by puxoheNote: This is not a guide on gameplay, grouping, or guild Etiquette!
Thanks to Jame, Jiyambi, and requiem for sharing their ideas for the guide!
Proper etiquette is a more important part of WoW than many people may think. Being polite, typing correctly, and seeming intelligent can work wonders for your game experience (and other people’s too!). This guide is intended to increase the amount of fun you have in WoW by improving your etiquette. Enjoy!
Contents
(i)Politeness
(ii)Typing
(i)Politeness
“Politeness is to human nature what warmth is to wax.†– Arthur Schopenhauer
Being polite in World of Warcraft is like being polite in real life. If you are considerate and kind, people will return the favor (If not, I feel sorry for them!).
From the Brady Games Second Edition World of Warcraft Master Guide:
Quote:
The more polite you are the more often questions are answered. Also, players tend to provide more information when they feel connected to the person asking the question. “Does anyone know if the Mo’Grosh Crystal is a shared drop? :)” will get more attention than “Is Mo’Grosh crystal shared?”
It may seem insignificant, but it is not. It’s the same concept as someone saying “Excuse me” instead of “Move”.
(ii)Typing
“OMFG XROADZ RAED U COMEE?!?!?1“- Various Fools
Typing well is a valuable skill because people may judge your intelligence based on how you type(Not just in wow…). You should try to think back to at least 3rd grade English when you learned how to capitalize and punctuate, it pays off.
However, when you are in a dungeon and the tank just botched the pull, healer died, or someone just disconnected in the middle of the fight,ect.: There is not enough time to to be picky about grammar. BUT U SHULD NEVAR EVAR TIPE L1EK THIZ LOLZOMGROFL!!!1!!!one
Here are some additions to this section from other wow-pro users:
Quote:
1. When you’re asking something from someone. Don’t forget to say Please. Not plz, pls or PLZZ PLZ PLZ. That’s ANNOYING. Just say “please”. Honestly, you’re asking someone a service and you can’t even make the effort to type please fully?
2. Say “Thanks” or “thank you”, not “thx” or “thz”, or whatever else. Unless you’re in a real hurry, spell the words properly and entirely. “THX” just shows laziness and ungratefulness.
3. When you ask a question, only ONE question mark is needed. You don’t need to put 10 question mark, it’s unnecessary and it’s annoying.Example:
“wer is first aid trainer??????????????????????” BAD
“Can someone please tell me where the first aid trainer is?” GOOD4. It’s not COOL to use numbers to replace letters. It wasn’t cool 10 years ago, and it’s even less cool nowadays.
This is bad: “any1 4 utgard keep?”
This is good: “Anyone for Utgarde Keep?”And the list goes on:
Bad: “u” Good: “you”
Bad: “ur” Good: “your”
Bad: “ure” Good: “you’re” or “you are”
Bad: “i need help” Good: “I need help”
Bad: “im ready” Good: “I’m ready”
In guild chat, trade, etc. I usually type exactly like I would on here – correctly. When whispering folks or even just in party chat, I often ignore capitals – I basically see it as a less formal situation so I drop ’em. Especially when you have close to 6 conversations going on at once, which is not uncommon as a guild leader 😛 “Leet speak” is pretty much never appropriate, as you explain (Except when making fun of it!:))
I always try to use correct spelling, proper punctuation, and capitalization unless we’re joking around in guild chat or I’m in the middle of the instance, there is no time to deal with punctuation and capitalization while trying to keep the tank alive! (although I do always try to use proper spelling, unless I’m using abbreviations like “lfm” “lfg” etc. Spelling things improperly on purpose is a real pet peeves of mine. If you know how to spell correctly, DO!).
Constructive criticism is always welcome… please be nice.
:DThanks for all the comments guys!
I haven’t logged on to this site in a while and seeing a bunch of new positive comments really makes me want to create more content.
SarcasmAs far as Magtheridon – US trade chat goes, saying ‘please’ is sarcasm. Every single person in that channel is looking to degrade or insult someone, something, or an idea in general. I’m not sure how it is on other servers.
Few spelling mistakes, but aFew spelling mistakes, but a lot of missing majuscules 🙂
You have to put a majuscule (often referred to as “CAPS”) at the start of every sentence, and also on every first person “i”.
Example:
[color=#ff0000][b]i[/b][/color] really don’t want to spell anything wrong – [b][color=#ff0000]incorrect[/color][/b]
[color=#009900][b]I[/b][/color] really don’t want to spell anything wrong – [color=#009900][b]correct[/b][/color]
Another example:
as [color=#ff0000][b]i[/b][/color] just clicked on it because [color=#ff0000][b]i[/b][/color] had never seen a guide like this before – [color=#ff0000]incorrect[/color]
as [color=#009900][b]I[/b][/color] just clicked on it because [color=#009900][b]I[/b][/color] had never seen a guide like this before – [color=#009900][b]correct[/b][/color]
A little scared :)i really dont want to spell anything wrong here as im commenting on a guide such as this 🙂 thank you for this guide as i just clicked on it because i had never seen a guide like this before, if more people rerad this guide playing world of warcraft would be much more enjoyable. well done and thanks again!
