SECRET OF MYLOT - GUIDE

This rule is self explanatory but there are many rogue members who seem to think the rules don't apply to them. Spend enough time on Mylot and you will definitely learn quickly who the rule breakers are. They are rude, have no online etiquette and will sometimes tell you outright they don't care about the rules. If you don't want to risk losing your account, it's best to stay away from these rule breakers. So how many warnings do you get from Mylot staff? Who knows but why take any chances. A warning is just like a yellow traffic light - so slow down, listen and learn the rules.

Well you already know about troublemakers but what are trolls and flame wars? Websters dictionary defines a troll as a folklore dwarf creature that lives under bridges but this is not the troll we are talking about however the troll on the internet certainly behaves just like that fairytale creature. A troll is a person who deliberately sets out to offend others. They will say all kinds of hateful things to make others angry, that is their only goal. When you continue to engage in this somewhat hostile discussion, it then becomes a flame war (heated discussion). There is no real discussion, just insults flying back and forth and both sides trying to get their point across. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with other Mylotters - but be respectful to one another. Mylot does not like trolls and flame wars and encourages us to report them. So now you know what trolls and flame wars are but do you need help with more internet slang? Check out the internet dictionary below on Amazon.

This rule is self explanatory - Mylot is making us all junior deputies. We are all responsible citizens in this online environment and we all share the burden of keeping our town safe. There are Mylot moderators who constantly monitor the forum and they delete posts that break the rules, warn members when they are doing something wrong or you may even get a private message from a moderator. Just one caution - don't confuse moderator with helping Mylot out. It is not your job to monitor the forum and go around pointing the finger at every member. This type of behavior enrages members and soon you will have a bad reputation. What is the point of being a Mylot member if no one wants to join any of your discussions? If you can phrase the offensive behavior to the member in a friendly manner, then go ahead and let the member know. That is a way of sharing your Mylot knowledge. If however the member is offended by your finger pointing, then please leave that member alone and just report the matter to Mylot. Understand the difference now?

Not only can you start discussions on Mylot but members get to grade each other. The Mylot discussion rating system is very easy to understand but should not be taken lightly. Here is how to use the rating system:

Read the post (or view photo). If you find the post or photo useful, then click on the (+) sign to give the post or photo a positive rating.

If you do not feel the post or photo was useful, then click on the (-) sign to give the post or photo a negative rating.

If you have no strong opinions either way, you should not rate the post or photo. Many actions are indeed "neutral" and should not be rated at all.

If you feel the post or photo violates the myLot community guidelines, then click on the (!) sign to report the abuse to mylot staff.


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SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN USING THE RATING SYSTEM

The rating system is private to all members. Mylot feels this keeps the rating system objective and better for the members. If you disagree with a member in a discussion, this has nothing to do with the rating of that post. Do not use the rating system to harm other members. Here is what Mylot has to say about their rating system: The DRS algorithm is very complex and will detect many forms of inappropriate ratings. If a user is trying to game the system, this abuse will only hurt the user. The integrity of the DRS is the top priority of the DRS team at myLot. In addition to the many automatic safeguards that are already in place, we are closely monitoring DRS activity to identify and prevent inappropriate ratings.

This rule seems very easy to understand right? This my friend, is one of the easiest rule to break on Mylot so please make it a daily habit before starting any new posts. The best way NOT to break this rule, is by doing a search of your topic before posting. It's ok to discuss the same topic. There are over 170,000 Mylot members so there is no way you won't run into some overlap. However bring something new to the table for that specific topic. Here is an example. Say the discussion is about American Idol and how much everyone enjoyed this year's season finale. You can start a post about comparing all the season finalies and what everyone liked about them. See the difference? American Idol is still the main topic but the agenda of the discussion has changed. Another way to avoid breaking this rule is by choosing interest categories and posting in those forums. This way, you get to monitor the different discussions and know when someone has posted a similar topic you want to discuss. Always remember, search and then post.

Did your mother ever tell you the phrase "if you can't find something nice to say then don't say anything at all?". Well Mylot pays its members for discussions so it's ok to disagree with others. However you do not have to answer every single post you see, especially if you have no good response to the post. Phrases like "I don't know, who cares, wish I could help" or any comment that does not help the poster in any way is simply useless. Mylot does not pay for these types of posts so why waste your time? Find another topic where you have something useful to contribute.

The most important thing to remember about this rule: what is considered a useful link? Say the topic of discussion was Oprah is giving away free KFC chicken for one day only. Of course everyone needs that link to Oprah's website. Why not make it easy for Mylotters to get their free chicken? The rule of thumb here is make sure the link is related to the topic of discussion. Now say for instance you are an affiliate of KFC and have your very own referral link. Oh boy, lots of money just giving away free chicken and your referral link also relates to the topic of discussion. So go ahead and post that link since it's a useful link. Wrong, wrong and dead wrong! Referral links are never allowed on Mylot, no matter if it does relate to the topic. Let me repeat that. Referral links are never allowed on Mylot. For some strange reason, everyone seems to forget this rule.

Mylot pays its members for discussions, not chatting. Do you understand the difference between the two? Not many people do. Discussions are thought provoking conversations - they make everyone want to join in, keyword here is everyone. If your question is directed to one individual, your new Mylot buddy, then you are chatting so send that person a private message. Any type of casual talking back and forth with members, may be considered chatting. It does not have to be with just one member, it can be a group of members. Just remember, everyone can participate in the thought provoking discussion and you wont go wrong.

Mylot is the most popular forum in the world. Do you realize what this means? It means you will meet people from all around the world with different opinions, different languages and certainly different lifestyles. Due to all these differences and language barriers, there may be some difficulty with communication. Anyway Mylot encourages us to help each other especially those who don't have a full grasp of the english language. If you understand what a new mylotter is saying but others in the discussion do not, lend that new member a hand and explain it to the rest of the group. Don't be afraid to ask the new member questions if you don't fully understand their question. Just remember, be polite and don't forget about our differences.

No explanation needed for this rule. All you have to do is just look around Mylot and see all the advertising. One tidbit to mention though, advertising is what allows Mylot to pay its members so feel free to give back to our wonderful community when you strike it rich.

This rule is also self explanatory. Perhaps one day in the near future, there will be all sorts of Mylot communities in different languages. One can dream right?

This rule is easy but Mylotters do misuse this rule all the time. The place where this rule gets broken is in the Mylot Interest Category. This is a forum dedicated to discussing everything about Mylot. It's ok to ask all the questions you want about Mylot, that's how you learn. However the keyword here is "issues" and you must send Mylot a private message for any issues. Don't air dirty laundry in the Mylot forum. Complaining about Mylot or other issues does not help anyone and Mylot frowns on this type of behavior. Asking other mylotters for help with Mylot is not discussing issues so that's acceptable.

Finally the very last rule on the list and for once, this is a fun rule. You get to brag all about Mylot and how it has changed your life. Tell everyone you know how much you love Mylot and the best part of all? Mylot pays you for referrals of course. You earn 25% of what your friends earn and this does not affect their earnings. Mylot also makes it easy to spread the word with flyers. Post your Mylot referral link in your email signature to invite new friends. So have some fun spreading the word and celebrate the Mylot community!