Try and write in a conversational style



You should talk like you are seeing each other. Your post should be easy to read. Most of the time in life we should use proper English and nothing more, but that's often not the case with forums and the same principles apply to TV forums.

While other discussions require that you complete sentences, capitalization, spelling/grammar, punctuation or words, the posts at TV forums require that you occasionally abbreviate things and talk in informal tone. All these are meant to add air of friendliness yet sophistication to the posts. Other people will find it easy to read too. So using LOL for "Lots of laughs" is fine at forums and even preferred but be sure that a reasonable number of people will understand what your abbreviations stand for.

Don't just post things just for the sake of posting

When you post your message, you have to extra sure that there's indeed something you have to contribute. Try to avoid "me-tooing." Either come up with something original to add to the conversation or ask others to help you with any questions you might have. I often get questions at my TV forums that don't provide enough information. "What was that really cool detective show from the 1980s" is not likely to get a response. Do you remember any of the characters' names or the actors' names? What network was it on? What show came on after it? Anything like that is helpful.

Try to structure your argument well to make sure you're contributing something of sheer value. You should also ensure that whatever you are saying is within the scope of other members' interest. Because it is not, your posts will be simply ignored. Posting something about investing in stocks at a Charmed TV forum is unlikely to get much action. Also, please post in the proper forum! Don't ask who played Festus on Gunsmoke in the Comedy TV Shows section. That's just annoying!

Have look around

See what most other guys are doing. You do not have to be an innovator or genius to post your thoughts. Following the overall norms and tones of the forum is safe and reasonable enough for you. So deem on what other members are doing and what those topics are about.

And another piece of etiquette for talking part in TV forums is to read out other posts in the beginning of the string. Reading posts from the start will answer many of your questions. This will also answer the ones you didn't even think of asking. If you ask a question about the Heroes TV show that was answered just 12 posts earlier in the same thread ... well, don't be surprised if the regulars call you names!

Stop trying to please everyone

You must learn to live with the fact that you can't and are not supposed to please everybody. And naturally, people might have their own ways of viewing things and differing with you.

Even if other people attack you severely for your opinion, you should know that you have rights to express what you think – as long as that is not a large legal offense. There's a famous saying “If you did not offend anybody, you should know that you're not doing you jobs.

On the other hand, being just plain cruel or acting superior to the other posters just because they misspelled a word or made a human error is not very productive and will usually result in retaliation.

Have a good time

Spending some time at a TV forum can be a blast. Older folks especially can enjoy discussing shows that they miss from their youth and celebrities that might be unknown to most viewers today but were once the Neil Patrick Harris, Tina Fey, Matthew Fox, or Eva Longoria of the airwaves.

Anybody out there remember Bob Cummings, Walter Brennan, Eve Arden, or Audrey Meadows?