2 replies to this topic

[Tufi Piyufi]

First of all, no spamming. Posts unrelated to the MOC, generic posts (such as 'good MOC, I like it'; these are posts that could have easily been written without ever looking at the MOC), and posts that generally don't add anything to the topic will be deleted. There is no 'ten-word rule': a post can be spam even if it is over ten words long, just as a post can be relevant and yet under ten words long. More information on what makes for a good (as well as bad) post in BBC can be found in Schizo's post later on in this topic.

As well, no flaming/bashing. If you don't like an MOC, that's fine; you can either post and provide constructive criticism for the builder (provided you also have something positive to say about the MOC), or you can simply not post. However, you cannot post simply to bash or flame either the MOC or the builder. In addition, builders cannot respond to someone's comments by flaming the reviewer; if you feel that the reviewer was out of line, report their post or offer a response in a civil manner. Flaming can get you a PE drop, so it's highly suggested that you be civil and polite in your posting.

Do not revive inactive topics. If a topic has not received any new posts for twenty days or more, it is considered to be 'dead', and posting in it is not permitted anymore. Reviving these topics by posting in them after twenty days or more has passed is not allowed, and will only get the topic closed. In addition, do not post just to say the topic has been revived. This is something that belongs in a report, not a post, and is spam, as well as adding to the revival itself.

All MOC topics must include pictures of the MOC: the only exception is if you include a clear description and/or instructions. If you put the picture(s) straight in the post, the picture(s) should be in jpg, gif, or png format, no larger than 640x640, and around 100KB in filesize. Anything larger than this should be linked to instead. This is out of consideration for members with smaller screen resolutions and slower computers/connections. As well, please do not quote the MOC pictures themselves, as it makes the page take that much longer to load. If you must quote a post with the MOC pictures in it, please have the courtesy to remove them in your quote or change them to text links instead. If you need help posting pictures, please refer to the Pictures Topic in the Q&A forum.

Only post your MOCs. You may only post a topic for a MOC somebody else made if they are a friend or family member of yours and they do not have an account of their own. You may not post a MOC for a banned or suspended member: they have been banned from participating in the forum for a reason, and circumventing this will only get you in trouble. As well, no 'look what I found on Brickshelf' topics. Even if you state that it isn't yours, don't post a MOC you found on Brickshelf or elsewhere. If you claim that someone else's MOC is your own and you are caught(and it's not as easy to get away with plagiarism as you may think), you will be punished.

You may only post one topic for a MOC; posting multiple topics for the same MOC over any span of time is not allowed. You can post more than one MOC per topic, of course, but you may not post any additional topics for any of those MOCs if you do. As well, posting a new topic for a MOC that already has a topic is not allowed; for every extra topic you post for a MOC, you push somebody else's topic and MOC off the front page. Even if you only got a few or no posts in your original MOC topic, you can't repost it in hopes that more will see and post: you'll have to take your chances with your original.

In that same vein, no bumping topics. This is posting just to get your topic up on the front page again, or posting just to ask people to post. This is spam, and will be deleted. If you continually bump your topics, even after having been warned not to do so, you may lose PE.

No 'post-it-here' topics or unofficial contests: that is, you cannot post a topic where you invite other members to post their creations in your topic. As this entire forum is devoted to giving people a place to post topics just for their MOCs, such topics are redundant. In this same thread are unofficial member-run contests; in addition to often counting as 'post-it-here' topics, unofficial contests are not allowed due to the fact that, when they were allowed, they would often clog up the front page, pushing actual MOC topics to the back pages.

No 'request'/'shop' topics. These include shop topics where you offer to make MOCs for members who request them (much like the art shops in Artwork II) or topics where you ask someone else to make a MOC for you. If you truly want someone else to make a MOC for you, put something saying you're looking for someone to MOC for you in your signature or find somebody who is willing to build for you. If you want to build MOCs that people request, you should also put something in your signature stating you are willing to do this. Either way, a topic is unnecessary.

Do not complain about a lack of posts in your topic, or demand that members post in your topic. This includes threatening people to post, demanding that they post, sending spam PMs to random members to get them to post in your topic or PMing members who viewed your topic and didn't post to ask why they didn't post. As well, stating that you'll post something new when a certain amount of people post is not allowed. People will post if they have something to say; if they do not, they will not post. Demanding that everyone who views your topic must post, if anything, only encourages spam, as people will be made to post even when they don't have anything to say.

No 'preview'/'teaser'/WIP topics. You cannot post a topic just to say that you will have a MOC soon, or post a topic with only a silhouette of the MOC or an otherwise intentionally obscured picture. As well, you may not post a topic with a MOC in progress (a 'WIP') with intent to repost the finished product later on in a new topic after getting comments, criticism and ideas on how to continue the MOC. You may only post a topic once you have the actual pictures to post, or a clear, detailed description.

While this may look like a lot of rules, many are simply common sense/good manners and are easy enough to remember. As long as you keep to these and remember to have fun, the BBC forum can truly be a pleasant place to be.

Edited by -Windrider-, Feb 10 2012 - 03:02 PM.
Updated links to the new board equivalents.

