Ways to be Flamed!
Not Flaming!
Flaming
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It is possible you were, but it is just as likely that you are overly sensitive and cannot take criticism or advice. I have decided to try and help you to understand a bit about flaming so you can see if you were really flamed or if you need to grow a thicker skin.
The first step to knowing if you were flamed is to understand what flaming is. I asked on the Help Boards for a definition of flaming, below you will find the results.
Wikipedia defines internet flaming as: the hostile and insulting interaction between users.
geedee111 a regular helper around the HC defines flaming as: when someone is insulted or made fun of.
schmalex another regular in the HC defines flaming as: where you moan and yell at someone normally because they are doing wrong.
captain_kitsune says flaming is basically getting mad for no good reason, or defending yourself in a hostile manner.
As you can see the definitions of flaming vary from person to person. Based on the definitions I got from users questioned in the Help Boards I believe that Wiki's definition sums up flaming in the clearest manner.
That is a really good question with no solid answer.
In the Help Boards (also known as HC and HC is how I will refer to it from now on) the easiest way to get flamed is to post a spam board and then deny it is a spam board, I really do NOT encourage doing that, ever.
A second way I see users get flamed is to go onto the HC ask for help, get helped and either tell the person helping them that they were wrong and start calling the helper names. If the person helping is a regular HCer it is likely other regular HCer's will jump to their defense and the poster may end up flamed, not always but often.
If you make a board begging on the HC and try to claim you are not begging you are just asking, you will most likely end up flamed. We all know that asking someone for items and begging are the same thing, just don't do it and you will not have to worry about being flamed.
A common problem on the HC is people complain about being flamed, but that they simply did not receive the answer that they wanted to hear. Which is vastly different from people being rude or mean. You also, often get people who make a snarky board just to annoy.
The simple easy answer is follow the rules. But it is a bit more complex than that. Do not argue with people. Many people on the HC (myself included occasionally) are just looking for an argument. When you argue with them everyone involved gets hostile and the flaming with begin from both sides.
Another way to keep from being flamed is to avoid off topic posts. Well the HC can only give Neopets help, so asking anything else may get you flamed. We cannot help you find your hamster or remove your appendix, these are things best left to the professionals not strangers online_ We do not care what you ate for breakfast or if you have a crush on someone. If you keep your topics Neopets related you will less likely be flamed.
You should also keep an open mind to avoid being flamed. If you posted the board, you came to the HC for help. Sometimes the answer you will get will not be what you wanted to hear. This is just a fact of life. If someone gives you an answer that is not what you thought, try asking "are you sure" instead of calling them stupid, and if 3 or more people are telling you the same exact thing it is highly likely they are right and you are not. Sometimes you have to accept the fact you cannot always know all the answers. There is an old saying "You learn something new everyday." Remember that when asking for help on the HC especially if you already think you know the answer.
There are a couple different option when you are flamed; you can report it (silently making a big deal out of it can lead to more flaming), or you can ignore it and do nothing.
If you are upset by the flaming it is often a good idea to leave the boards for a little while until you have calmed down. Destruct-o-Match might be a good alternative.
If you want to report the flaming to The Neopets Team you can click the report message link on the post to report, generally flaming would be reported under harassment. When a person is reported for harassment, there are 4 different outcomes that can happen; 1. nothing ): 2. a warning 3. Suspended temporarily or 4. Frozen. Generally the different levels of punishment are directly related to the severity of the flaming and their past history.
There are many many many ways that people can flame one another, around the HC some of the most common are; to insult spelling and grammar, while incidentally messing up their own spelling and grammar; to insult age of a player; to call other people names such as n00b or n00blet; and to make snide comments about something the person posts.
The person being flamed can report it, sadly if you only viewed the flaming and it was not directed at you, it is harder to report. You were not the one being harassed, and for all you know it could be two friends just teasing each other, yet it could look like flaming. The simple answer is if you do not like something said on the board leave the board. If you think someone is flaming someone else, tell the flamer that they should really stop, that they are on the edge of breaking the rules. Sometimes this will work but many times you will be ignored. If the person being flamed is obviously being flamed out of spite you could attempt to report it, but explain everything very clearly so that TNT understand that the person you are reporting was flaming someone , explain the whole situation, including what caused the flaming.
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