the flame war will only ensure that you receive the same consequences as the 2 original forum users flaming. If you’re part of it, you’re adding to it. Steer clear of anything that could get you in trouble.

8) Politics – Religion:

Like hot oil and water these things do not mix at all. Politics and gaming are on the same level. When coming onto the forum most users see something about politics and like ravaging cavemen do, they attack. Gamers have it in for politics (or other fractions of the world) and vice versa. Yes it does make for interesting discussion, and only the serious of serious matter should really be posted. Take for example the R18+ Thread here which has generated 6 pages of great discussion.

Reason for this thread not going haywire was that the posters were mature enough to discuss like normal adults about the situation, with other threads about politics some people tend to flame and flame and the topic gets to heated and a moderator locks it. Other than that if you are to ever post a thread about politics and gaming make sure that it is a good reason and hopefully people won’t go crazy in it and post offensive and negative comments.

9) Keep the Thread On Topic

There is nothing worse than posting a topic and awaiting responses from various users only to find that the topic has gone completely off-topic and is now a discussion about something different to what you originally posted.

In light of this always keep the thread on-topic, answer the Original Posters (OP) question, speak your thoughts as the topic says, as long as what you’re posting stays within the boundary of the title then all should be fine and you never know in time you may come to earn an icon showing that you are great at keeping threads on topic and creating great discussion.

If a thread goes way off-topic and you have tried your hardest to steer it back in the right direction and that has failed then there is not much else to do but to alert a mod about ti and they will do as they see fit. An On-Topic thread is a good thread, and if you’re lucky could generate page after page of responses.

10) The thread has gone completely hay-wire

Okay, so steering the thread in the right direction doesn’t work and all chaos has broken loose in the thread and there is no way to stop it. Best bet is to simply stay out of it, PM a moderator notifying them about the thread and informing them as to what it is titled, and then they do what they do best. Supply a url to the thread/page concerned, as this helps the Moderators a great deal.

There is really not much else you can do, but ensure that you do not participate in the chaos that is ongoing in the thread because then you will get the short end of the stick as well, and you would not want that to happen.

11) Have Fun!

Other than what I have said you can now enjoy searching through the forums posting replies, topics and enjoy the discussion with fellow gamers that share the same interest as you do. Some of the best discussions are the most simplest, and nothing beats coming onto the forums and seeing someone has answered your question to the fullest extent and then thanking them and then eventually using them in a game of Halo 3, Gears, FIFA08 or any other online game and showing them what your all about.

If everyone basically stays within the borderlines of these points then the General Xbox Discussion Forum will be a better place, where new comer forum users will not be abused and flamed and never visit the forum again, but instead they will be pleased and satisfied with the kindness and information that they have received and will most likely come back post again and maybe become a well known poster in the forum.

Conclusion:

This guide basically is for not only newcomers to the General Xbox Discussion Forum but also to the veterans of the forum as sometimes things happen and you know all chaos breaks loose, so hopefully after reading this you guys get a good idea on basically the General Discussion Forum.

Of course there is probably a lot more stuff I have left out but these are the main points to ensure your time on the forum is a pleasant and enjoyable one.

Thanks To:

There are actually quite a few Users I would like to thank and let that list begin;

AttackSloth32 who has written up a guide on how to write a guide/FAQ. How To Make a Good FAQ or Guide V.2 it certainly helped me a lot on constructing this guide and making it as well as it can be.

DarkArmada’s Xbox.com Forums CUL Guide & FAQ as it gave me the idea to write a guide for the forums hehe.

The various forum users threads that they have created and that I have used as examples thanks for creating the perfect threads so I can put them in here [J] Greatly appreciated guys.

Cheers!

© 2008 Arthur Kotsopoulos