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Up one level | To Tom Geller's writings | Home
Beating the Heat: How to avoid flames
By Tom Geller
It doesn't matter whether they're an America Online member or
a college freshman logging on to a Unix host: right now, somewhere
in the world, someone new to the Internet is opening their mailbox
or checking their favorite newsgroup to discover that they've
received their first "flame". It's a devastating feeling, especially
if unexpected. Some flames are so strong -- even threatening violence
-- that it's common for traumatized "newbies" to avoid posting
for days afterward.
While some activities are clearly hostile and deserve censure
-- "spamming" hundreds of newsgroups with commercial advertising
comes to mind -- the targets of most flames do nothing more serious
than waste space, improperly cite sources, misspell words or express
unpopular opinions. While there are standards of "netiquette"
that you'll learn by reading the articles in the newsgroup news.announce.newusers,
some overriding tenets will keep you out of the burn ward. To
wit:
- Learn the culture through observation. Before posting your first
article in a newsgroup, spend at least two weeks reading every
posting that comes through it. Then spend a week more. Figure
out why some posters get praised and others get flamed. Let your
style emulate those who receive praise. And if the newsgroup has
a "FAQ" (Frequently Asked Questions text), read it before you
ask a question: you'll probably find it answered there.
- Don't waste people's time. Even though the volume of articles
may lead you to believe otherwise, talk is not cheap, and many
people are paying by the minute to read Usenet newsgroups. Therefore,
write concise, relevant messages, and don't quote more than you
need. A sure way to get flamed is to quote another person's entire
article and then add to the end, "I agree". Although Internet
bandwidth can support a huge volume of text, human bandwidth is
limited: treasure it and treat it like the treasure it is.
- Use as few resources as possible. Don't post an article to more
than one newsgroup, as it makes follow-up messages difficult to
track. If you have a signature, cut it down to four lines or fewer.
Again, the idea is to increase the "signal-to-noise" ratio in
your posts so that your voice -- and your ideas -- come through
loud and clear.
- DON'T SHOUT. Typing in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS is the equivalent of
shouting. 'Nuff said.
- If you get flamed, insist on respect -- respectfully. If you feel
you've been flamed wrongfully, let your feelings be known. But
do so in a way that returns the conversation to a productive track.
And then let bygones be bygones. "Flame wars" can go on for months,
cause hard feelings, and do no good for anyone.
In the end, you have to simply accept that, sooner or later, you
will get flamed. But Internet culture is a lot like the cultures
of the physical world: most people are willing to extend good
will to all who show that they are sincere. Come to think of it,
the rules above will probably win you friends in a biker's bar,
a high-society dance, or any other place that people gather --
even if that place, like Usenet, lives only in the ether.
This page was last updated on Monday, February 09, 2004 at 3:07pm CST.
All contents copyright 2005 by Tom Geller.
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