Animation Source Forums

I remember when the Rant Board fist became instated as a way for members to let off a little steam in the hopes of actually coming up with a plausible solution instead of simply keeping all that anger bottled inside, waiting for it to pop and result in a rather dramatic ban. And seeing the number rants that have appeared since then, it's only obvious people are getting harder and harder to please. For some, this is the place to make a statement and rally troops on their side. For others, it's a place to actually try and make this site a better and more functional place.

So let's analyze the situation here; I'll be frank with all of you when I say you excel at pointing out the flaws here, but you suck at trying to see if there's any way to make it better. You just rant away and hope another person can contrive some suggestion you'll somehow find reason to blow out of the sky anyway.

That said, the least you can do is at least strengthen the effectiveness of your rants so that they aren't so easy to counter. I almost find it amusing at how dogmatically narrow-minded some individuals can be when they come here with just their sob stories to back them up.

Ideally, a good rant encompasses more than just a statement. It contains facts, personal opinion, and expression with respect to how others might feel. Here's how you can make a good point to help others better get the gist of what you're trying to get at...

1.) Get out of your box. Instead of heading straight for the rant board, try to imagine WHY the other person is doing the thing that annoys you so much. They may just have good reason for it; something you failed to realize yourself. If it's even possible, talk to them instead of just jumping to your own conclusions. If talking things out doesn't work, at least the perspectives you got from thinking outside your box will help you to prepare a better rant.

2.) Explain the situation clearly. We may be on the internet, but that doesn't mean we can't act civil now, can we? When relating the problem, many of you use example scenarios to further your point... this is good, but try to keep the exaggeration of the other person to a minimum; you may just end up offending.

3.) How does it make you feel? Because we're a psychological bunch, and we love to express what we think and automatically assume our logic is correct. But always keep in mind the possibility that it's not. This is the main meat of your rant. Here, tell everyone how this problem has effected you, what it leads you to believe about the people doing it, and your own personal thoughts and opinions on the matter. THIS IS ALSO THE PLACE TO INCLUDE ANY IDEAS YOU GOT FROM STEP 1. In telling everyone how it makes you feel, try to understand what it might mean to the other person as well. Addressing and including their points of view gives your arguments vasts amounts of credibility.

3a.) What to include in your statements. As I mentioned, the first thing to include are your personal thoughts followed by the viewpoints of your opponent. But in order to get more people to see things your way, we're gonna need more than just your opinions. Back up your arguments with facts. You can do this by quoting specific rules, or something that a credible person [namely a moderator] has told you in regards to the problem. Understanding who your opponent is [Estimating their age and gender, for one] can show that you have an idea of the people you're ranting against; it shows that you're not narrow-minded and your broad range of perspective makes your points that much harder to counter. Whatever information you can find to further your case, be sure to look for some clue before firing off on a series of mad jeers.
3b.) Watch your logical fallacies. The manner you present your rant in is what mainly gets you followers. But don't always assume your way is the only right way, if right at all. Addressing the possibility you may be wrong actually makes you easier to believe. We're all human [no, not werewolves or vampires]. The most common logical fallacy is that of generalization; that is, taking a small aspect of something and applying it as a fault to the whole. Avoid this by taking your mindset off the idea that people are doing what they do specifically to annoy you. And if they are, then you know they just fail. You automatically win in that case. But for the most part, people don't come on here thinking, "Oh... what ways can I find to piss off so-and-so today?" The sooner you can eliminate that idea, the easier it'll be to come up with points to back up your claim.

4.) Can something be done? Alright, so you got a bunch of people to agree with you. You go back to the shout boxes to find nothing's changed and you go back to being all pissy again. You've just nullified the entire point of making a rant. Using the knowledge you've acquired thinking outside your box, be sure to include in your rant a few suggestions that can prevent the situation from happening again. Understanding why your opponent does what they do can help you to generate ideas. Keep in mind that this is NOT a solution: "Everyone's stealing fanart! We ought to get rid of the option to send in drawings to the site." Solutions are better if they are a win-win situation for everyone, so don't just be thinking of yourself. Now don't be thinking that things will get better overnight; some problems take time to solve, and simply ignoring the other person can prove to be an effective solution as well. If anything, the thoughts you include in your rant will help others to help you come up with ideas that'll justify your arguments and come up with a plausible solution as well.

4.) Closing thoughts. First off... this is a BIIIIIIG no-no: "I AM FOREVER FREE TO RANT AND THINK WHAT I WILL!!! DON'T POST UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMETHING GOOD TO SAY TO ME!!!" Your credibility just plummeted and you've left your audience shaking their heads. Every member has the right to rant; there's no need to flaunt it. Secondly, killing off the option for any opposition leaves you with next to no replies. You're back in your box again, and the whole process will start all over. Instead, simply recap on your rant; tell again in a brief sentence how this makes you feel, what you hope to accomplish by making this rant, and it also wouldn't hurt to thank everyone for taking the time to read your very well-thought-out statement.

Ranting is nearly the same thing as persuading; you're persuading your audience to see a condition in your viewpoint and to agree with you. Unfortunately, it's not all about the ranter that a rant revolves around. You must be sure to leave room for any second thoughts and logical judgments you've come up with. The degree of which, I'm afraid you must figure out for yourself.

Thank you for hearing me out.

Very, very well said, Suka! We've never really had a specific set of guidelines as to which rants are or are not acceptable here, but this really helps!

Please, members, be sure to read this topic before posting a rant. You could very easily save yourself from a lot of negative emotions if you read and understand this fully.

That said, I'll make this a sticky.

Lux's Stamp of Approval is strong in this one.

You know, you're absolutely right. EVERYONE should read this.

It's very good!
I was a little worried by the tittle though.XDD
You've written this well, other people should read it!

This should be stickied~! ... if it isn't already. Sorry, I didn't check. ): But it's absolutely right!

It already has been made into a sticky.

*Bows to SOTW*

If this is going to be sticked, it should have a formal title.

Let's all use our heads now.

Heck no. It's my topic, so it's my title.

Indeedio. :B

Good topic Suka. It's gonna be very helpful to us.

Thanks.

I actually stickied it when I posted that message, FYI.

Great job on the rantage of the rant! (and thanks for whoever stickied it - NECESSARY!)

Although this is long overdue, I still doubt that everyone will abide by this when they actually start a rant topic. However, I know that us more proper ranters here will be sure to follow these rules and terms (hopefully!).

- Juuchan17

True xD I don't really think it needs a "formal title".

Anyway, yeah, good topic. Perhaps others shall learn from this wisdom ._. xD