[Marie]

1. Don’t post a lot at first. Just read and learn.
2. When you do begin posting, try not to be too controversial until you’ve been around for awhile and gained a good reputation.
3. Have a thick skin.
4. Before you post, read the thread and see if someone else has already shared the same thought. (I post a LOT less than I used to because of this.)
5. No personal insults. If someone insults you - ignore them and don’t take it personally. There’s no point in arguing with a rude person.
6. Enjoy and LEARN! You’ll be surprised how enlightening the debates around here really are and you’ll get more out of reading than you will from posting. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. (Your first vanity is a good choice.) :-)

For the first year or so that I was around here I think I mostly asked questions. I was always careful to present my questions in such a way that the other posters could see that I was sincerely asking and not a troll. I’ve had many wonderful mentors step forward that way.

[matginzac]

All good points - but be careful even with a “sincere” question...
During the Nov 2010 election open thread, I asked an “academic” question abt thread hijacking and posted it to the WRONG person by accident...wow, you would have thought I called Reagan a socialist!
All is forgiven now but there are some folks here (I love them nonetheless...) that need “special” handling.
Welcome and ENJOY...best site EVAH!

[TalonDJ]

Great list! Well said and I agree with all of it. To elaborate on '5'.

5) Before you post, read the thread and see if someone else has already shared the same thought. (I post a LOT less than I used to because of this.)

Also check what other people said in response to that similar thought. If you post really late, with a kneejerk off the top of your head thought it is very possibly that others on the thread have already posted counter augments or even completely debunked your thought. So if you are tempted to post on a thread try to catch up on the comments a bit first.

Also, if you are a recent convert to conservatism keep an open mind. What I mean is you will hear some arguments and ideas that to you will still sound really far right and 'out there'. If you are not sure what they mean ask a respectful question and you will probably get some great responses. Judging by your first post we don't have to give the advice of, "Use correct English, punctuation, and capitalization."