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Bumping and You: An Etiquette Guide

We've all been there. You're trying to get your thread noticed. You want it to stay on the first page. You're afraid of it getting lost in the sea of similar requests for MxFxM BDSM pony Omegaverse escapades. D: (Understandable. Dats sum hot shit.)

So you post. You post your heart out.

You BUMP.

Here's the thing though.

Here on Iwaku, even though we are a fairly large community, the partner search and roleplay advertising areas are slow-going. Your thread isn't likely to fall off the first page in less than one day. We have tools like the ad banner packages and special advertising forums for different kinds of roleplays, specifically to help you get noticed more easily!

We also have a rule against spam posts. Spam posts are defined as any post that doesn't have content value, and that includes bumps. This rule is in place to keep the forums clean and ensure people aren't flooding threads just to up their post count or to get attention to a particular thread; we value quality over quantity. (If you want to waste time by posting, get ye to the Bored Games section!) Posts that are considered spam will be deleted by mods if we find them. Repeat spamming after being warned can even result in penalties against your account.

Now, obviously we understand that you want to make your thread look active and keep it from being buried! That is why we allow you to "bump" your thread with a post that has content once every 24 hours. (Or, if you're a Donator, you can use the bump function. This doesn't make a new post, but changes the timestamp on the existing last post of the thread. Your post travels through time by means of wormholes and becomes a newer, younger, fresher post.) You may also do this if your thread has fallen off the first page.

What even do you mean, "a post that has content"?

Essentially, the post has to have some kind of information or value. It can't be a post for the sake of posting. Let's look at some examples to help distinguish the difference.

POSTS WITHOUT CONTENT

  • "bumpity", "Bump Up My Post", "bumperoo", "ba-bump ba-bump"", or any variation of "bump"
  • "^", "^^^", "+", ":D!" and other various symbols/emoticons without other context. Or any smiley by itself. Yes, even the dancing banana.
  • "1", "2", "3", etc. as a way of counting your bumps
  • bump images like this one, or other meme/GIF nonsense posting
and other stuff that serves no purpose other than to post something.

POSTS WITH CONTENT

  • "Still looking for partners!"
  • "I'm currently in the mood for idea B from my plot list, any takers?"
  • "Updated with new pairings."
  • "[Name of roleplay] is currently accepting 5 new players!"
and anything that gives some kind of information to the person who will read it, like this glorious PSA.

Why should I do this? Why should I care other than "it's against the rules"?

Well for one, it actually helps YOU. Bump/spam posts can be a turn-off to potential partners/players. A large reply count to your thread also may make people assume you've got enough interest and are no longer looking, so it'll create the OPPOSITE effect of what you're intending! And giving more information establishes what you're looking for at that moment to potential partners/players, helping you attract the right people (or deter contact from people who aren't what you're looking for).


Please be respectful and mind bumping etiquette! Don't spam the forums. We work hard to keep them clean, and spam is like littering all over our nice lawn. :[ Slow down, take a deep breath, and don't worry so much. There are a lot of people just like you looking for someone to play with. They will find their way to you!
Author
Astaroth
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