Technical Forums Posting Guidelines

The following outlines the set of guidelines and expected conduct for posting to the technical support forums of this site. Please note, the policies are more strict than those of the General Discussion areas and should be reviewed carefully before posting to any support area.

Be clear and to the point when starting a new thread: Say what you mean; mean what you say. Use clear titles in all new threads that succinctly state the problem you are having. "Just Sux!" or "Heeeeelp!" does not constitute a good title and is less likely to receive a response. Clearly state a more detailed description of the problem in the opening post.
Provide as much information as possible: You can't read minds and neither can we. The more information you can provide about your problem, the sooner you will arrive at an answer to your question. It is not the job of content providers to ferret basic information from you through inquisition. Be clear about what you experienced versus what you expected. Clearly state what you have tried to solve the problem. Provide as much information about other mods or custom content in your game.
Absolutely, no flaming: You are entitled to an opinion. You are also entitled to keep it to yourself. Our contributors work very hard to bring you fine content and receive nothing in return for their efforts. If you don't like something, you are should not feel compelled to say so. Constructive criticism is welcome - flaming is not (and a bannable offense). If you are unable to discern the difference between the two, just move on.
DO NOT TYPE IN ALL CAPS: CAPS are considered as shouting and rude and a display of extremely poor netiquette.
Ask. Do not demand. Problems can be frustrating. Channeling your displeasure at content providers, however, and demanding resolution to your problems is not the way of the wise man (it is however a pathway to banishment). This is a hobby, not a lifestyle, and everything given - support included - is offered freely. Ask...and you shall receive. Seek...and you shall find. Demand, and you will know the blunt end of a moderator's boot.
Keep text formatting to a minimum: Wild zany tuiti-fruiti text colorings, 24-point bold-faced fonts, and more smileys you can shake a stick at may be fun to write; they are not fun to read and are distracting. This is a sure way to get your post ignored or deleted. Text formatting in the technical forums should be used to clarify your question, not promote your personal style. Our contributors don't care about your "style" and neither should you.
Do not rate your own post to promote your question: The rating system is intended for users to recognize custom content and threads which they found helpful. It is not a mechanism for elevating the visible glory of your own question to rise above all others. Such posts will receive the glory they deserve - the circular file.
Use English only: While we recognize this is a multi-lingual world, we also recognize that it is impossible for everybody to speak or comprehend every native tongue the world over. Most of our forum participants speak English as a primary or secondary language, and for that reason, we would ask that you use it also. If you need assistance translating to or from English, please contact a moderator or site adminstrator.
No l337 5p34k: Aside from making you appear the complete moron that you are, l3375p34k'ers will be considered to be in gross violation of the previous rule.
Do not double post! Do not cross post: Double posting is considered spam and will not double your chances of getting your question answered. Cross-posting, or the act of posting the same question to multiple forums, is an equally - if not more - vile act. The moderators don't like picking up trash after their own children. They like picking up your clutter even less. Repeat offenses may result in a ban.
Do not BUMP any post within 72 hours of your last: Bumping, or the practice of posting to a thread for the purpose of sending it to the top of a forum to be recognized, is generally considered spam. Please be patient and wait for an answer. Our contributors have lives and we do not pay a staff or concierge to wait upon you 24/7.
Use EDIT POST to add new information to an existing post. Do NOT reply to yourself: If you need to supplement a previous post with new information, use the EDIT button in the lower right hand corner of every post. Technical threads are often quite lengthly as it is. People visit our technical forums to find answers quickly and do not want to sift through pages of you carrying on a conversation with yourself.
Don't hijack/spam existing threads: We don't care much for hijackers of aircraft. We like them even less here. If you have something relevant to contribute to a discussion topic, please do. Technical threads are not an alternative to Yahoo! Convey as much pertinent information as succinctly as possible within any individual post. If you have an unrelated comment or question, please start a new thread (subject to the other rules presented here) or send a PM. Off-topic posts will be killed on sight with shame.
Post on topic: We categorically organize our threads and forums for a reason. Please take the time to find the appropriate forum to direct your question before posting.
Search is your friend: There is a reason that bulletin boards are stored in a relational database: query and search. This software features a powerful search engine and it behooves you to become intimately familiar with it. If you're new to this board and have a question, chances are your question has already been asked and answered a dozen times over. Searching is a much faster avenue to answering most questions and keeps forum clutter to a minimum. You can perform a site-wide search using the "Search" drop down located at the top of the webpage. Within a single forum or thread, you can access the "Search this Forum" and "Search this Thread" drop down. Both are located in the upper-right of the thread next to "Thread Tools").
Do not ask, "Heeeelp! Where do I download it?!" This is not a technical support question. This is laziness and spam and will be treated as such. All downloadable content from this site is available in dedicated "Download" forums and/or may be found at the end of the first post of every content thread. No exceptions. If you are experiencing a specific technical problem downloading content from this site, please direct a question to the Site Issues and Suggestions forum - do not spam our contributors forums with these concerns.
RTFM: Many of our contributors have gone out of their way to provide you with instructions about using their content in the game. Don't make this a wasted effort. Please take the time to Read the Frackin' Manual before posting. Nothing makes you look sillier than asking a question that is clearly answered in the manual. If you don't understand what you read, that's one thing. Not understanding what you chose not to read, is just plain lazy and irksome.
Abide by the General Discussion Posting Guidelines: Unless a support forum is explicitly in the Adults Section of this website, we ask that you be mindful that all support forums are considered PG-13 and visible to all members (and non-members) aged 13 and up. All General Discussion rules apply (no porn, no warez, no sexually explicit material, or harsh profanity).
Be respectful of those who try to help you: Not everybody who asks a question receives an answer they want. Do not bite the hand that is trying to feed you. Ask questions and accept answers with humility not piousness. Ungracious cows, will be taken to pasture and promptly put down.
Lastly, this is not a democracy: You are a guest here - act accordingly. You are not entitled to "rights" - you are "graciously afforded them" in exchange for your participation. While you are here, you are in our home and you agree to our house rules during your stay. If you don't like them, don't let the door hit you in the ass. It's that simple. Any violation of these rules may result in post mergers, thread closure, deletion, and/or public shaming. Repeated violations may result in a ban from this website. If you are unclear about whether your thread or post is appropriate or not, please contact a moderator or site admin to receive instruction.

In closing, the site administrators, forum moderators, and contributors of this website have the final say about any post in their thread. Period. Public debate and attacks against any of this site's staff will result in an immediate permanent ban from this website. If you disagree with an action taken against you, you may discuss the matter civily via PM or escalate the matter to a site admin. If you were clever enough to piss off a site administrator, then you're pretty much screwed.

All of this should be common sense. Don't act like a circus fool, and you won't be treated like one. We appreciate your cooperation and willingness to make this a good experience for all participants.

Have fun, and happy posting!