[nelie]

This posts applies to the entire forum but this subject seems to come up in General Chatter more often than others. Online communications can often be misunderstood due to the lack of body language, voice and other signals that we use as humans. Sometimes we may become offended by a post that is well meaning, other times we may find a certain users writing style to be abrasive and other times we may encounter a post that is just plain offensive.

There are a few options that you as a user can take to deal with potentially offensive posts:

1) Report the post. We would like to know about users that are being offensive. After the mods have reviewed it, we may opt to close or delete posts, including responses that reference the offensive post or other posts not contributing to the supportive 3FC atmosphere.

2) PM the user. If you are having a misunderstanding with a specific member, then it might be time to PM the member about the issue. Taking the issue outside the thread and directly sending a PM can often clear up confusion.

3) Ignore the user. We recommend this as a last resort but sometimes personalities don't mesh and this may be the best option for your own sanity.


I'd also recommend, in general, that you read through what you post prior to posting. Could something be considered offensive? Is there a better way to convey your message? Be aware that we are all humans and a little kindness goes a long way. And lastly, my favorite advice is "If you can't say nothing nice, then don't say anything at all"