29th September 2013
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Creating a Constructive/Informational Post
Made by Thisismyname in Help and Support
Member
520 posts
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Seen 28th June 2021
29th September 2013, 04:37 PM
Creating a Constructive post
Hello guys. Today I am bringing you tutorial on how to create a constructive and useful post, as well as how to appear serious and professional in your post. I have noticed that many users lack grammar and content in their posts, to the point where it doesn't contribute to the main topic at all.
In this tutorial, I will also explain the structure of a useful post as well as what a post is. I do hope that you find this tutorial useful.
POSTS & THREADS:
You may ask yourself, what is a post or what is a thread (Or known as discussion on these forums),
A discussion/thread is simply a main topic, it is the lead of the conversation. It is what is the power and energy of a topic. The thread should be organized and well structure to provide the best information for the user, or the reader.
A post is simply something that contributes to the discussion/thread. A post does not need to be massive, but should contribute to the thread in some way. The posts are the followers- they follow the discussion.
Example:
DISCUSSION: "Hello guys, I would like to thank username76786 for obtaining the Moderator position. I believe username76786 will contribute to the community and be a great help."
POST: "Congrats, username76786! You'll be a great mod, can't wait to see what you have to offer!"
See the difference now? The discussion provides the topic to talk about while the posts provide evidence and things to contribute to main topic. But of course, some posts don't contribute to the main thread.. and I'll get into that soon.
CREATING A CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSION
This part of the tutorial will probably be the largest and longest part. Now that you know what a post and a discussion is, as well as the difference, we can get into details of how to make a constructive Discussion.
First off.. what is a Constructive Discussion? A constructive discussion is one that will provide information to the reader, such as this one. A constructive discussion is one that isn't talking about things such as favorite foods, but informs the reader. Examples of constructive discussions can be news reports, tutorials, thoughts/opinions of in-game related things, or ideas/suggestions.
But, for a discussion to be constructive, it must provide rich information as well as good grammar and appear professional. No one wants to read a short news report that makes no sense or a long tutorial with no objective.
Below I have posted the main points of a constructive discussion:
-Provides the reader with info: The reader gains something from your discussion. It isn't just "Oh hey guess what? All of the moderators rock thanks. This discussion would be considered useless and almost spam.
-Grammar & spelling: I see so many threads that are hard to understand due to the lack of grammar and spelling. Constructive discussions will usually be well written and make the writer appear professional and serious. I don't know about you but I wouldn't take someone seriously if thy splt liek ths. Posting isn't texting, therefore you should use full words and proper grammar as you would on a report for school.
-Has an objective/point: Every discussion you make sure have an objective. Like in many books, your post could be to entertain, inform, or persuade a user. Entertaining posts or ones about things such as music, food, and media should stick to the lounge. Posts that persuade a user are ones that convince the user to do something. Suggestions could technically be considered a persuasive post as they are telling the user why the suggestion should be added. Informational posts are ones of which inform the user. This post, would be a great example.
CREATING A CONSTRUCTIVE POST
Constructive posts are posts that contribute to the main topic. They shouldn't be off topic or useless spam. Constructive posts, like discussions, should still use proper grammar and provide a point.
For example, a constructive post would be one saying a suggestion is cool, but also providing evidence and saying why it is cool. Constructive posts shouldn't just be "Cool idea" or "Awesome tutorial". They don't contribute much other than the owner of the discussion knowing that they liked the post. Instead of "cool idea", I have rewrote it...
"Cool idea! I really like the part about the flying dinosaurs. I think the dinosaurs should have wings though, rather than floating. I really do hope Damen considers using this idea."
A silly example, but an example of a constructive post. It provides evidence as well as something that supports and contributes to the main topic.
CONSTRUCTIVE vs. NONCONSTRUCTIVE
I will be providing examples of posts that aren't constructive and posts that are. I will use the same main idea for each pair of examples but rewrite them differently.
Non-constructive Discussion:
Hi guys, today a moderator held a hide and seek contest. I lost. i waz sad but o well.
The same discussion, but rewritten:
Hey guys! Today, moderator Iamamod held a couple rounds of Hide and Seek! The first place she hid was the Town. User Bobboy13545 won this round and brought home 20 credits. The second round was very long, but after 15 minutes, user Penguinboy1233546 found Iamamod and received 20 credits. I enjoyed playing Hide and Seek and hope that Iamamod can host more rounds in the future. Thanks guys!
See the difference? Even though the first one does provide some information, the second one is a lot more rich and wouldn't be considered spam.
Below, I have examples of non-constructive and constructive posts. These posts are ones that have the same topic of the discussions posted above.
Non-constructive Post
kool. i wish i won tho.
Constructive Post
Sounds like a lot of fun. I'm pretty sure the Moderators host hide and seek often, so I think I may be able to attend it next time they host it. Good job to the two winners and thank you Iamamod for hosting this.
Again, the second post contains more to it and isn't as spammy as the second.
Hopefully you found this post to be useful. This tutorial will be updated and changed overtime, but this is just the base for it. If I find many mistakes or things I miss out, I will add them. Post any suggestions/comments below, I'd love to hear what you guys have to say.
"Everyone has heard that a million monkeys typing on a million typewriters would eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Thanks to the internet, we now know that this is not true."
Just a guy
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29th September 2013, 04:43 PM
What else is there to say? Excellent.
Master
1,027 posts
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Seen 6th September 2020
17th October 2013, 03:01 AM
nice that is a lot to read but i can keep up
5th November 2013, 04:37 PM
This is very helpful! I don't see why a lot of people aren't liking this. It is super useful!! I should get into more detail with my discussion posts from now on. Thanks Thisismyname! This is awesome!
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