THE BOUNCER
Community Veteran, Owner of SuperiorMuscle.com
This post was originally written by Ajax of AR.
I think that this might help the members of this board (especially the new ones) get the most out of the time they spend here. I have noticed that there are a lot of poor posts being slapped up and that’s not helping anybody--it wastes the expert’s time and doesn’t get people’s questions answered for the people who need answers.
I put together a few tips on how to post more effectively in the hope that, if read and followed, it will help people with questions get the attention of the people that have the answers and thus, get their questions answered.
The four main points to writing a good post are:
1) Always do your research first.
2) Write a good subject line!
3) Use the body of the post to clarify your subject line and give details.
4) Make sure your post is readable!
So here it goes...
1) Always do your research first.
Many questions--especially “newbie” questions have already been answered. PLEASE don’t post a question on a topic that has been discussed to death already. We tire of answering, “Can I drink Winny” (Yes.) and “Is there an Effective Oral-Only Cycle?” (No!)
(New guys take note: we love to answer questions, but after the fifth time, it gets a little old, after the tenth time it gets real old. After the twentieth time, it just gets to be a running joke... So help us help you by doing your research first!)
Search previous posts in the forums before you post a new question. It saves time and will help you get a better answer. It’s not just a matter of etiquette; it’s also practical.
Research is faster!
The odds are that your question is not all that unique. The same questions crop up for everybody at different points in our AS learning curve, so somebody has probably asked--and answered--you question (or a very similar one) at least once before.
If it has been asked before, you are in luck--do a search and you get an immediate answer, no need to wait for a reply!
It will frequently get you a better answer.
The people here on this discussion board are generous in sharing their knowledge, but nobody wants to waste their time answering the same questions over-and-over. If it has been ‘discussed to death’ already and you post it AGAIN, the ‘experts’ will ignore the post, thus your question will not get the answer you want! (Somebody who asked the same question before, however, did get the answer and you would have found it if you had done a search.)
An additional bonuses for doing your research:
When you do research before posting a question, you gain additional background information and perspective that will help you ask better questions when you post.
You also develop a better reputation on the board if you ask “smart questions.”
2) Write a good subject line!
With hundreds of new posts a day, nobody can read all the posts. A good subject line is far more likely to get the attention of the person who has the information you need.
I can't emphasize this enough: A good subject line helps insure that the people you want to read your post WILL read it! Alternatively, a bad subject line almost always means that the majority of the people reading the board will skip your post.
Take a moment and make sure you write a good subject line --it is the single biggest factor in getting the attention of the people that can answer the question. Most people will only read a post if the subject line grabs their attention; if there’s nothing in the subject line to get he reader’s attention, they will skip the post. That’s just reality.
A good subject line is a complete question or statement.
Be specific about what you are asking. The more specific your subject line is, the better chance you will get the answer you need.
The worst subject lines are vague questions or statements. For example:
“Check this Out!” “Important, Please Read!” “Everybody Read This!” “Has anybody experienced this?” “Help Me!” “I Need an Expert’s Advice!” “My First Cycle” “What’s Wrong?” or the dreaded “??????”
These subject lines are too vague; they could be about almost anything. The subject line gives us no clue about the content of the message or what the question actually is. If the subject is vague, how does a person reading the forum know if the information in the message is of interest to them?
Most people just scan for interesting looking posts and skip over the vague ones and the person who has the answer, the person you want to read you post, might just cruise on by without ever knowing he has the information you desperately need!
The next worst subject lines are ones that are too broad:
“Anadrol Question!”
What is your question about Anadrol? Do you want to know if the pills you just bought are real or fake? Is the manufacturer reputable? Is Anadrol effective? Is Anadrol a dangerous? Does Anadrol have serious side effects? Is Anadrol a good choice in a ?/?/? stack?
“Need Advice on My Cycle”
Again, the question is too vague--and one that is posted all too often. What advice do you need? What steroids are you using? Is it about the stack? Dosages? When to inject? Results to expect? Is it your first or tenth cycle? Is it a question about using Anadrol & Test to bulk or Test/Deca/Winny to cut?
Here are a couple examples of specific questions that make good subject lines:
“Does Anadrol Cause Hair Loss?”
“My Second Cycle (for cutting) using Test/Deca/Winny. Suggestions?”
3) Use the body of the post to clarify your subject line and give details.
Give the reader all the details he needs to answer your question intelligently.
Often, if you write a really good subject line, you won’t even have to have anything in the body of the post. But there are many cases where the body is a good place to give extra details that can help the members give you a better response to your question.
In particular, if you want experts to give you advice on your specific situation, give them some background on yourself: your age, height, weight and body fat %, how long you have been lifting, how many cycles you have taken, any other drugs or medical conditions you have, or any other details you think might be relevant.
Here’s an example of a well thought out post to ask advice about a cycle:
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“My Second Cycle (Cutting) using Test/Deca/Winny. Suggestions?”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good subject line! Very specific. You know what the question is about--and the experts will know if it’s a question they can help with just by looking at the subject line.
The Body of your post might be something like this:
quote:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a 38-year-old bodybuilder with 5 years experience lifting weights. I am 6'2“, 220 lbs and 12% body fat. I have had great results on my first cycle 6 months ago (a bulking cycle, Test/Dbol for eight weeks), I gained 20 lbs and kept about 16 of that.
In my second cycle I want to put on a little more muscle, but my main goals are to achieve muscle hardness and definition and lower my BF to less than 8%. I want to be ripped!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here the person is giving basic but critical background on himself, his experience and what goals he is trying to achieve. We need good background information to give good advice--so don’t leave it out!
