Netiquette, and why it really should matter.
Certforums itself has no particular guidelines on the way we should speak whilst online - but it is generally taken as a standard that, if you want to have a coherent conversation or get some decent answers, then it makes sense to ask a question in a coherent manner.
If you've never had a chance to read them before, here are the Forum Rules.
This general standard of 'full sentences' seems to be the norm on most professional forums, and when people do arrive that use contractions - 1337 speak or "txt" speak, they may find the mild flaming they get confusing and / or intimidating.
So instead of setting down a full guideline on forum language usage, here, in brief, is why it just makes sense to use proper grammar and punctuation when posting on-line.
Certforums is geared towards helping others progress in their careers. We are all passionate about IT getting the recognition it deserves as a profession, to stand alongside other career paths such as accountancy, engineering and the like. There are also many members of Certforums that hold high positions in their employment. If you pop onto these forums 'gns blzng' looking for work and recognition, it may not make the best impression - and a member of CF may well be the person sat opposite you at the interview table, assessing your worthiness for a job role.
Just as LinkedIn purports to be a "networking site" so is Certforums - and perhaps more so, because it draws people from the same professions into one area where we can talk 'IT'.
Be polite. Use commas, full stops, paragraphs, and keep away from using CAPS - and you'll be pleasantly surprised at the improved responses your posts (may) get, as well as just generally coming across as more, well, plausible as a serious professional.
Basic Spelling and other nefarious things....
Let's face it. We've all done it wrong at least once; English is a hard language to grasp.
Writing the perfect CV doesn't just amount to cramming a couple of sheets of A4 with your life experiences. It has to read well, and also be presented well.
As a small tip, good writing is just like any skill - you learn more by doing more.
Contributing on forums such as CF is a great way to get writing practice in. Regular writing not only helps to expand your vocabulary and enhance your grammatical ability; it's also a good way of letting off steam or helping others by imparting your carefully-gleaned knowledge.
If, like me, you don't feel as confident contributing on technical aspects of the forum, you could spend your time writing heinously verbose articles on topics you do feel confident about. You could do this for personal pleasure (as I, sad though it is, do quite often) or you could try contributing articles and anecdotes to your favourite sites and / or magazines. Remember, like everything, confidence and ability in a skill comes only with practise.
And no, writing cheats in the console of a game really should not count.
Many people are so caught up in the meat of their CV and writing, that the bones are often forgotten about - and getting the 'bones' wrong can make you look very silly down on paper. I'm going to go through a few brief common mistakes with correct usages afterwards - then I'm going to go over basic punctuation and some other 'do's and don'ts'.
Yes I'm sad, but it's making me smile
Please note, for the following it should not matter whether you use American English or British English (and I have attempted to make them topical where possible).
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