First of all, Welcome to Fluther.
This is a really neat site where you can ask and answer questions, but it is also a social site, so even though people will give you straight answers, they might also tell you stories, or make funny jokes (which sometimes are inside jokes that you hopefully will come to appreciate once you’ve been on the site long enough)
We are real sticklers for using proper English (I don’t mean that you have to write like the Queen of England, but you do need to use complete sentences and grammar and make a valid attempt at correct spelling) There are a few Jellies (that’s what we often call each other) who are very gifted in the English language, because they are teachers or writers or have other professions that need to use English, correctly. They will sometimes come onto a thread and give you a gentle reminder about using proper English. Please do not become alarmed, they’re not trying to embarrass you or hurt your feelings. I am grateful that they help people, because it makes our site easier to read, and that, in and of itself, makes our site have a higher quality than most other websites in which conversations are taking place. So embrace the teachers. There have been a few noobs (or newbies, as we often refer to folks who have just started with Fluther) that have become angry and defensive, right out of the gate, because of the teachers. Try not to let yourself go down that route. We really are nice people (well most of us Ha Ha, and you’ll quickly find out who’s naughty and nice) and we really are here to help and to share and to grow. Please grow with us and share your knowledge. Another thing that we don’t like to see is txtspk language. That might be fine for texting on a phone, but it just looks sloppy, here on Fluther. Although everybody occasionally slips in an OMG or a WTF for emphasis, so if you use it sparingly and appropriately it can be useful and/or very funny.
There are some nifty style tricks that you can use to emphasize your words, to make them more clear to the reader. A few of them are illustrated right below the typing box. If you don’t understand how to use them, one of the Jellies can explain how they work. I was a computer illiterate when I first started using the site, but a few Jellies came to my rescue and showed (talked me through) how to use the style tricks. The reason they have these word emphasizing tricks, is so that you can make your typed words make more sense. Be aware that what you write might mean more than one thing (because people cannot hear you speak) so just be aware of that.
Whenever you write something in the text box, before you push Answer, make sure to proofread what you have written. That gives you a chance to correct typos, and to make sure that you don’t type out anything in haste or anger. When you type in haste or anger, you are likely to say things that you don’t mean, or to inadvertently insult someone, when you had no intention to do so. If you accidentally insult someone, come right back on to apologize or to explain, that goes along way to make people respect you.
If you want to cut and paste a link, it’s best to do it in the clean way, which involves using one of the Fluther tricks, which I’ll try to explain (I had a heck of a time understanding how to do this when I first got here) but it will make your links look cleaner, instead of having 3 or 4 lines of code floating on your text box. This is what your Link should look like.
Instead of this: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chocolate-hazelnut-tart-recipe/index.html
To get a clean version of your link, go onto the page you want to copy. Click on the address bar of the page you want to copy (the address should turn blue) then use your Ctrl C buttons, then go back onto the Fluther page text box where you you want to paste the copy. Before you paste (using Ctrl V) you will want to type in one set of quotation marks (like this ”) then without adding a space, then type in the word Link or Photo (or whatever word/s you want to use to signify your link) then push Ctrl V (you will see the whole long address at this point in your text box) and then without adding a space put another set of quotation marks (like this”) and again, with no space in between, add a colon (like this :) At that point, if you scroll down to your preview (of what you just typed in your typing box) you will see the condensed link with whatever word you typed in to signify your link (like photo, or recipe or link) It’s much easier to do this whole task, if you have 2 windows open side by side at the same time, Fluther and the site from which you are making the copy. If this long winded description doesn’t make sense, one of the other Jellies can help you.
Pay attention to whether you are answering a Q in the General section or the Social section. In the General section, it is expected that you will give a real answer without any kind of extra stuff (like jokes or judgemental commentary or even any off topic information) If you do go off topic or get jokey or get into an argument, it is likely that your post will get modded off (that means the moderators of this site will remove your post, because it does not follow the guidelines) If you are answering in the Social section than just about anything goes, as long as you are polite, attempt to answer the question and follow all of the guidelines that Fluther provides. You can see the Guidelines Here They are located on the Home page right under the section with the Q’s listed as General, Social, Just for You, and Meta.
Most of the time, if you are simply answering a question, or even if you get into a discussion (heated or otherwise) you will be just fine as long as you still follow the guidelines and maintain politenes toward other Jellies. Do not pick fights (that is why it is good not to Fluther while you are angry, and if you read something that angers you, calm down before you answer, so you don’t end up posting something that you will regret, or that will hurt someone’s feelings, or that will ultimately be removed by the Moderators) The majority of your time spent on Fluther is likely to be fun and lively and informative. Occasionally things get out of hand and feelings get hurt and people get angry, but if you pay attention to what you are writing, you are not likely to have any problems.
Sometimes Q’s and A’s will get modded off. It could be for any number of reasons. Try not to get angry about it. Could be that there were too many typos, could be that the answer was off topic in the General Section, could be that you didn’t follow the guidelines. If one of your Q’s gets modded, the Moderators will send you a message telling you why, and what you need to do to fix it. If an answer gets modded, you probably won’t get a message from the Moderators, but there will be a spot, where you answer existed that has a message, such as “off topic” or “not helpful” or “flame bait”. If you have any questions about why any of your Q’s and A’s were modded, you can go to the Contact button, located at the top right of the page and ask about it. The Moderators on Fluther are all volunteers (except Augustlan, who is an employee as well as being our Site Manager and Community Leader. You can always send her a Private Message (PM) if you are having any problems using the site or need clarification on anything. She’s super nice and very helpful and prompt. All of the Moderators go through a training program and they all see anything that gets flagged, so you don’t have to worry about any one single Moderator playing favorites or anything un-professional like that. They are very transparent and they are obligated to follow the Fluther guidelines and are expected to behave in a more than professional manner. The Moderators are also regular members, so they can post Q’s and A’s too, but you will notice that they are more professional in their answers. You can always PM them, directly too, if you are having any problems. I am afraid I do not know where to find the complete list of our current Moderators, maybe someone can help with that info. But just to let you know, if a Moderator makes a statement, regarding a problem on a particular Q, they will let themselves be known as a Moderator when they are coming onto a Q to intervene or explain something.
Another thing to remember is that when/if you need to post a very verbose answer (such as this one) on Fluther, please try to break your thoughts up into paragraphs. If you simply type a big fat block of text, people will get mad at you or simply won’t read your post, because it hurts the eyes. There’s nothing wrong with long posts, as long as they are relevant and not rambling. Some people like to write and read long posts, other people prefer short posts and answers. You will develop your own style as you go along.
You will notice that there are all sorts of odd words in the lexicon of Fluther. Don’t be discouraged if you see these words and phrases. You will either figure them out on your own, or you can ask another Jelly (on the thread itself, or in a PM). Some examples: nekkid pancake parties, frizzer, and under the orange tree. Somehow they came into being and they took hold on Fluther. Hopefully you will come to appreciate and embrace these phrases. Another thing you will often hear/see is some of us Jellies talking about a Party at the Mansion. The Mansion is a mythical place that we like to visit, virtually, when a Fluther member has reached a milestone. So we often throw virtual parties for other members. You are not obligated to participate, but they can be lots of fun. Here’s an example of a Mansion Party
So mostly, try to have fun, make some friends, post some great answers, learn some new things, and try to take everything with a grain of salt, look before you leap, and take time to think about what you really want to say before you type and push Answer.
And yes, @JilltheTooth, there is a recipe! Did you spot it? : )
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