Forum:Important notice regarding talk page posts
It seems that several new users have joined, and they don't have a good grip on how to properly use talk pages. I will use this forum post to outline how you should be posting on talk pages and how I will be regulating talk page use given the current situation.
How you should be using talk pages:
- Sign your posts. You sign your posts by writing ~~~~ at the end of your posts. The ~ key is located by the top left hand corner of your keyboard. You need to hold down the shift key while you are hitting the ~ key. Otherwise you just get `. ```` doesn't do anything.
- Use standard English conventions: Write in complete sentences. Use proper capitalization and punctuation. Don't put line breaks in the middle of your sentences.
- Reply to posts in the same section in which the post you are replying to is posted. When replying, post at the bottom of the section and indent one level greater than the post you are replying you. You indent with the : symbol. Sometimes we break this rule if there are a lot of replies and it gets silly to keep indenting. At that point we start over.
- Tell the truth, or at the very least don't lie. Don't present your unsubstantiated theories as fact.
This is basically how everyone has been using talk pages as long as this site's been around. We expect new users to follow these protocols as well.
My response to the current situation:
Due to the importance of properly identifying oneself, I will be strictly enforcing point 1 from now on. Anyone not following talk page conventions will receive a link to this forum on their talk page. After that, I will regard any failure to sign talk page posts from that user an attempt to obfuscate one's identity and will take appropriate action.
Due to current circumstances, I will, for the time being, not allow users retroactively sign old unsigned posts. The posting patterns of the new users have made it too difficult to confirm the accuracy of past-dated signatures.
Other users don't have to do this, but on my talk page, I will not reply to unsigned posts. If you were linked here after posting on my talk page, please write your post again with a signature.
Just so I'm not being a total dick about it, if you sign your posts, I will stop reflexively assuming that you are a sockpuppet.