New User Guide & Mod FAQ

Hopefully, this will be implemented into something every new and current user will have to read when they first sign on (like when Janis did the rates poll).

For now we are just putting it in every forum so no one will have an excuse about not seeing it.

-------------------

Welcome to P and Q. Many new members often find that in the beginning it can be a challenge getting themselves and their poems noticed. There are numerous discussion forum posts asking how to get more comments and be noticed. Hopefully, this new member guide will help you answer these questions.

HANDY TIPS

Before you do anything else, be sure to read:
Terms of Submission (http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/terms.html)
and
Forum Rules and Guidelines (http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/discussion/forum_rules.html)
If you have any questions about these two lists, feel free to contact a moderator (http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/moderators.html)

Another good source of information are the member submitted articles. Be sure to check them out. http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/poetry_articles.html

Now, the best way to get your poems noticed and commented on is simply to comment on other people's poems. This may seem obvious but there is more to it than just posting a one sentence "Hey great work thanks" comment. If that is the kind of blank feedback you want to receive, then by all means give that out. You only get what you give, and sometimes not even that. So, make the effort to find poems you really love and take your time to write thoughtful honest comments. You will get the respect of the author who will want to know who you are and what you write. You might even make a friend, fall in love or be ignored, it's all terribly exciting!

Another way to get noticed is to become an active member on the discussion boards. Get involved in the debates, create interesting or amusing threads, interact with your fellow members. Getting yourself involved, being honest, etc will make people want to know who you are and what you write about, especially if your forum posts are well written and either really insightful or very funny.

Another good way to get more feedback and be connected is to join a poetry club. There are many clubs and they all have slightly different focuses and criteria for joining and participating. Make sure you read the small print when joining or you may just find yourself in a dark poetry cult where your jolly love poems are not welcome.

One more small tip is to take some time naming your poem. Generally speaking if a poem is titled something like this

"Why did your love go?"

Or

"The Darkness inside my soul"

You can be assured of what it's about and there really isn't much mystery to such a title, which is a bad thing.

Ok, if you follow all the advice in this guide you will no doubt become a P and Q darling in no time. You might even become a Mod, or a senior member, the possibilities are...well there are 2 of them.

Good luck.

P & Q Moderation

The P&Q Message Boards are a moderated forum. However, the moderators cannot be everywhere and see everything. If you see something that is against the Board Rules, please report it to a moderator. Note that the moderators have the final say-so in any situation that you report to them. They will evaluate the situation on a case-by-case basis and take appropriate action where needed.

What Is A Moderator?

Moderators are volunteers who give their time to help board users with questions about our sites and boards. They also are here to ensure that all visitors enjoy their stay. This means enforcing the Board Rules and User Agreement.

What Do Moderators Do?

Moderators monitor board posts and respond to complaints to keep posting free of undesirable content as described in the Board Rules and P&Q User Agreement. They enforce the board rules, and can delete posts (with or without penalty), edit posts as well as suspend you from the site. If a moderator lets you know you are close to crossing the line, take heed of the warning. Likewise, if your thread was deleted or locked by a moderator, do not repost the topic.

Suspensions and Appeals

If you become suspended, you may contact the moderators at PnQMods@yahoo.com. You can plead your case and they will re-evaluate your suspension. While you are suspended, it is not acceptable to return to the boards under a new account. Suspensions will not be discussed with any member other than the moderators and the person suspended.

What If I Disagree With A Moderator?

Moderators are not perfect and are only human. Disagreements occur. Try to communicate with them first on a respectful level and settle your disagreement. They are not targets for your obscenities, flames or general insults. If you do not agree with a decision, you are not entitled to start a thread arguing about the verdict or flaming any of the moderators. Any such messages will be removed. This extends to Private Messages and suspension appeals as well, and you are not entitled to insult moderators via either of these methods. Also note that suspensions are between the user suspended and the moderators, and moderators cannot respond about suspensions publicly. Any correspondence about suspension length and reason will be handled through the suspension appeal process. If you feel a verdict is unfair, please contact another Moderator. You are also welcome to contact the Administrators through the Contact Us page, but be prepared to review the Board Rules again and know that the site is able to verify your accusations. The Administrators will not mediate opinion and will only get involved if Board Rules have been violated.