How to Look Smart

1. Make sure people can read what you have to say.

You might think your fancy cursive, size one, lime green text is amazing, but it is not quite as impressive for all your poor fellow Neopians who are struggling to read what you have to say. For a lot of people, if they have to struggle to read your font, they will not even bother trying. Now, how can you show people how impressive you really are if they aren't even reading what you are saying?

Tips: If you would like to use small font, keep the colors dark so that they are easy to read. If you really must use really bright or almost-white colored font, increase your size a bit so that they are easier to see. As for font faces, try to keep them simple. Neo's default font is good, but if you do not like it and want something a little different, try arial, batang, eurostile or georgia.

2. Speak a language everyone can understand.

Using abbreviations and slang terms for words may make it easier for you to type, but it makes it harder for others to read if they are not familiar with the terms you are using. Besides that, using chatspeak just looks sloppy and immature. Proper grammar and correct spelling looks much more professional and mature, and smart people tend to be mature and enjoy looking professional. Chatspeak gives the impression of something a lazy ten year old would use, and lazy ten year olds tend not to be that smart.

Tips: Just avoid chatspeak as much as possible. Saying little things like "brb" and "lol" is fine every once in a while, but try to keep it to a minimum. Chatspeak is rather annoying to a lot of people, and many look down on players who use it.

3. Keep your finger off the caps lock key.

Capital letters have a place in the world, and that is at the beginning of sentences and proper nouns. Typing something in all caps gives off the impression of yelling, and quite frankly, no one likes to be yelled at. But wait! Someone makes you angry and you want to yell at them! Well, don't. Smart people know that when they disagree with others, they do not yell. They act cool and collected and respond to the instigator with class, not loud words.

Tips: Unless you are goofing around with friends, avoid using all caps. Random strangers on the boards do not like being yelled at by fellow random strangers.

4. Talk small

When making your font for the boards, try to keep your font size at default or smaller. Really large font sometimes gives off the same impression as using all caps, and that is the feeling of yelling, or just talking really loud. Smart people also tend to be soft-spoken people that know how to catch others' eye with all the interesting and provocative things they have to say, not by talking really loud or making a spectacle of themselves.

Tips: Big font is not always bad, but can give off a rather "n00bish" impression. Just use it with caution.

5. Leave us with something interesting

The last thing people read is (no, not the last line you typed) your signature. With this in mind, make your signature something interesting that will leave us a good impression. You could take the classic route and use your signature to keep track of something you are questing for, or to give a shout out to your friends. It can be useful to advertise a page you have made, or your BC entry. Or you can just use it to say something funny, or something interesting that makes people think. Remember, when you make your signature, follow the same rules that you would for your font. Make it easy to read and avoid chatspeak. Now, what if you can't think of anything for your signature? Then do the smart thing, and just don't have one.

Tips: It is better to have no signature than a really lame one. Avoid really awkward inside jokes, chatspeak, and pointless things like "I couldn't think of a signature lol"

6. Act like the bigger person

Even if you have giant, lime green, cursive font, type in all caps and have a really lame signature, you can still look smart. How is that? By acting smart. The key to acting smart is to always think before you do something. Let us look at a few common examples...

• If someone breaks the rules and you report them, do not post "reported!" or taunt them about it. Do the smart thing, just report and walk away. No one may know but you, but by posting something, you not only look dumb, but also bump up the offending board.
• If you break the rules, be prepared to accept the punishment if you get caught. Smart people know about that all actions come with consequences, and those consequences aren't always nice. If you get suspended for breaking the rules, do not create boards crying about it. You chose not to follow the rules and you knew the consequences- it is not very smart to whine about something you knew was coming.
• If you disagree with something someone says, you can simply take the high road and ignore them. If you really feel the need to post, do not yell and tell them they are dumb. Simply post your opinion in a mature, eloquent fashion and be done with. Always have reason behind your opinions, and never directly insult someone else's beliefs- smart people know the world is not black and white, and everyone is entitled to their own opinions.
• Say someone posts on your board and tells you that you are dumb, or insults your BC entry, or says something else mean spirited. Do not got around crying to everyone about it or start arguing with them. Just ignore them. People do things like this to get a rise out of you, and smart people know that if you do not respond in the desired manner, they will most likely just go away.
• Always remember: people have no power over you unless you let them. Never let something someone says deeply offend or upset you. Chances are that person does not know you and has no right to judge you, so do not take anything they say to you to heart. A smart person would know that it is just not worth it.

And that is it. Hopefully this article will help you in some way while chatting on the neoboards. Now, take what you have learned, put it to use and make a neo a smarter, and more pleasant place to chat!