# a little help **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 2, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197 "2013-10-02T17:51:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/21 "2013-10-02T20:05:47Z")
> [@Asympotically\_fat](#): > > I usually make an “¨” by taking the top two pixels from a “X”… you can’t make an umlaut without break a few x’s. I love you. That was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/22 "2013-10-02T20:19:35Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I’ll do it. I have a lot of really good ideas. For instance, how are you at typing umlauts? Careful-it may start out like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVmU3iANbgk&list=RD02CPhsR0T_cjA)…but it will end like [this.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPhsR0T_cjA)😃 ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/23 "2013-10-02T20:24:04Z")
> [@Asympotically\_fat](#): > > I usually make an “¨” by taking the top two pixels from a “X”… you can’t make an umlaut without break a few x’s. [a tip o’ the hat] ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/24 "2013-10-02T20:28:11Z")
Read more. Post less. Don’t start any new threads for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/25 "2013-10-02T21:40:36Z")
Don’t listen to any of these people. Post more. A LOT more. Use LESS punctuation, don’t capitalize anything, maybe drop a few spaces here and there for fun. If a thought comes into your head, post it IMMEDIATELY, no matter what thread you’re reading at the time. Ditto any song lyrics that might be playing in the background of whatever room you’re in. Don’t be afraid to free associate. Anyone who complains about your posting style is almost certainly just jealous, so go ahead and ignore them. Unless they’re a mod, in which case you should start an ATMB thread in response to any and all posts you think might be directed at you. Don’t worry, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I have a bunch more tips guaranteed to make you a forums superstar. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/26 "2013-10-02T21:52:54Z")
I have no advice or suggestions for the OP, but this post: > [@Asympotically\_fat](#): > > I usually make an “¨” by taking the top two pixels from a “X”… you can’t make an umlaut without break a few x’s. deserves the praise and recognition it is receiving. Well done, sir. I’m still laughing at that one. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/27 "2013-10-02T22:02:05Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Less style more substance. This. You seem to be trying to impress people by dazzling them with wordplay or something. That can be fine in certain cases, but it just makes me tired (but then I’m old, so there you are) and uninterested in reading your posts or opening your threads. Plus, as has been pointed out, forum-appropriate contributions would be nice. Great Debates tends to be weighty or at least thoughtful, MPSIMS can be light and frothy as you like. General Questions should focus as much as possible on factual contributions. And so on. So far, most of the remarks have been about your style. I do have one remark about the substance of some of your posts. You make a lot of claims of having had certain experiences. It is very hard to believe that all of them are true, as they are very diverse and unusual, and don’t seem to match up to your apparent youth (although as far as I know you haven’t said how old you are). Well and good, you can say whatever you want and people can believe whatever they choose. But if you want to be taken seriously (I realize this may not be the case) you will spread out those claims a little and back them up with specifics. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/28 "2013-10-02T23:28:03Z")
> [@sentrix](#): > > i need a mentor on this board. as you will. A capital idea. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/29 "2013-10-02T23:33:02Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Don’t worry, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Would your first step happen to be renaming her **Titanic**? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/30 "2013-10-02T23:49:34Z")
I second the nomination for **Giraffe** as your mentor. You could hardly do better! ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/31 "2013-10-03T00:12:23Z")
A desire to improve is a promising sign. Looking forward to where this might go! ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/32 "2013-10-03T00:19:49Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > I have no advice or suggestions for the OP, but this post: > > deserves the praise and recognition it is receiving. Well done, sir. I’m still laughing at that one. I still don’t get it. I hate when I don’t get a joke everyone else is laughing at!:(:mad: ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@Tequila\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Party)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/33 "2013-10-03T00:27:35Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > I still don’t get it. I hate when I don’t get a joke everyone else is laughing at!:(:mad: An umlaut without breaking a few Xs. An omelet without breaking a few eggs. ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/34 "2013-10-03T00:29:18Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > I still don’t get it. I hate when I don’t get a joke everyone else is laughing at!:(:mad: I took it as being one of those smart people things. Way over my head. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/35 "2013-10-03T00:50:22Z")
Of course, if someone doesn’t care for puns they might not find it amusing, but it killed me. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/36 "2013-10-03T01:23:28Z")
A Mentor! A Mentor! A Meh-eeeeeeeentor! A mentor, used like a robot! All his cred! At a Newbs command! A mentor, used like a robot! ( 'cause he won’t type with his other hand…) ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/37 "2013-10-03T01:34:50Z")
You’ve been given too much advice as it is. If you are interested in fitting in at all, show some effort. Start off by capitalizing words. If you continue posting without changing, then one can safely assume it’s more attention whoring. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/38 "2013-10-03T01:49:50Z")
Wear a fez. Fezzes are cool. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/39 "2013-10-03T02:00:20Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > Of course, if someone doesn’t care for puns they might not find it amusing, but it killed me. Haha. I get it now. The original sentence seemed to have left something out so I was confused, 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197/40 "2013-10-03T15:37:45Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Don’t listen to any of these people. Post more. A LOT more. Use LESS punctuation, don’t capitalize anything, maybe drop a few spaces here and there for fun. If a thought comes into your head, post it IMMEDIATELY, no matter what thread you’re reading at the time. Ditto any song lyrics that might be playing in the background of whatever room you’re in. Don’t be afraid to free associate. Anyone who complains about your posting style is almost certainly just jealous, so go ahead and ignore them. Unless they’re a mod, in which case you should start an ATMB thread in response to any and all posts you think might be directed at you. > > Don’t worry, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I have a bunch more tips guaranteed to make you a forums superstar. You forget about coming up with a unique gimmick so people remember you, like blessing everyone after every post followed by a bunch of smiley faces or something. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-little-help/670197.md?page=3)