1. Do not engage trolls. You know how to spot a troll. Responding to one doesn't negate their effect nor make your E-Penis bigger.
2. Be an insightful individual. Teach and learn with opinions. Not attack and take pleasure with words.
3. Maintain a fixed political opinion. But, DO NOT force or parade it as the definitive opinion over others. Listen to other's ideas, understand that we all have different backgrounds and will interpret it in variety of ways.
4. Never spoil anything especially if the conversation is about an Entertainment Medium such as comics, movies, radio shows. Such mediums get distributed on different times. Some will get it before theirs. That doesn't excuse you from getting over-excited and spoiling it for everyone. There's a time for spoilers to be talked about. Pre-release isn't that time.
5. Omit your personal lives when a conversation is about a topic other than your personal life. We don't need to hear of this. There's a time and place for it.
6. In a dispute. Withdraw. Ask yourself: "Why am I trying to win an argument over the internet? It's the fvcking internet for crying out loud. I got a life for god's sakes!" One might say otherwise, but everyone has a life.
7. If you are not achieving anything regarding the conversation nor add to it intellectually. Calmly bypass it. Move on to something you will be able to contribute to.
8. A man of real intelligence and cultivated mind is generally modest. One doesn't make others feel inferior. He/she is a person who will portray him/herself with frank simplicity. It's about the discussion not about our egos.
9. Avoid correcting errors, pedantry is a mark of stupidity, not intelligence. We are not a panel of Doctors trying to judge you if you are capable enough to be a Doctor. Lay easy on that.
10. Never speak ill of anyone. Do not threaten them. Nor wish death upon them. Unless you know voodoo; none of it is happening. Do not waste your time.
11. Boasting about something you are not involved with is off-putting. Nobody cares about scores, money, and success. At the end of the day, you are people with high moral standards and understand the very concept of modesty.
Ok CBM, now have a go at it. This is something to teach the uninitiated how to behave in a humanly manner on-line. The WEB gives us this shield and mask our virtues. We don't want our vices to be what represents us on-line. Be a good champ. Don't be soft, and have fun.
Offensiveness is something we cannot control. One can say to not be offensive, don't be offended. Unfortunately that will not stop the conflict. The best we can do is mitigate it, and not represent websites like this as a safe haven for online assholes. As I mentioned things are interpreted 1000 fvcking different ways. Keep that in mind.