# FAQ - guidelines for posting at the SDMB

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faq-guidelines-for-posting-at-the-sdmb/132698>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [October 14, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faq-guidelines-for-posting-at-the-sdmb/132698 "2002-10-14T19:56:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faq-guidelines-for-posting-at-the-sdmb/132698/1 "2002-10-14T19:56:33Z")

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**Arnold** , I was just about to go do this when I glanced through this thread ('bout time I checked out the guidelines, eh?). While your entry above regarding bumping a thread doesn’t address this, it had been my impression that accepted practice on the board is that the sole exception to the one bump rule is a Dopefest gathering organizational thread, as it often takes significant bumpage to move towards fruition. Is this correct?

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faq-guidelines-for-posting-at-the-sdmb/132698/2 "2002-10-18T04:33:44Z")

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This seems to be in some kind of twilight zone. I’m going to bump it (just once) to see where it winds up. Arnold?

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**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faq-guidelines-for-posting-at-the-sdmb/132698/3 "2002-10-18T21:16:08Z")

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> [@](#):
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> I was just about to go do this when I glanced through this thread

Bet that was a fast read. No idea what happened Ringo. If you can tell me in what thread your post was supposed to go, I can try and send it there.

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faq-guidelines-for-posting-at-the-sdmb/132698/4 "2002-10-18T22:16:38Z")

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Sorry Ringo. You had posted this in one of the FAQ threads, but I intended the FAQ threads to be only answers, and not the questions. I used the “split thread” moderator super-power to make your post a new thread in ATMB, but when I came along to post an answer in the new thread, the hamsters were asleep so I couldn’t answer you.

You were referring to this section of “guidelines for posting” FAQ:

[quote]  
If you start a thread, and after a while think you would like more comments on it, you may be tempted to “bump” the thread by adding a post to make the thread reappear back at the top of the forum list. We strongly discourage this practice, but since the boards are so busy sometimes a single “bump” will bring about good results. Our guidelines:[list=A][li]Wait until a suitable time has elapsed (at least until your thread is no longer visible on the first page of the forum) [/li][li]Bump your thread only once [/li][li]Do not make a habit of always bumping each of your threads.[/list=A]When you bump your thread, it is preferrable to include additional information relevant to the original post, which may help encourage posters to respond.[/li][/quote]

I suppose it’s OK to bump a Dopefest thread, but not more than once a day.