[Tufi Piyufi]

Posting and Reviewing Guide

To make sure everyone knows what constitutes spam and what doesn’t, I’ve written a short guide with tips and examples.

The most basic rule about reviewing an MOC is that you provide feedback. State what you like about the MOC, as much in detail as possible. If you don’t like a certain part, be sure to offer some suggestions on how to improve it. This way, builders can improve their skills by trying new designs, or learn important concepts that lead to successful building.

If you add a comment about the blurriness of the pictures, that’s okay, but if that’s all you’re posting, your post will be deleted.

Remember to stay positive and constructive. You can offer tips without acting condescending.

BAD:

The wings are absolutely horrible! You should’ve used [insert parts and/or design]!

GOOD:

You can improve the wings by using [insert part] and [insert design tips].

Something very important: there is no 10 word rule. I’ve noticed some members think there is – they are quite mistaken. Spam is judged by content, not length.
Example:

I really like the construction of the legs.

This is only 8 words, but it is not spam, because it has something to say about the MOC itself. A creator who is unsure about the leg design will feel more confident about it, and will use it again, improving his or her talent.

Wow! It’s so cool, amazing, wonderful! I love it! 10/10!
P.S. I like pie!!! LOL!

This post is over 10 words, but it’s still spam, as the content only shows appreciation, but no actual comment on the design. A creator posts his or her MOC in hopes of receiving feedback, not just praise. It’s nice to know that the MOC is admired, but posts like these are often just post count inflation. In other words, posts such as these are usually only made to raise post count.

Number ratings: these are no substitute for a review. Examples of the bad use of number ratings:

Not bad, but not great either. 6.5/10

Brilliant! 9,999,999.99/123

Number ratings – especially unrealistic ones – are not useful for the MOC’s creator, as he doesn’t know what you based the score on. Unrealistic ratings are often experienced as annoying.
Number ratings can only be used complementary. When you’ve reviewed the MOC, you can attach a number rating to your score so the creator knows how important certain good points are, and how heavily other aspects pull down the rating. Example:

The colour scheme suits the MOC, and is well-balanced. You’ve mixed the blue parts in in just the right places, so the colour is added in equal doses and spread over the MOC’s entire body. It also contrasts well with the black you used for the basic construction.

The knees don’t seem to be able to bend very well, though. If you put the socket joints on the calves upside down, you’ll notice that the legs will bend better and more realistically.
The Toa feet are the right size for the MOC, but look a bit bland. If you added some extra parts (preferably black ones), they wouldn’t clash with the rest of the legs so much – right now they look like shoes rather than feet.

Overall, I’d say the MOC deserves 8.5 out of 10, as the flaws are only minor ones. Good job!

There’s also the phenomenon of ‘gratitude posts’. These are posts in which the topic creator thanks those who’ve posted, and implores others to do the same. An example:

Thanks for the posts! Keep posting, people!

This is obviously a way to bump the topic to the top of the first forum page as much as possible, and to increase the frequency and number of posts, just to get the topic on the Hot Topics list on the front page. Therefore, it is not tolerated.

This does not mean that you are not allowed to address the posts of those members. As long as you’re answering questions or defending certain aspects of your MOC, or explaining the reason behind the design, it’s okay to express your gratitude. Example:

Thanks for the helpful reviews, people!

Why didn’t you use a Kanohi for the head?

I didn’t use one because I had an idea for a head design that I really wanted to use, and see what kind of feedback I could get on it.

If you had turned that part on the arm around and added Vahki staffs, it would’ve looked more dangerous.

I didn’t think of that, actually. But then I would have had to add more silver to the rest of the MOC as well, or the colours would have clashed.

I might build a second version of this MOC later – I’ll be sure to post it if I do, and I’ll try a couple of the ideas you guys gave. Thanks again!

As you can tell, this post adds to the discussion. Members who’ve already posted can give further advice because of the creator’s post, and other members may be able to offer some other views as well.

A last piece of advice: if your post was deleted, do not repost the same message! Rather, think about why it was deleted, and adapt your post.

I hope you’ve found this guide helpful, and that you will take it into account when posting in the BBC forum.

[Tufi Piyufi]

ATTENTION

The BBC Forum Staff has updated rule number four for further clarification about what image formats are acceptable in this forum. As has long been stated in BZPower's Signature and Picture guidelines, only JPG, GIF, and PNG images are post-able on these forums, because other formats use insufficient compression and often require vast loading times. But it seems there has been some confusion here in BBC, so we're going to make it clear:

Any images you post in the BBC forum must be either JPG, GIF, or PNG in format. Honestly, we recommend JPG; it is the standard format for photographs with good reason. Read former BBC Forum Leader Jambi's post about PNG to see why PNG is usually a poor choice for photos.

In image-heavy forums like BBC or the Artwork zones, we can sometimes be a little more lenient with image formats to which you link, but if you are embedding the picture in a post or using it as a BBC Contest entry photo, use JPG, GIF, or PNG.

Edited by -Windrider-, Feb 08 2012 - 11:28 PM.
Updated links to their new board equivalents.