FanPost

Community Guidelines: How to Comment on Lookout Landing

REPOSTING SINCE SB NATION UPDATES NUKED OUR NORMAL LINK

Maybe this Fanpost is completely unnecessary. In fact, I hope it is. After all, the link to the community guidelines is posted right above the Fanposts for all to see. But it's written in an unbolded font and no one pays attention to unbolded fonts. They're weak and powerless, deserving of scorn if they're deserving of any attention at all.

Still, this is the period of time where we some new users flooding in, excited to discuss Mariners baseball in spite of a decade and a half worth of results that suggest their time may be better spent doing other things such as needlepoint or, well, not even doing anything at all.

New users are good! It's nice to see some new viewpoints and have some new people to talk to about the sport we love (and off topic things which have nothing to do with anything). But be warned: There is a learning curve here. This isn't Twitter. This isn't the Seattle Times. It's something else entirely. It's a site born out of a love of the Mariners, certain Mariners' players, and advanced stats. And if there's one thing the stat community loves, it's research! So, please, take a few moments and do a little research before you start your career as a LL commenter.

Read this first! That's a link to CapSea's Guide to LL Culture. We're very cultured folks here. Prepare to be cultured.

Read this second! These rules are even older than the ones I just suggest you read, and I'm only suggest reading these second because that's the order they're linked to.

Read this third! No, there's no link there, I'm simply referring to the clause that follows this colon: Use common sense. If you see what other people are posting, how does your voice fit into the mix? If you were at a bar at a game, and you said the same thing aloud that you are thinking of posting, would you be driving away the people seated near you?

Here's a couple other things to think about, both for LL and life in general:

Do you understand the difference between fact and opinion?

Do you understand the difference between well reasoned criticism that an author might appreciate and respond to, and vexatious bitching that leads normally rational people to line up to their witty retorts to make you look...uncultured? Because that will happen. Quickly.

Do you feel the need to address a female author in a different manner than a male author by pointing out her femaleness as a preface to your comment? If so, what in the absolute fuck is wrong with you? Just enjoy the content the authors provide and don't be creepy, you creeper.

Do you know what this is? (look down slightly)

Fiddle Cat

This is Fiddle Cat.

You didn't recognize it? First, I'm sorry for the horror I've inflicted upon you. There's truly no way to adequately prepare someone when they are about to see that image for the first time. Second, this is a good image you want to see many times on here. Third, why don't you know what it is? Have you not lurked? 'Cause lurking a bit before posting comments is a pretty good idea.

Maybe other commenters will leave some helpful words of advice in the comment section that's created once I hit "Publish?" Maybe they won't? Maybe the world will be struck by a gigantic meteor causing an extinction level event, rendering everything I've written absolutely moot? Who knows? Goms.