Bleacher Report Etiquette Guidelines

I'm not writing this in an attempt to disparage anyone who takes the time to write for, or about, internet sports websites.

I just wanted to give the public a few helpful hints to consider when posting an article or response.

If you follow my advice, I guarantee that your material will garner more praise and respect from those who read it.

I have a few rules that I follow when posting something for public consumption. If you adhere to my rules you may not earn praise, but you will minimize any negative opinions a reader might have about you.

1. Research at least one supporting fact for every point you are trying to make. This helps you to sound like you know what you are talking about and keeps you from posting your misconceptions. Whenever I get into an NFL argument I refer to profootballreference.com. This site has any stat you would want, going back to the inception of pro football. It even retains stats from defunct franchises. I have won (and lost) many bets after referring to this website. 
2. Please refrain from using all capital letters to emphasize a point. If you just capitalize one word that you want to stress the importance of it is fine. But people who write an entire response in all caps look ridiculous. What do you think this accomplishes? Does it make your thoughts more important than the thoughts of others who have not hit caps lock?
3. Do not use “clever” nicknames to refer to teams that you do not like. If you were wondering, I am here to tell you that you are not original or funny by referring to teams as “deadskins”, “cowgirls”, “tarholes”, or “dookies”. No one thinks you are clever. Everyone has heard these things before.
4. Refrain from using computer jargon. When I see terms like LOL, ROFL, FYI, BTW, WTF, etc., etc., I want to punch my computer screen until I cut my wrist. Is saving thirty seconds of your time worth coming across as an unoriginal, lazy person who can’t spell? Sound it out. Even if you can’t spell, the spell check tool will hide your shortcomings.
5. Try not to threaten anyone. First of all, does threatening someone who you have never met over the internet make you tough? Also, how can a person who you have never met get you angry enough to threaten them bodily harm?
6. Don’t “warn” someone. Seriously, no matter how stupid or hateful a person’s response may be, is it worth curtailing their freedom of speech? We are all too old for grade school. There is no need for a hall monitor. Instead of reporting someone try ignoring them, or better yet, come up with a response that shows the person what an idiot he/she is.
7. This is the last guideline, but it may be the most important one—don’t change your opinion in order to gain evaluation points from a website. Is it worth compromising your integrity in order to get an extra vote for the article of the day? The beauty of a website like Bleacher Report is that we have the freedom to write about topics that are meaningful to us.

If you follow my guidelines, I can’t guarantee instant success, but I will guarantee that most readers will take your opinions seriously.

The rest is up to you.