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think that this might help the members of this board (especially the new ones) get the most out of the time they spend here. I have noticed that there are a lot of poor posts being slapped up and that’s not helping anybody--it wastes the expert’s time and doesn’t get people’s questions answered for the people who need answers.
I put together a few tips on how to post more effectively in the hope that, if read and followed, it will help people with questions get the attention of the people that have the answers and thus, get their questions answered.
The four main points to writing a good post are:
1) Always do your research first.
2) Write a good subject line!
3) Use the body of the post to clarify your subject line and give details.
4) Make sure your post is readable!
So here it goes...
1) Always do your research first.
Many questions--especially “newbie” questions have already been answered. PLEASE don’t post a question on a topic that has been discussed to death already. We tire of answering, “Can I drink Winny” (Yes.) and “Is there an Effective Oral-Only Cycle?” (No!)
(New guys take note: we love to answer questions, but after the fifth time, it gets a little old, after the tenth time it gets real old. After the twentieth time, it just gets to be a running joke... So help us help you by doing your research first!)
Search previous posts in the forums before you post a new question. It saves time and will help you get a better answer. It’s not just a matter of etiquette; it’s also practical.
Research is faster!
The odds are that your question is not all that unique. The same questions crop up for everybody at different points in our AS learning curve, so somebody has probably asked--and answered--you question (or a very similar one) at least once before.
If it has been asked before, you are in luck--do a search and you get an immediate answer, no need to wait for a reply!
It will frequently get you a better answer.
The people here on this discussion board are generous in sharing their knowledge, but nobody wants to waste their time answering the same questions over-and-over. If it has been ‘discussed to death’ already and you post it AGAIN, the ‘experts’ will ignore the post, thus your question will not get the answer you want! (Somebody who asked the same question before, however, did get the answer and you would have found it if you had done a search.)
An additional bonuses for doing your research:
When you do research before posting a question, you gain additional background information and perspective that will help you ask better questions when you post.
You also develop a better reputation on the board if you ask “smart questions.”
2) Write a good subject line!
With hundreds of new posts a day, nobody can read all the posts. A good subject line is far more likely to get the attention of the person who has the information you need.
I can't emphasize this enough: A good subject line helps insure that the people you want to read your post WILL read it! Alternatively, a bad subject line almost always means that the majority of the people reading the board will skip your post.
Take a moment and make sure you write a good subject line --it is the single biggest factor in getting the attention of the people that can answer the question. Most people will only read a post if the subject line grabs their attention; if there’s nothing in the subject line to get he reader’s attention, they will skip the post. That’s just reality.
A good subject line is a complete question or statement.
Be specific about what you are asking. The more specific your subject line is, the better chance you will get the answer you need.
The worst subject lines are vague questions or statements. For example:
“Check this Out!” “Important, Please Read!” “Everybody Read This!” “Has anybody experienced this?” “Help Me!” “I Need an Expert’s Advice!” “My First Cycle” “What’s Wrong?” or the dreaded “??????”
These subject lines are too vague; they could be about almost anything. The subject line gives us no clue about the content of the message or what the question actually is. If the subject is vague, how does a person reading the forum know if the information in the message is of interest to them?
Most people just scan for interesting looking posts and skip over the vague ones and the person who has the answer, the person you want to read you post, might just cruise on by without ever knowing he has the information you desperately need!
The next worst subject lines are ones that are too broad:
“Anadrol Question!”
What is your question about Anadrol? Do you want to know if the pills you just bought are real or fake? Is the manufacturer reputable? Is Anadrol effective? Is Anadrol a dangerous? Does Anadrol have serious side effects? Is Anadrol a good choice in a ?/?/? stack?
“Need Advice on My Cycle”
Again, the question is too vague--and one that is posted all too often. What advice do you need? What steroids are you using? Is it about the stack? Dosages? When to inject? Results to expect? Is it your first or tenth cycle? Is it a question about using Anadrol & Test to bulk or Test/Deca/Winny to cut?
Here are a couple examples of specific questions that make good subject lines:
“Does Anadrol Cause Hair Loss?”
“My Second Cycle (for cutting) using Test/Deca/Winny. Suggestions?”
3) Use the body of the post to clarify your subject line and give details.
Give the reader all the details he needs to answer your question intelligently.
Often, if you write a really good subject line, you won’t even have to have anything in the body of the post. But there are many cases where the body is a good place to give extra details that can help the members give you a better response to your question.
In particular, if you want experts to give you advice on your specific situation, give them some background on yourself: your age, height, weight and body fat %, how long you have been lifting, how many cycles you have taken, any other drugs or medical conditions you have, or any other details you think might be relevant.
Here’s an example of a well thought out post to ask advice about a cycle:
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“My Second Cycle (Cutting) using Test/Deca/Winny. Suggestions?”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good subject line! Very specific. You know what the question is about--and the experts will know if it’s a question they can help with just by looking at the subject line.
The Body of your post might be something like this:
quote:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a 38-year-old bodybuilder with 5 years experience lifting weights. I am 6'2“, 220 lbs and 12% body fat. I have had great results on my first cycle 6 months ago (a bulking cycle, Test/Dbol for eight weeks), I gained 20 lbs and kept about 16 of that.
In my second cycle I want to put on a little more muscle, but my main goals are to achieve muscle hardness and definition and lower my BF to less than 8%. I want to be ripped!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here the person is giving basic but critical background on himself, his experience and what goals he is trying to achieve. We need good background information to give good advice--so don’t leave it out!
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last edited by a moderator:
