Kaith,
In another forum, they had a post "IF YOU'RE NEW TO THIS
FORUM, PLEASE READ THIS" and it was a pretty cool layout.
This way you can possibly avoid rule breakers, since they know
the rules up front. Just a suggestion, take it or leave it
It's verbatim, so I'll give credit to where it's due, it's copied
directly from :
http://swordforum.com/forums/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=jsa
Most of us are here for one very important reason: we enjoy interacting with others who like swords and swordsmanship. We should all be grateful to one another for taking the time out of our busy lives to contribute detailed answers to questions. There are several things we can all do to help make this Forum even better:
1. Please click on your name and fill in your Personal Profile. This will help everyone understand a little more about who you are, where you are, and what your background is regarding swords. Inexperience is nothing to be ashamed of; deceit is.
2. If you are new to Swordforum International, please take some time to read through the Main Forum Directory to see which one is most appropriate for your questions.
3. Before you post, browse old posts or use the search function on Swordforum to see if your topic has just been discussed--our answers tend to get shorter and testier after we've fielded the same question 20 times previously! Common topics include:
Dismantling/oiling your sword, what kind of oil--lots of posts on this!
Shirasaya mounts--storage box for the blade, NOT traditional or safe for practice, despite what the merchants claim
Edge vs. flat vs. mune parry--pick a side!
Ninja-to origin--Japan by way of Hollywood
Making your own sword--LOTS of info on this already archived
Chen blades--ditto!
Extra-long tsuka--double ditto!
Reverse curve swords, blades on inside--Fantasy site, please
How to learn swordwork--get an instructor, please
To use the "Search" function, just click on "Search" (left-hand side menu), type in a key word (such as shirasaya, oil, ninja-to), specify how far back you want to search, then hit "Enter." I recommend searching all the Fora, since there is some overlap with General, Nihonto, JSA and Beginners.
4. If you need to find a school of Japanese Swordsmanship in your area, several good dojo finders for Iaido, Kendo, Aiki-ken and Kenjutsu are at the following sites:
www.kendo-usa.org
www.shinkendo.com
www.koryu.com
www.aikiweb.com
No luck? Post your location and interest on the Sparring Partners Wanted Forum.
5. If you do post, please give as much background info and details as possible, so that we can answer with some degree of competency.
6. Be very careful differentiating what is fact versus what is your opinion. If it is a fact, you should be able to direct us to references to substantiate the statement. If it is your opinion, say so in your post. Believe me, your opinions are highly valued!
7. This is a biggie: Do not take anything personally. No one here is scolding, insulting, punishing or bothering you intentionally. Sometimes, the words chosen may give you the wrong impression. Or, they may push your buttons because similar words in the past have been used to irritate you. As a Trekkie, I try to use my "Spock filter" when I read a post--that is, I take it at surface value, and assume the writer is logical, with no hidden agendas. Second-guessing gets everyone in trouble. Be assured that if someone takes the time to respond to a post, s/he is trying to help.
In sangha,
Diane Mirro
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Of course it'd have to be reworded some, but it conveys an intent
on how you'd like to see the site evolve.
