@ Stinger + Chips
I just wanted to apolagize for putting an emoticon in a subject a few days back. I had never seen anyone else do it, and I wondered if it was possible. I guess I missed that it was not allowed.
Again, sorry.

@Indy11

I C. You're right to take the thread back on topic. We did get off on a tangent there a little. The subject line issue had taken over but that tis not what the thread was about.

@sycho_warrior - I'd love to put some of these "hidden" rule up but with the amount of forums here now...where would you put it? No one really reads the FAQ on the forums rules anyways until they're pointed there and usually only after they've done something wrong.

For the record, I think using emoticons in the body of a post enhances it. Following Indy's lead here....back on topic.

Edited by - Stinger on 9/27/2004 8:05:08 PM

@Stinger true, but it would be useful for those who DO read the FAQ and then no-one has the excuse of not knowing about it.
There has to be a way to force ppl to read the faq, maybe we should let newcomers take a quiz on the FAQ b4 they're allowed to post

Your right, i doubt many ppl do read the FAQ. I did, and to my name not a single thread locked

You could always have a sticky in each forum in big capitals:

NO EMOTICONS IN SUBJECT LINE

Something simple like that. If you lock it and don't post anything in it apart from something like any problems, e-mail a mod or something like that

Don't even put it "Important" at the front. Bold it though as above.

Just an idea...

With FAQ being a different kind of "Terms and Conditions" you don't find many people even glance at it

Edited by - Bret Bretonian on 10/1/2004 5:42:22 PM

"Elevate the standards, don't lower the bar"

i think I love you.

that's a philosophy you see so little of these days, seeing as we are surrounded by a world of dumbing down. I know this is totally tangential but it's so rare nowadays to see anyone actively promoting the raising standards. usually it's the other way round. I have often been harshly criticesed for being too clever, intolerant of other people's lack of skills and knowledge, and that I should "encourage achievement" by lowering standards so that even the smacktards can feel like they've done something worthwhile.

I'd go to war on the atrocious grammar and spelling we have to suffer. typos I can live with, i do enough of them myself and if English isn't a poster first language then that's fair enough. But when you're a native speaker and you express yourself worse than a broken speak-and-spell on acid, well there's no excuse.

this is an example..

HEY YOU GYS COM To pLanet CRET ADN SEE A TATIN I haEc ATitane ITS SOKewl (insert appropriate smileys etc)

apart from the *yawn* value of the content, these pointless one-liners are completely dependent on an overstated visual impact . less is more. I feel the same about all those dam smiley's, I use 'em occasionally but I don't chuck 'em about like a rash.

ideally I'd like them gone, thus forcing people to express themselves more clearly and accurately (i hope) I'd like to see all text modification gone as well, a plain font like this is more than enough. Even better, no more pictures, just links. Yes I know I post images, but if I couldn't it would be no loss whatsoever.

Having high standards is like have high expectations; expect to be disappointed . Still, I agree with you, however high standards have the side-effect of alienating people who do not "measure up". Some people may think that this is a good thing though .