(double checked spelling. sorry if there are still spelling mistakes im terrible at picking them out)
Good idea…I personally like the idea of this guide [b]VERY[/b] much. I hate it when you can’t read something bcoz its al typd lyk dis coz its kwl 2 do it. Even when I’m texting my mates! I will write it as I am now, trying to use proper spelling and grammer…
Damn I hate it! The only time when I do otherwise as either in WoW, or on MSN when I can never be bothered with using capitals mainly… otehr than that, it’s all groovy 🙂
Hah! Well, I tryHah! Well, I try 😉
Wow! You always haveWow! You always have something nice to say! 😀
No hurry!You are going at a perfectly fine pace, don’t rush or work too hard. School of course comes first – trust me I know, still a student as well. Keep up the good work, looking forward to the new guide!
On holdSorry I haven’t updated my guides in a little while.
I do have school, which is the most important thing to me right now.
I’m working on another guide aswell.
I plan to update this guide and publish my new guide during the weekend. 🙂
Another great idea!
I thinkAnother great idea!
I think you really do deserve the picture. 😛
Hah! Well that’s hardlyHah! Well that’s hardly necessary 😉 Cursing section would be good 🙂 Maybe a section on touchy subjects such as race/gender/sexual preference? I know those have been issues in my guild’s chat so we have rules about them, they might deserve mention.
Quote format.I do kind of like the quote format, for now – until I figure out how I want to work everything in.
There are even more sections that I would like to include (Section about people who curse excessively, anyone?)
So I just want to get it all there, until I can turn it into a fluent work of literature. 😛
Also, I appreciate the ideas so much that I will write your name on my forehead and post a picture of it in the guide if you want! 😀
Good guideGreat guide. I really hope it shows people that just a few more seconds typing can go a long way.
I tend to spell properly, and use correct grammar, although I tend not to use the apostrophe. (Such as I’m, it’s, hasn’t etc).
I believe that can sometimes be TOO much, or people could think of it as showing off. (No offence to anyone :D) I use abbreviations such as brb, btw, and lol in guild, party & whisper chats. But other than that, yeah 🙂 Im a pretty good speller ^.^
Heh, you don’t have to quoteHeh, you don’t have to quote me directly (unless you really want to) – feel free to work what I said into your guide, I don’t care about my name being in there 🙂 They can see me in the comments anyways 😛
But if you prefer the quote format, then that’s fine too.
I usually have properI usually have proper grammar except under the following circumstances;
[b]A)[/b] I’m $%#!ed off.
[b]B)[/b] It’s with a friend, or in guild, I occasionally slip up.
[b]C)[/b] Trying to speak with a person who does not know the English language, but entirely speaks in “1337 speak”
Thank you!Thanks for your feed back! I added your comment to the guide. 🙂
Of course!Of course!
Great GuideI always try to use correct spelling, proper punctuation, and capitalization unless we’re joking around in guild chat or I’m in the middle of the instance, there is no time to deal with punctuation and capitalization while trying to keep the tank alive! (although I do always try to use proper spelling, unless I’m using abbreviations like “lfm” “lfg” etc. Spelling things improperly on purpose is a real pet peeves of mine. If you know how to spell correctly, DO!).
Thanks for the feedback :)I appreciate it.
What you explained about less formal situations is EXACTLY what I meant, is it ok if I add it to the guide? I mean really, it was on the tip of my tounge,err… fingers. 🙂
I definitely like that youI definitely like that you explained that in some cases it’s okay not to have perfect capitalization, punctuation, etc. In guild chat, trade, etc. I usually type exactly like I would on here – correctly. When whispering folks or even just in party chat, I often ignore capitals – I basically see it as a less formal situation so I drop ’em. Especially when you have close to 6 conversations going on at once, which is not uncommon as a guild leader 😛 “Leet speak” is pretty much never appropriate, as you explain (Except when making fun of it! 🙂 )
Great guide, keep up the good work!
Thank you!I’m thrilled that you thought my guide was good! I truly appreciate the feedback, all of your ideas will be added to the guide, if that’s ok. Take care Jame.
Good guide. And you areGood guide. And you are definitely right about people’s intelligence being judged on the way they type.
Personally, if someone talks to me like that “r u heal spc??? join grp 4 Outgrade Kiep??”
I will never ever join such a group:
1. Because typing like that just shows lazyness.
2. Beause typing like that makes it hard for people to read you.
3. Generally when someone speaks like that, they are also bad players with very poor understanding of game mechanics. It’s just a statistic I’ve witnessed. There are exceptions of course, but generally, bad typer, bad player.
I would add the following to your guide:
1. When you’re asking something from seomeone. Don’t forget to say Please. Not plz, pls or PLZZ PLZ PLZ. That’s ANNOYING. Just say “please”. Honestly, you’re asking someone a service and you can’t even make the effort to type please fully?
2. Say “Thanks” or “thank you”, not “thx” or “thz”, or whatever else. Unless you’re in a real hurry, spell the words properly and entirely. “THX” just shows lazyness and ungratefulness.
3. When you ask a question, only ONE question mark is needed. You don’t need to put 10 question mark, it’s unecessary and it’s annoying.
Example:
“wer is first aid trainer??????????????????????” BAD
“Can someone please tell me where the first aid trainer is?” GOOD
4. It’s not COOL to use numbers to replace letters. It wasn’t cool 10 years ago, and it’s even less cool nowadays.
This is bad: “any1 4 utgard keep?”
This is good: “Anyone for Utgarde Keep?”
And the list goes on:
Bad: “u” Good: “you”
Bad: “ur” Good: “your”
Bad: “ure” Good: “you’re” or “you are”
Bad: “i need help” Good: “I need help”
Bad: “im ready” Good: “I’m ready”