News: Make Friends by Using Proper Server Etiquette

What happened to please and thank you? When did asking someone to come look at your build degenerate into COME NOW or FOLLOW or sending out teleport requests to any and all currently on the server without asking?

Phillip Chan, a yahoo network contributor wrote this back in 2007:

"For some, especially younger people, the Internet is a source of welcome anonymity, from which they feel safe to spew some of the most vulgar and hateful speak ever heard. The warm, comforting blanket of the Internet makes some people feel like they can do away with any sense of etiquette.

However, as more and more people use the Internet, it is important to realize that it is just one more form of communication, and there are generally accepted rules of conduct online as well. If you are new to the Internet, as I was at one time, you may make some serious communication errors without even knowing it, and thereby offend someone without meaning to. A little bit of knowledge about it in the beginning can save you a lot of frustration and possible mis-communication."

I point people to this paragraph a lot. Just look up Chat Etiquette in Google for more information.

I know some of you won't do that, so here are a few common misconceptions and rules that everyone should follow. This is mostly Minecraft-specific and some server-specific to the WonderHowTo Minecraft server.

11. Is it that hard to type out Please?   How about thank you? Your parents or teachers aren't here to monitor you, so you think it's okay to act like a complete jerk? Guess what, keep it up and you will join my ignore list. Have a nice day.

10. TMI (Too Much Information), or over-sharing information can annoy other people in chat. Does everyone online need to know you are going to the bathroom, getting a snack, just made a cabin, redstone thing-a-ma-jig or typing out the words to a song over and over? Occasional remarks on this are fine. Some, however, feel the need to constantly fill the chat with remarks. Please refrain from doing so if asked.

9. Don't Cry Wolf, constant complaints about griefing have been running amok. Yes, some griefing has been going on, but I've seen one or two situations over the last few months where it was either a game bug or the person complaining about being griefed was the one who actually set up the situation just to get some attention. Mods CAN track this kind of thing. It's up to them whether you get a slap on the wrist or banned for this kind of behavior.

8. CAP YOURSELF. If you feel the need to make an exclamation, use the "exclamation mark" that's this thing right here ---> ! Here are a few more!!!!!!!! Typing in all caps is considered yelling in chat rooms, forums and other social media. DON'T DO EET! Occasionally capitalizing all the letters in one or two words is okay if you are emphasizing something

7. LOL, ROFL, lol is not a replacement for proper punctuation. Neither is any form of the acronym. Ask yourself if you really were laughing out loud prior to hitting enter.

6. SUSMSCAASATTWB4USSTAWUTITRW, - stop using so many super-chat-acronyms and start actually typing the words before you start saying the acronyms in the real world! Does this really need any more explanation?

5. YOU SUCK.....J/K, Calling someone a name or causing a disruption and then saying just kidding or J/K isn't good either, if overdone. Messing around with someone you know is one thing, but doing it to a total stranger is quite something else. This also can be said for not using j/k. You come on to our server, you don't read the signs at spawn, and you don't pay attention to the people explaining how you can get build rights. Then you say the server sucks? Seriously, play nice or go away.

5. LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME!!!! Yes, I know Minecraft really draws in the OCD, ADHD crowd, however think about how many times in the last hour you have asked someone to look at your current build, asked for immediate help in a build, or even for WorldEdit help... Seriously, if you have done it more than once in the last hour, you should make a list of the Moderator help you need and do it all at once. Mark it with a sign, or something. Part of this is pre-marking what you need done with signs or glowstone, because Mods can't read minds. If you want a cylinder 20 high, 30 wide centered on a certain point... Put a sign at that point stating, "Cylinder 20h x 30w". It will help the Moderators help you and move on to the next person who needs help.

4. MODERATOR TO ME, First of all, the moderators are not your slaves. They log on, in private, sometimes so they can actually do something with the builds they are working on. Dr. Mustache actually has to put out a lot of web content. Constantly badgering for his specific help or to just look at your newest thing takes time away from his enjoyment of the game. Wait for him to ask if anyone needs help or has anything he should see. This goes for all the mods really.

3. /TPACCEPT, Stop sending teleport requests with out asking first. If you are bored, ask in chat if anyone needs help. If you want others to see your current build, ask if anyone wants to see it. Sending a "blind" teleport request either to someone or for them to teleport to you is rude. Personally, I ignore them all. Do it too many times and I will actually use the /ignore command. Have a nice day.

2. NOOBS, ok thats kinda rude of me but following a pattern here. Here is the thing. Think of getting build rights as a test. If you can't follow the simple instruction on how to get them, then you don't really deserve build rights. It's not that hard, really. You register on the WonderHowTo site, go to the forums, and fill out an application on the APPLY WITHIN thread. The aplication is simple all that is required is:

In-Game Name:

Age:

Projects you'd like to see built:

Do you agree to the Terms of Service and Rules:

(this last one means you have read the terms of service and rules. Do so or suffer the wrath of the admins when you blatantly disregard them.)

The WonderHowTo corporation does have an age limit unfortunately due to legal reasons.

If you already have bans on other servers, you probably won't get in here.

1. To Grief or Not To Grief. Just say no to griefing, folks. The server has plugins against some of it and it can be rolled back to pre-grief conditions. All it does is get you banned, a ban flag on MCBans, and other sites that store griefer info. This will make it harder for you to get on other servers in the future. I'm sorry your life is so dull and you are so unimaginative that you can only destroy what others have built. Even if it's only a momentary back-step for the builders, because like I said there are plugins to reset what you destroy.

If you DO accidentally destroy something, like I do because my touch pad is so touchy, FIX it if you can't tell the owner or mod. As a last resort, place a sign or two explaining what happened. If it was accidental then the mods will most likely just roll it back and call it a day. No ban on your record. With Hawkeye and other plugins the mods can see who placed what and who destroyed what so there is no "getting away with it".

As an addendum to this, here is the explanation of griefing directly off the apply within thread that you agreed to follow.

No griefing. Griefing is considered, but not limited to as follows: destroying wantonly, using TNT, using fire in an unauthorized fashion, using lava, or water buckets, mining for resources, building without permissions, any placing or removing blocks in unauthorized areas, and generally any unauthorized editing. If you are even suspected of Griefing you will be perma-banned with no chance of appeal. We are here to promote creative, community-based work, if you feel you cannot facilitate this please don't waste your time. 

Wikipedia states :Griefing is the act of chronically causing grief to other members of an online community, or more specifically, intentionally disrupting the immersion of another player in their gameplay.

Spamming chat is a form of griefing.

As an additional addendum to this, I would point out that doing anything to anyone else's build without permission can be considered griefing even if you are trying to help. Get permission before joining someone else's build. If they don't like what you are doing they can ask you to remove it. Purposefully causing lag via redstone, redstone clocks, block updates or spawning in mobs is also a form of griefing. If you are asked to limit or refrain from any of these in a high population area such as challenges, then you should. It shouldn't take a moderator to tell you to not do something before you will follow a little common courtesy.